The Rumba is the dance of love and comes from Cuba. It was brought to England in the 1940's by the great Latin pioneer Monsieur Pierre Zurcher-Margolle and his partner Doris Lavelle. The type of rumba Pierre Zurcher-Margolle and Doris Lavelle brought back was the professional version as performed by the top Cuban professionals of this time and not the version danced on the streets. Being Cuban the first step is always on the second beat. Basic steps can include the alemana, hockey stick, sliding doors, cucarachas and fan.

The Cha Cha Cha is a derivation of the rumba. Folklore says that Pierre actually created this dance form to fit the faster more mambo-like music. However the cha cha cha did exist in Cuba and was often danced in Cuban cafes with an emphasis on the 4-and-1 beat. The Latin dancer Juppa Happlainen has said that he has witnessed this dance and beat being danced in social dance cafes throughout the Caribbean. He says they still perform cha cha cha basic steps like the New York, alemana, hockey stick today in such cafes.

The Samba is the carnival dance of Brazil. It was a fusion of Brazilian and Black cultures with an emphasis on the Congo Drum from the area of that name in Africa. Some of the names of the steps such as the Boto Fogo reflect geographical locations in Brazil e.g. Boto Fogo beach. Pierre and Doris Lavelle also brought this dance to England. One step they added was the maypole inspired by the site of children winding colored ribbons around trees rather like children doing English folk dancing in the UK. Other steps including rolling off the arm, cruzado walks and promenade runs. A common timing is 1 a 2.

The Jive was the dance of the G.I.s who came from America to Europe during the Second World War. It has many forms such as lindyhop, jitterbug, rock n roll jive etc. The ballroom form was developed by the world famous dancer Walter Laird and is based on a triple step. Ballroom jive contains some elements of lindyhop, jitterbug and previous forms of jive. The jive is an exciting dance with steps like the change of places, link step, link and whip.

The Paso Doble was a theatre dance found on the French stage after the First World War. It was inspired by the Spanish bullfight and music of the Spanish bullfight which was essentially military marching music. Surprisingly the ballroom Paso Doble has little relationship to the Flamenco dance of the same name although Flamenco elements are often incorporated. This is because the dance is named after the rhythm, Paso Doble meaning 'step double' or two step. In the ballroom Paso Doble you will see the man as the matador and the woman acting mainly as his cape, but sometimes also as a female Flamenco dancer and at times as the bull to signify its death. A famous Paso Doble step is the apel where you stamp your foot to get the attention of the bull.

The incredible story of ballroom dancing is that it was developed in England having crossed the Atlantic from the USA by a small group of friends and aficionados of this type of dancing. They included Victor Sylvester and Josephine Bradley who first met for social ballroom dancing and began to codify and standardize the ballroom steps. Later great ballroom pioneers from an earlier age included Wally Frier and Violet Barnes, Phillip Richardson, Len Scrivener and Nellie Dugan, Harry Smith Hampshire and Doreen Casey, Peter Eggleton and Brenda Winslade.

The ballroom Tango is an adaptation of the Argentine Tango. Crossing the Atlantic to Europe it was adopted first by the Germans who speeded up the music to give it a slightly more attacking quality. The ballroom tango is different from the other three 'swing' dances it that there is no rise and fall, it is mainly all on one level with steps that slightly leave the floor rather than skimming across the floor as in the other dances. There is also a slightly different hold.

The Quickstep was an evolution of the foxtrot to faster music. This was because when the foxtrot became fashionable the music soon divided into slow music and fast music and it was decided to make them two separate dances. The quickstep has fast syncopated steps and sometimes show steps such as the pendulums. It tends to move very fast along the floor. This is a very energetic ballroom dance.

The Waltz is soft and lyrical and a romantic ballroom dance. It developed in England and is often known as the English Waltz. It has 3/4 timing and a lilting movement. Its origins were in the Viennese Waltz. The ballroom waltz has movements that turn to the right like the Natural Turn and then movements that turn in the opposite direction to the left like the Reverse Turn.

The origins of the Foxtrot include the Cakewalk a dance performed by black plantation workers actually mocking the gait of their white aristocratic masters. The foxtrot was developed in England by the great early founder of much of modern ballroom, Josephine Bradley who was known as the Queen of the Ballroom. The foxtrot is slow, flowing, graceful and seamless. The most famous Foxtrot step is the feather step which all beginners learn first. The timing is 4/4. The Foxtrot is regarded as the classical ballroom dance.

The Viennese Waltz was the first ballroom dance of all and originated in Vienna in fashionable society. It is very simple in construction with Natural Turns to the right, Reverse Turns to the left, change steps and the fleckerl to right and left with contra check step in between. The Viennese Waltz has a romantic quality and strongly rotational ballroom dance movement. Many of the steps seen on Strictly Come Dancing are incorporated from the American version of ballroom dancing known as American Smooth. Like the waltz the timing is 3/4.

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