Latin Dance

This title in the American Dance Floor series provides an overview of the origins, development, and current status of Latin social dancing in the United States.

Latin dance and music have had a widespread influence upon the development of other social dance and music styles in the United States. As a result, Latin dance styles are among the most important dance forms in America.

Latin Dance addresses every major style of Latin dance, describing the basic steps that characterize it as well as its rhythmic pace and time signature, and examining its development from European, African, and Amerindian influences. The author explains the range of styles and expression to be found in Latin dances primarily within the context of couples social dancing, the popularity of salsa today, and the broader social meanings and implications of their multicultural origins from the 1600s to the present. The historic connection between exhibition Latin dance and American modern dance through vaudeville is explained as well.

• Provides information from interviews conducted with Latin social dancers in the United States
• Contains photographs that illustrate the body alignment, mood, and wide variety of context of Latin social dancers, as well as Latin musicians and musical instruments
• A bibliography contains entries useful for further investigation into the topic of Latin dances
• Appendices indicate basic online resources for Latin social dancing in the United States and provide a filmography of Latin dances organized according to style