Wimborne U3A

Ballroom and Latin American Dance Group Resources

Dance Tempi

Cha Cha is danced in 4/4 time to 28-30 measures per minute, or 112-120 beats per minute.

Samba is danced in 2/4 time to 50 measures per minute, or 100 beats per minute.

Rumba is danced in 4/4 time

(Traditionally, Rumba has been danced as fast as 27-28 measures per minute.)

Paso Doble is danced in 2/4 time to 60-62 measures per minute, or 120-124 beats per minute.

Jive is danced in 4/4 time to 44 measures per minute, or 176 beats per minute.

Slow waltz is danced in 3/4 time to 28-30 measures per minute, or 84-90 beats per minute.

Viennese Waltz is danced in 3/4 time to 52-58 measures per minute, or 156-174 beats per minute.

Tango is danced in 2/4 time to 60-64 measures per minute, or 120-128 beats per minute.

Foxtrot is danced in 4/4 time to 28-30 measures per minute, or 112-120 beats per minute.

Quickstep is danced in 4/4 time to 48-52 measures per minute, or 192-208 beats per minute.


Basic steps -

Going around the edge of the ballroom, anticlockwise with men facing outwards for “The Social Rhythm”.

Close hold for ballroom with arms at shoulder height.

The basic steps for the man are left forward (slow): right forward (slow): left to the side (quick) and right close (quick): repeat.

The basic steps for ladies are right back (slow): left back (slow) right to the side (quick) and left close (quick): repeat.

The music for this is four beats to the bar and not too slow.

Latin dances stay in the same kind of area of the ballroom (at least to start with) and you don’t move around the ballroom. The hold is more distant than for ballroom.

Rumba basic steps are – preparatory step from right toe to weight down and left heel comes up (beat 1): then left forward, toe first then heel, right heel comes up (beat 2): right heel down left heel up (beat 3): left back and to the side toe first then heel (right heel up ready) (beat 4): wait! (beat 1) then repeat the action but with the right going back on beat 2 then being replaced to the side.

Ladies do a mirror image of this, starting with a preparatory step left foot, then the same as the man’s second set of actions.

The music for this is slow Latin feel.

Cha Cha is the same except that you do a quick side step (chassis) on beat 4 finishing on the other foot to which you started with (ignoring the preparatory step)

The music for this is a quicker Latin feel.

You can see how difficult this is to put in to words so please try to come to the sessions as often as possible