American Rhythm
Cha Cha
Quick triple steps and playful changes of direction
Cha Cha is lively and a little cheeky. Its quick cha-cha-cha steps alternate with two slower steps, so there is a clear change of pace to play with. The feet stay fairly small while the hips move with each change of weight.
Partners move towards and away from each other, turn under an arm and catch the sharp accents in the music. American Cha Cha uses a softer knee action as the weight arrives, giving the movement a relaxed, rolling quality.
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American Rhythm
Rumba
A steady rhythm, gentle hip movement and time together
American Rumba is a comfortable dance for slower songs. The basic rhythm is slow-quick-quick, often beginning with a box step. There is time to settle into each step, let the hips move and enjoy the connection with your partner.
It takes up little space, which makes it useful at a reception or dancing at home. As it develops, turns and changes of hold give the dance more variety while keeping its warm, unhurried feeling.
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American Rhythm
Mambo
Fast direction changes that play with the percussion
Mambo has a strong, driving rhythm. The body settles into the beat while the feet make quick forward-and-back changes, with turns and passes keeping the partners moving around each other.
The break falls on the second beat, giving it a different feel from stepping on the first beat of every phrase. Brass and percussion bring plenty of accents to answer. It is an energetic dance with room for sharp footwork, hip movement and a playful exchange between partners.
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American Rhythm
Bolero
Slow side steps, a soft rise and fall, and long flowing movement
Bolero is slow and smooth. A broad side step gives you time to stretch through the music, followed by two smaller steps that bring the weight back underneath you. There is a gentle rise and fall through the body, along with the hip movement of a Latin dance.
Partners draw closer, then open away again. The movement feels continuous and romantic, especially with a melody that gives you time to finish one movement before beginning the next.
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American Rhythm
Single Swing
A simple step-step-rock rhythm for lively music
Single Swing is one way to dance East Coast Swing. Two steps and a rock step keep the feet moving in a simple, repeating rhythm. Much of the fun happens between the partners: an underarm turn, a change of places, then coming back together ready for the next move.
The body has a light bounce and the dance suits upbeat music. Keeping one step where Triple Swing uses three makes this rhythm useful when a song is brisk.
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American Rhythm
Triple Swing
Two triple steps, a rock step and a spring in the movement
Triple Swing uses two quick triple steps followed by a rock step. Those extra steps fill out the rhythm and give East Coast Swing its familiar bounce. The connection stretches a little as partners move apart, then brings them back towards each other through a turn or a change of places.
It feels sociable and playful, with plenty of room to enjoy the rhythm in your feet. It works especially well when the music gives those triple steps room to swing.
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American Rhythm
Lindy Hop
Swing-outs, pulse and a springy connection
Lindy Hop is a swing dance with a relaxed pulse and an elastic connection between partners. In a swing-out, you move from a closer position into open hold, circle one another and come back together.
Six-count and eight-count patterns can flow into one another, with turns and changes of place adding variety. There is room for both partners to play with footwork and answer the music. The dance can feel easy and swinging or quick and lively, depending on the song.
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American Rhythm
West Coast Swing
A smooth, elastic connection with room to interpret the music
West Coast Swing travels along a slot, with one partner moving through while the other creates space and direction. The connection stretches and returns, giving both dancers time to shape turns, passes and changes of rhythm.
Private West Coast Swing lessons in Vancouver can begin with the basic walking rhythm and connection, then develop into musical interpretation, styling and more detailed partner communication. It is distinct from East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop, so the lesson follows the Swing style you want to learn.
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American Rhythm
Swing Hustle
Flowing turns, passes and wraps to disco and dance-pop
Swing Hustle keeps the partners moving through a series of turns, passes and wraps. One person travels past the other, turns, then returns through the connection. The steps are compact, but the dance feels expansive because the arms and upper body open into the movement.
Disco and dance-pop give it a steady, energetic pulse. Clear timing makes the turns flow together, so you get that satisfying feeling of a dance that keeps going as the song plays.
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American Rhythm
Salsa
Turns, changing places and footwork that answers the music
Salsa moves through steps, turns and changes of place, with the partners choosing what comes next as the song plays. You can dance together in an open hold, let go for a little footwork, then find the connection again.
The music can be energetic or softer and romantic. Clear weight changes and timing help one movement flow into the next, leaving room to play with accents and pauses.
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American Rhythm
Bachata
Three steps and a tap, with room to turn and play
Three steps and a tap give Bachata its familiar rhythm. The guitar and percussion carry you through changes of direction, turns and variations in the footwork. A few movements are enough to enjoy a whole song together.
The dancing can feel playful or romantic. Partners can use an open or a closer hold, choosing a distance that feels comfortable for both people.
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American Rhythm
Blues
A grounded pulse, small steps and time to feel the music
Blues carries the rhythm through the body. Soft knees and clear changes of weight let the hips, chest and shoulders respond to the song. Small steps leave room to change the timing, pause or enjoy a simple walk with a partner.
A slow song can feel quiet and unhurried; a shuffle or driving beat brings out quicker footwork and more energy. The different Blues dances developed within African American social life, in close relationship with the music.
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American Rhythm
Fusion
Familiar movements finding a new shape in a song
Fusion brings movement from different partner dances into the same dance. A flowing turn might become a walk, a change of rhythm or a moment of stillness. The song and the connection between partners guide what happens next.
It works with a wide range of music. Changing the timing can make familiar steps feel soft, playful or dramatic, while clear leading and following help turns and pauses fit together comfortably.
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Latin
Merengue
A steady beat, small steps and turns with a partner
Merengue gives you a repeating rhythm to settle into together. Small steps and changes of weight keep the beat going while turns and changes of hold add variety.
In private lessons, we can begin with the rhythm and a comfortable connection, then develop turns that flow back into the basic step. Bring a song you enjoy, or try Merengue alongside the other Latin dances that interest you.
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Social & Partner Dance
Nightclub Two-Step
A gentle rhythm and flowing movement for slower songs
Nightclub Two-Step gives slower songs a flowing partner dance. A gentle rock step and side step create a repeating rhythm, with space for turns, changes of direction and longer movements as the music develops.
I teach Nightclub Two-Step in private lessons at DBoyerDance. We can work with a song you enjoy, find a comfortable rhythm and connect a few movements you can use together. Come on your own or with a partner.
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American Smooth
Waltz
A gentle one-two-three with turning, sway and rise and fall
Waltz has a three-beat rhythm that gives the movement a gentle swing. The body lowers into the first step, rises through the next steps and settles again as a new measure begins. That rise and fall is what gives Waltz its floating quality.
In American Waltz, a ballroom hold can open into an underarm turn or side-by-side movement. It is a graceful, romantic dance, with time to enjoy the way a turn carries you across the floor.
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American Smooth
Foxtrot
Easy walking steps with the swing of a jazz song
American Foxtrot often begins with two slow walks and two quicker side steps. The rhythm is easy to recognise in many jazz standards and big-band songs. You travel around the floor, turn corners and change direction together, with a relaxed, sociable feel.
As the dance develops, smoother passing steps and open turns add variety. It has an easy elegance: the movement keeps going, and there is room to enjoy the song and the person beside you.
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American Smooth
Viennese Waltz
A quicker three-beat rhythm and sweeping turns
Viennese Waltz turns to a quicker one-two-three. The partners rotate while travelling around the floor, and the repeating rhythm gives the dance its sweeping momentum. American style also allows the hold to open, with underarm turns and different partner positions adding variety.
The feeling is lighter and faster than a slow Waltz. Finding a comfortable shared balance lets the turns flow, especially when the music builds into a fuller, more dramatic phrase.
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American Smooth
Ballroom Tango
Deliberate walks, quick changes and a clear pause
American Ballroom Tango has a grounded walk, with the knees slightly flexed and the feet staying close to the floor. Slow, deliberate steps give way to quicker actions and a definite pause.
Those changes of speed create much of its drama. Partners can open the hold for a turn or a shape, then come back together. It feels focused and purposeful, with the music giving you clear places to move sharply or hold a moment.
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American Smooth
Argentine Tango
Walking, pivots and pauses shaped through the embrace
Argentine Tango is built around walking together. Small changes of weight and direction travel through the embrace, telling a partner when to step, turn or wait. Pivots and crossing steps grow out of that shared walk.
The rhythm is flexible: you can linger with the melody, then take quicker steps to the beat. The closeness comes from the attention between two people. A simple walk or a well-timed pause can feel as satisfying as a more elaborate movement.
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International Latin
Cha Cha
Crisp footwork, a defined hip action and quick side steps
International Cha Cha has the same recognisable cha-cha-cha rhythm, with a more sharply defined action through the legs and hips. Weight arrives onto a straighter supporting leg, and the quick side steps give the dance a crisp, precise look.
Partners separate, turn and reconnect while playing with the musical accents. It feels bright and alert. The detail is in how the feet, legs and body work together, so a small step can still have plenty of expression.
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International Latin
Rumba
Slow movement with time for the body to finish each action
International Rumba moves to a slower rhythm than American Rumba. The weight transfers deliberately, while the hips and body continue moving between the steps. That gives each action time to develop.
Partners approach, turn away and return to one another, often with a strong sense of attention across the space between them. It feels measured and expressive. Even a small movement has time to be seen and felt, which gives the dance much of its romantic character.
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International Latin
Samba
A rolling rhythm and a gentle bounce through the knees and ankles
Ballroom Samba moves through several different rhythms, with a gentle compression and release through the knees and ankles. This creates its bounce, while the hips and body roll through the movement.
Some steps travel around the floor; others stay in one place and play with the rhythm. The result is lively and buoyant. There is a lot to hear in Samba’s percussion, and learning to respond to those layers gives the dance its energetic, full-body feeling.
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International Latin
Jive
Quick triple steps, kicks and light, springy movement
Jive is fast and compact. Quick triple steps and rock steps keep the rhythm moving, with kicks and flicks adding playful accents as the dance develops. The feet work close to the body, and the spring comes from well-timed steps through the feet and legs.
Partners turn and change places while keeping that lively pulse. It has a cheerful, energetic character, with a sharper, quicker action than the more relaxed swing of East Coast Swing.
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International Standard
Waltz
A continuous ballroom hold with shared rise, fall and sway
International Waltz carries both partners through a three-beat rhythm while they remain in ballroom hold. Lowering into a step, rising together and turning through the next measure creates a continuous swing.
The shared frame helps two bodies travel along the same curved path. It feels smooth and spacious when the timing comes together. Small changes in balance and direction make a noticeable difference to how comfortably the couple moves around the floor.
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International Standard
Slow Foxtrot
Long passing steps and an almost continuous glide
In Slow Foxtrot, the feet pass one another as the body keeps moving across the floor. A slow-quick-quick rhythm sits underneath the long, smooth movement. The partners stay in ballroom hold and share the swing of each step, with only a subtle rise and fall.
It has a quiet, flowing elegance. The challenge is to make the movement look and feel easy, especially through the changes of direction and the transitions between figures.
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International Standard
Viennese Waltz
Continuous turning together in a ballroom hold
International Viennese Waltz moves through repeated turns to a brisk three-beat rhythm. The partners remain in ballroom hold, rotating together while travelling around the floor. Changes between right and left turns give the dance its shape.
It feels quick and sweeping, but the steps themselves stay economical. A clear shared centre and steady timing help the rotation continue smoothly, so both dancers can turn comfortably with the rhythm.
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International Standard
Tango
A compact hold, grounded walks and sharp changes of speed
International Tango uses a compact ballroom hold and a grounded walk, with the knees staying flexed. The body travels level while the feet make clear, precise actions.
A slow walk can lead into a quick turn and a sudden stop, giving the dance its concentrated energy. Partners stay closely coordinated through those changes. Its character comes from the contrast between stillness and movement, and from the decisiveness of each step.
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Country
Country Two-Step
Country music, travelling steps and turns together
I teach Country Two-Step at DBoyerDance in Vancouver. We can work on the rhythm, steps, turns and connection, then put them together with a country song you enjoy.
Come on your own and dance with me, or learn with a partner. You can focus on Country Two-Step or explore it alongside Ballroom and Swing in your private lessons.
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