Different Dance Styles On Dancing With the Stars

Dancing With the Stars is a reality competition show where one dancer is a celebrity, and the other is a professional dancer. Every season features different dancers, and also different types of dancing. Some of the seasons have offered some very popular styles, but mainly, they try to choose different styles of dancing for each season's contestants. Some of these dances are rarely seen, while others have been popular for decades.

The Cha-Cha, Foxtrot, Quick Step, Tango, Jive, Samba, and the Rumba are seen regularly each season. The Waltz was used in the beginning of the show and continued for three seasons, but eventually was replaced by the Vietnamese Waltz. Now they've taken it even a few steps further, and use the Mambo for a bit more style and difficulty from the traditional Waltz.

The Foxtrot, which has been around since 1914, is a staple of the show. Many times you'll see it offered with big band style music, but it's actually better if using Ragtime music.

The Latin American Cha-Cha, created by Peter Margoli, is a ballroom style of dance that is quite fun. Each set of dancers adds their own style and flair to this particular dance and the competition can get quite stiff.

The Quick Step is another popular dance found on Dancing With the Stars. Standardized in 1927, it's a mix of several different types of dancing, including the Shag, Foxtrot, One Step, Peabody, and the Charleston. Often compared to the Foxtrot itself, it has extremely distinct patterns and is actually quite different.

The Jive, welcomed into being in the early 1940s with origins as an African-American dance, gives the dancers an opportunity to move extremely quickly. Set to 44 bars per minute, this is one of the quickest dances on the show, and at times, is slowed down to 32 bars per minute.

While most people have heard of the Tango, most people don't realize there are two different styles of Ballroom Tango: the American-style Tango and the International style Tango. It's a matter of selecting the style that's best for the dancers themselves, with the International style being used more often. There are also other styles of Tango that are not considered Ballroom styles, namely the Argentine Tango, the Uruguayan Tango, Finnish Tango, and vintage tangos.

A progressive style of international ballroom dancing, the Paso Doble, is not seen often, although it is very similar to the Samba.

The Rumba, another one of the dances on the show, can be seen in three different types. The early American Rumba, the Ballroom Rumba, and of course, the Cuban Rumba. Again, it's all up to the dancers as to which style they decide to dance.

For those who enjoy very quick movements, the Samba is a favorite. Its ability to move from stylistic slow speeds to extremely fast movements can actually depend on the music, as well as the dancers themselves.

Dancing With the Stars is a great way to learn about different dance styles, and actually see dances that are not on TV or in the movies very often anymore. Of course, you can also learn more about these ballroom dances by actually learning to dance them...check out the lessons offered at your local ballroom dance studio and you too may one day be Dancing With the Stars, or at least find yourself on the dance floor having as much fun as they are!