Latin
Rag-Time / Swing
Stroll / Glide
For anyone who can't dance at all and is unsure about music there is social dancing. It is easy and works with any beat & tempo. Otherwise beginners generally start with Waltz, Quickstep and Cha-Cha.
Links from the table below are to step instructions and music samples. The beat (strong beats per bar) and tempo (bars per minute, BPM) describe the music used.
| Category | Dance | Beat | Tempo | Rhythms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballroom | Viennese Waltz |
3 | 60 (50-64) | SSS |
| Slow Waltz |
3 | 30 (28-34) | SSS, SQQS, QQSS | |
| Quickstep |
4 | 50 (40-54) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Foxtrot |
4 | 30 (26-36) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Tango |
4 / 2 | 33 (28-34) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Latin | Samba |
2 | 50 (45-65) | SS, SaS, SQQ |
| Jive |
4 / 12 | 44 (30-50) | ½bar QQ, QaQ | |
| Cha-Cha |
4 | 32 (30-40) | ½bar SS, QQS | |
| Rumba |
4 | 27 (24-32) | QQS | |
| Paso Doble |
2 / 4 | 62 (58-66) | SS | |
| Alternative Latin |
Bossa Nova | 2 | 35 (30-42) | SaS, SQQ |
| West Coast Swing | 4 / 12 | 35 (30-40) | ½bar QQ, S, QaQ | |
| Rock 'n' Roll | 4 | 40 (30-50) | ½bar S, QQ, QaQ | |
| Mambo | 4 | 45 (38-54) | QQS | |
| Salsa | 4 | 48 (42-56) | QQQQ, QQS | |
| Lambada | 4 | 60 (58-62) | QQS, QQQQ | |
| Merengue | 2 | 63 (60-70) | SS | |
| Calypso | 4 | 35 (30-44) | QQQQ | |
| Argentine Tango | 4 / 2 | 33 (28-34) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Old-Time | Old-Time Waltz | 3 | 42 (38-48) | S-, SQ, QQQ, QS |
| Polka | 2 | 64 (60-72) | aQQS | |
| Two-Step | 2 / 6 | 48 (43-50) | SS, SaS | |
| Charleston / Rag-Time / Swing |
4 / 2 | 60 (54-66) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Saunter / Stroll / Glide |
4 / 12 | 28 (24-30) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Gavotte | 4 / 12 | 24 (23-26) | ½bar S, QQ | |
| Solo | Line Dance | any | any | any |
Note that the difference between 4 and 2 is not always clear. Tango is often described as being 2-beat but I think Tango music is typically 4 not 2 (except for some with no rhythm at all!).
Otherwise the beat may be halved or doubled in some cases, but this affects the listed tempo. Non-sequence Quickstep and Jive work on half bars of 4-beat, so they can work with 2-beat music (at 100 and 88 BPM respectively). Paso Doble is often described as 4 at 31 BPM rather than 2 at 62 BPM. Although Waltzes are all 3-beat, Viennese and Old-Time may be danced to 6-beat (at 30 and 21 BPM respectively).
The beat may be tripled without affecting the tempo - just the style. 12 and 6 are triplet substitutes for 4 and 2 respectively. Jive is usually described as 4-beat but Jive music is more often 12 than 4. Similarly, the Saunter may be 12 not 4 and the Two-Step may be 6 not 2.