07
Choosing a Dance
The question most studios leave you to answer before you've danced a step.
Which Latin Dance Should
You Learn First?
Latin dance is a family of partner dances rooted in Cuba, the Dominican Republic,
Colombia and Brazil. It splits into two branches: social Latin — bachata, merengue,
cumbia and salsa, danced at Latin nights — and ballroom Latin, the Rhythm and
International styles such as cha-cha, rumba and samba. Merengue and bachata are the
easiest places to start.
Matching what you want to a first Latin dance
| If you want… | Start with |
| To dance with anyone on a crowded floor tonight | Merengue |
| A close, smooth connection with one partner | Bachata |
| Something relaxed for Mexican and Colombian music | Cumbia |
| Fast footwork and turn patterns at a Latin night | Salsa |
| Sharp, playful timing and real hip action | Cha-Cha |
| Slow, expressive and dramatic | Rumba |
| Carnival energy and bounce | Samba |
Scroll the table sideways →
The two branches share music and roots but feel different on the floor. Social Latin
is led, improvised and built for a night out — you learn a vocabulary and combine it on
the spot. Ballroom Latin is technique-first: Cuban motion, precise footwork and
shaping, danced socially or on a competition floor. Plenty of students do both, and each
makes the other better.
Easiest first win · Dominican
Merengue
One step on every beat, a march with a hip action, and turns layered on top. There's
no tricky timing to find, which is why it's the dance most Latin nights use to pull
beginners onto the floor. Learn it in one lesson, enjoy it for years — and use it to
get comfortable leading or following before anything faster.
Close connection · Dominican
Bachata
Four steps to a bar — side, side, side, tap — with a small hip lift on the fourth beat,
danced in a close hold or an open one. The basic clicks fast, which is why so many people
choose it as their first partner dance, and modern bachata adds turns, body waves and dips once
you have it.
Relaxed and grounded · Colombian & Mexican
Cumbia
A grounded, swaying step that circles your partner, with an easy back-step on the beat.
You'll hear it at quinceañeras, weddings and family parties all over the Valley, and
it's the dance that turns "I don't dance" into "okay, one song".
Fast footwork and turns · Cuban roots
Salsa
Quick-quick-slow across eight counts, with turn patterns that make it the most
spectacular of the social dances — and the one with the most to learn. Salsa has its own
page with styles, levels and the salsa series:
salsa classes in Las Vegas.
Playful and precise · Ballroom Latin
Cha-Cha
Born from Cuban mambo and named for its signature triple step — "cha-cha-cha". It's the
best teacher of Cuban motion in the family, and the gateway into Rhythm and International
Latin. Dance it to anything from Santana to current pop.
Slow and expressive · Ballroom Latin
Rumba
The slow, romantic one — controlled hip action, long lines and a lot of eye contact.
American Rhythm rumba is the version for slow songs on a social floor; International
rumba is the showpiece on the competition floor. Both reward patience more than speed.
Carnival energy · Brazilian
Samba
Brazilian rhythm with a constant bounce action through the knees, travelling around
the floor. The most athletic dance in the family — great for fitness, and the one that
makes a party floor look like a party.
Also taught: mambo and bolero (American Rhythm), paso doble and
jive — which aren't Latin American at all but are grouped with the Latins in
International competition — and Brazilian zouk. Ask for any of them at your intro.