"Dancers, your fifth and final dance, the Mambo," the announcer spoke. Mara Morner-Ritt and her teacher, Alex Demkin, took their places and started to dance. Little did they know, this Mambo would become a viral video. We whipped out our phones to take a video of something we felt was special.

Born in California during the 1940s, the West Coast Swing evolved from Lindy Hop. It is known for being danced “in a slot”, meaning that it does not take up a lot of room on the dance floor. It is a smooth dance with no bounce, allowing for various syncopations and improvisations. One of the most fun aspects of West Coast Swing is that it can be danced to almost any style of music - rhythm and blues, country, pop, and even rock. Ready to learn how to dance West Coast Swing?    Timing The West Coast Swing is danced in a 4/4 timing, counted as 1,2, 3a4, 5a6. Another optional timing includes dancing the West Coast Swing as quick, quick, (1, 2), quick a quick, quick a quick (3a4, 5a6).   Breakdown of Basic Step As a follower: Start with your weight on your left foot and your right foot free. Perform two walks forward on counts (right foot then left foot). Hooking your right foot slightly behind the left foot, perform a triple step. Right foot crosses slightly behind left as you step onto the ball of the foot, replace your weight forward to the left foot, then take a full step back with the right foot.  Perform another triple step in place this time, stepping left, right, left, almost like a march on the spot. As a leader: Start with your weight on your right foot and your left foot free. Take two steps back on counts 1, 2 (left foot, then right foot). Perform a triple step now, closing your left foot to your right foot, step again on the right foot and then step forward with the left foot. Perform another triple step in place this time, stepping left, right, left, almost like a march on the spot. Try it from Home Discover our   4 tips on how to learn to dance from home  with Dance Vision.   Dance to the Music We love West Coast Swing so much, we made a whole playlist of West Coast Swing music!     Check out our curated Spotify playlists created with dancers like you in mind. Take our playlists with you to the studio or use it to practice from home. Who knows, you just might find your   new favorite song to jam to and get inspired by!   Now that you’re hooked on the West Coast Swing, check out more steps on our website and App! Let’s dance!  

The American, otherwise known as “East Coast” Swing, originated on the North American East Coast in the early 20th century. While it is more grounded, slower, and less “bouncy” than the Jive, it has a fun and invigorating energy, making it a definite crowd pleaser! Let's look at how to dance East Coast Swing.

Over the past few years, ballroom dance has been increasingly recognized as a sport. Not only is it physically and mentally intensive, but it also requires a high level of coordination and effort. Besides having to train regularly, dancers are also thrust into a competitive environment and are often pressured to perform well.

Did you know there are two styles of Rumba? More to learn and more to love. In this article, we'll break down the basics and get you dancing the American and the International Rumba in no time. The American Rumba is a mixture of International Cha Cha and Rumba. This dance allows for faster speed and steps than its International Rumba counterpart. Danced with a bent-to-straight leg action, the American Rumba is upbeat with strongly accentuated hip actions known as "Cuban Action." The International Rumba is the slowest International Latin dance in terms of music, however, it showcases alternating timings to depict fast moments within a slow dance. Known as the dance of love, the Rumba is crowd favorite, often telling a romantic story between two people. Unlike the American Rumba, the International style is danced with a straight leg action, likened to the International Cha Cha. Okay, ready to learn how to dance rumba?