• International Style

    • International Style Ballroom/Standard (the main difference between Ballroom and Smooth is dancers in the International Ballroom style must maintain the dance frame for the entirety of the dance)

      • Waltz – Slow and elegant dance defined by 3/4 timing and the rise and fall of the dancers

      • Tango – Very dramatic dance with sharp movements mostly danced with bent knees

      • Foxtrot – Smooth gliding action across the floor – jazz or big band music

      • Viennese Waltz – A faster dance set to 3/4 timing that turns around the floor continuously

      • Quickstep – Very energetic dance filled with hops, skips, and fast footwork

    • International Style Latin

      • Cha Cha – A faster Latin dance with quick foot action and sharp movement

      • Samba – Inspired by the Brazilian dance and “Carnival” – bounce created by knee and ankle action

      • Rumba – Slowest in this style meant to emphasize hip and body action as well as connection with the partner

      • Paso Doble – Dramatic dance inspired by Flamenco dancing, the Matador, etc.

      • Jive – Quickest dance in the style with high kicks, lots of energy and personality

  • American Style (also lumped into social dancing)

    • American Smooth

      • Waltz – Slow and elegant dance defined by 3/4 timing and the rise and fall of the dancers

      • Tango – Very dramatic dance with sharp movements mostly danced with bent knees

      • Foxtrot – Smooth gliding action across the floor – jazz or big band music

      • Viennese Waltz – A faster dance set to 3/4 timing

      • **Peabody** – Never danced in traditional competitions but similar to a Quickstep or Charleston

    • American Rhythm

      • Cha Cha – A faster Latin dance with quick foot action and sharp movement

      • Rumba – Faster than it’s international counterpart – still focusing on hip and body action or Cuban action

      • Swing (East Coast) – Very energetic, lots of turns and and spins for both partners

      • Bolero – Slowest of the rhythm dances incorporating a graceful rise and fall

      • Mambo – Fast toe taps, flicks, ticks to accentuate music – danced on the “2”

  • Additional Social Dances

      • Salsa – Very popular social dance with turns, hip action and styling – can be danced on the “1” or “2”

      • Merengue – One of the easiest Latin dances to learn with recognizable foot-to-foot weight transfers

      • Bachata – Popular Latin social dance with hip action and body movement

      • Argentine Tango – Characterized by the close embrace-hold, foot and leg tricks, as well as an often moody styling

      • Lindy Hop – One of the original swing dances, quick foot action, triple-steps, and often tricks

      • West Coast Swing – Derived from the Lindy Hop but with a more sleek-styling, improvisation and elastic hold

      • etc. (Certainly there are styles that are not listed above but this covers the majority of what you might find on team or at competitions)