Fred Astaire Fast Facts from A to Z

Fred Astaire Dance Studios offer lessons on all types of partnership dances, from the Waltz to the Tango, the Cha-Cha to Swing, and everything in between. We aren’t just limited to the more traditional dances, though. For example, we frequently assist with wedding dance choreography so brides and grooms can show off their newfound dance skills when friends and family are gathered at their wedding reception. We tailor those dances to personality and style, just in case anyone may have doubted their dancing skills in the past.

That’s just one example of the many options we have, so take a look at some of these Fred Astaire Dance Studios fast facts to get an idea of some popular dance lesson offerings!

Cha-Cha

  • The cha-cha originated in Cuba and was brought to the US in the 1940s, stemming from its parent dance the Mambo.
  • The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of dancers’ shoes as they shuffled around the floor.

Club Dancing

  • The history of the club dates back to before WWII. The French had dance clubs called discotheques, but when the Nazis invaded, they took over clubs and outlawed certain types of music, such as swing and jazz.
  • Some club dance moves in the past have been named the Twist, the Jerk, the Hitchhiker, and the Bug.

Country-Western

  • Western group is a broad category and includes Line Dancing and Square Dance
  • Square Dance can include: traditional square dance or modern western square dance

Salsa

  • Salsa has a 90-year history in which there have been multiple evolutionary paths that were often split due to political and social influences.

Swing

  • An exciting movement in jazz music broke out in New York’s Harlem district during the late 1920s and with this new sound, a brand new dance was created, called the lindy hop.

Tango

  • American Tango is bigger, and is more often found in competitions than on social dance floors.
  • Argentine Tango is more flow-y, involves more legwork, and takes closer and smaller steps than American Tango.

Waltz

  • The Waltz is the oldest of the ballroom dances, dating back to the 18th century.
  • Its introduction was met with outrage because it was the first dance where the couple danced in a modified Closed Position – with the man’s hand around the waist of the lady.

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