Dancing with the Stars

Each Season of Dancing with the Stars features some different dance techniques.  While some seasons have featured the same dances, there are also some seasons where a special style is thrown in to ensure that things stay interesting for the audience.  Looking over all of the different dance styles, there is truly something for everyone and it can be a lot of fun to see the different styles and watch how each professional handles it.

The first thing to consider is the styles that have been present for every season so far.  The Foxtrot, Cha-Cha-Cha, Quickstep, Jive, Tango, Paso Doble, Rumba and finally the Samba is the dance styles that is seen in every season.  Once you start looking at the different styles that have only been used periodically, you notice a much smaller list.  The first is the Waltz; this was only used for the first four seasons before being replaced in season five by the Viennese Waltz.  The final dance style that has been used is the Mambo; this was first introduced during season three and has continued through at least season six so far.

The Foxtrot is a dance style that was initially created by Harry Fox and premiered in 1914.  It has been developed and is not typically accompanied musically by big band music.  In the beginning however it was most often accompanied by ragtime music.  As one of the most popular dance styles it is really easy to understand why this has been a basic staple for Dancing with the Stars every season.

The Cha-Cha-Cha is a dance that originated back to its Cuban origins and comes to us from Latin America.  Pierre Margoli is the actual dance teacher credited for creating the ballroom style of Cha-Cha-Cha.

Another frequent style is the Quickstep.  Designed as a combination of several different styles including the Foxtrot, Shag, Peabody, One Step and even the Charleston the dance was standardized in 1927.  At a fast glance, it may seem extremely similar to the fast Foxtrot, however it is completely different with distinct patterns.

Jive is another popular choice.  This was created in the early 1940’s and originated with African-Americans.  The dance itself evolved from the Jitterbug as well as Swing dancing.  As an extremely quick dance, it is most commonly performed at the clipper speed of 44 bars per minute, though on some occasions it can be slowed down to as little as 32 bars per minute.

Tango is an intriguing dance, with two different styles to choose from the American and also the International style it is a favorite of many ballroom dancers.  Trying to really find the perfect style for each partnership is not always easy; however, the International style is typically much more accepted for competitions.

Paso Doble is a progressive style International ballroom dance and is not as widely used.  It is quite similar to the Samba.

Rumba is broken up into three different styles.  There is the Cuban Rubma, the Early American Rumba and finally the Ballroom Rumba.

The Samba is a very quick and speedy style.  With a speed that is easily adjusted, it can move from very slow to extremely quick depending on the music.

As you can see, there is an extremely diverse mixture of dance styles that are heavily used for the show.  This provides ample opportunity to see a diverse range of dances as well as ensure a well rounded competition.