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Latin dance has taken the world by storm in recent years! It's fun, great for your fitness and well being and a fantastic way to meet people! There are many wonderful dance styles to learn and enjoy!
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Bachata
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Bachata hails from the countryside and rural neighbourhoods of the Dominican Republic. It emerged in the 1960’s but did not become popular at an international scale until recently.
In its native Dominican Republic, Bachata was associated with the lower class and considered rustic as its popularity with the country’s poorer citizens grew. It wasn't until the 1990’s that Bachata music and its musicians gained legitimacy and international recognition. Since then, Bachata has enjoyed unprecedented international success reaching out to broad audiences across Latin and North America, Europe, Asia, and of course, Australia! Today, Bachata has morphed considerably from its humble and traditional roots to incorporate many other musical elements such as RNB, Tango, Hip Hop and Rock.
The character of the dance is achieved through sensual hip and body movements and its close and intimate hold. It is often romantic and sentimental as the songs nearly always tell a tale of romance or unrequited love.
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What to wear
Comfortable clothing; casual wear, work attire or work out clothes. Any thing is fine as long as it doesn't restrict your movement. Comfortable footwear; flats, sneakers or dress shoes are fine but dance shoes are recommended for both males and females as the leather/suede sole will facilitate your turns.
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Brazilian Samba
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Samba is an energetic and rhythmical style of music and dance which originates from Brazil. It is a quick, pulsating and lively dance with a rhythm that many people find irresistible.
Not to be confused with Ballroom Samba which is extremely different, Samba as a dance form was created by the poor Afro-Brazilians and is today one of the most popular forms of music and dance in Brazil in fact; it is widely considered Brazil's national musical style and dance.
Samba is synonymous with the Rio Carnival, a wild, annual 4 day celebration which takes place in Rio de Janeiro. The carnival celebrates Samba with a massive Samba parade. Every year hundreds of thousands of people travel from all corners of the world to experience the colour, music and excitement of Rio Carnival.
Originally Samba was a solo dance, but over the years partner dances and different styles of Samba have emerged including Samba no pé, Samba de Gafieira, Samba Pagode, Samba Axé, Samba de roda and Samba rock.
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What to wear
Comfortable and atheltic clothing and footwear; as if you were going to the gym! Bring plenty of water and a towel and spare shirt if you tend to sweat alot.
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Cha Cha Cha
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Info coming soon.
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Salsa
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Salsa is perhaps the most popular of all Latin dance styles and is danced by millions of people around the world. It is such a popular and breathtaking dance and pastime, it has broken through cultural barriers and today can be found all over the world. New York, Israel, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Italy, Dubai, India, Japan! You name the country or city and you will find very dedicated Salseros and a popular Salsa scene!
Salsa has a vast and complex history and has many influences but basically came to be in New York as the result of the mixture of Cuban music and Latin Jazz in the 1940’s and 50’s. With its many influences from countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela and of course the city of New York, Salsa has its roots in Cuban music and culture. The word ‘Salsa’ actually means a hot and spicy sauce in Spanish and was created for marketing purposes in order to promote this amazing and unmistakable music to the rest of the world.
It is a partner dance and consists of a 4/4 beat or rhythm, with a pattern of six steps danced over the eight counts of music. Salsa entails intricate and rhythmic footwork, turns and spins, dips and many fun and interesting moves and turn patterns. Salsa works on a lead and follow system where one person leads - traditionally the male with his female partner following his signals and being led into all the moves. It is considered a street-style dance which basically means that there is no set choreography. Once you hit the dance floor, you can definitely expect spontaneity!
The dance has changed and progressed through the years becoming a little more sophisticated and stylish due to the integration of many other dance genres but its essence will always remain the same. It is generally upbeat, rhythmic, sexy and fun but it can be romantic, energetic, smooth, debonair and fiery. It is all up to your interpretation and personality.
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What to wear
Comfortable clothing; casual wear, work attire or work out clothes. Any thing is fine as long as it doesn't restrict your movement. Comfortable footwear; flats, sneakers or dress shoes are fine but dance shoes are recommended for both males and females as the leather/suede sole will facilitate your turns.
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Zumba® Fitness
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Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba® program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.
Zumba Fitness® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive.
When participants see a Zumba class in action, they can’t wait to give it a try. Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before participants know it, they’re getting fit and their energy levels are soaring! There’s no other fitness class like a Zumba Fitness-Party. It’s easy to do, effective and totally exhilarating, often building a deep-rooted community among returning students.
Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba program has grown to become the world's largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 12 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries.
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What to wear
Comfortable and atheltic clothing and footwear; as if you were going to the gym! Bring plenty of water and a towel and spare shirt if you tend to sweat alot.
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