At Cranbrook Community Dance we aim to provide a wide variety of dance styles to our community members both in terms of lessons and music at our socials. Below you will find a selection of the styles of dance you may find us dancing at Cranbrook Community Dance.
Swing Dances
Balboa
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Balboa evolved when dance halls grew too crowded to do the big movements of other swing dances. Typically danced with small but quick steps, Balboa is often danced in something of a hug.
Some songs we like for Balboa include:
- Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho by Sidney Bechet
- Cheek To Cheek by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
- Bright by Echosmith
Charleston
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Charleston is somewhat unique in that it can be danced as a partner dance or solo. Danced mostly in place with legs and arms swinging, Charleston is characterized by its kicks.
Some songs we like for Charleston include:
- It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington
- The Bare Necessities by Bill Murray and Kermit Ruffins
- It Is What It Is by Jenna Raine
Collegiate Shag
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Collegiate Shag is an upbeat and bouncy dance. It evolved as a part of the swing dance family and is primarily danced to faster swing music.
Some songs we like for Collegiate Shag include:
- Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman
- I Wan’na Be Like You by Christopher Walken
- Lollipop by MIKA
Lindy Hop
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Lindy Hop is a fun and versatile dance. With roots in the improvisational and exciting dancing done by Black youth in Harlem, modern Lindy Hop is somewhat synonymous with “swing dancing”.
Sine songs we like for Lindy Hop include:
- Sermonette by Earl Grant
- Joy to the World by Three Dog Night
- Talk It Up by Sammy Rae and the Friends
West Coast Swing
Typically danced in 4/4 time, West Coast Swing has roots in swing dancing but has taken inspiration from other dance styles including salsa and country dance. It is a smooth dance often danced to modern pop music.
Some songs we like for West Coast Swing include:
- Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
- Flowers by Miley Cyrus
- Five More Minutes by the Jonas Brothers
Country Dances
Country Two-Step
Typically danced to 4/4 time, Country Two-Step is an upbeat country dance. Characterized by spins, Country Two-Step starts out as simple as walking and progresses into all sorts of fancy turns.
Some songs we like for Country Two-Step include:
- Dirt On My Boots by Jon Pardi
- Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker
- Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves
Line Dancing
Typically danced to specific songs, Line Dancing is a non-partner dance where a group of people (or a solo dancer) perform a choreographed routine, typically a short and repetitive one, in a series of lines.
Some songs we like for Line Dancing include:
- Footloose by Kenny Loggins
- Tain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It) by Jimmie Lunceford
- A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey
Nightclub Two-Step
Typically danced to 4/4 time, Nightclub Two-Step is a gentle and relaxed country dance. A very pleasant upgrade from prom-sway dancing, Nightclub Two-Step is very approachable and enjoyable.
Some songs we like for Nightclub Two-Step include:
- Watermelon Moonshine by Lainey Wilson
- Because of You by Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson
- Play It Again by Luke Bryan
International Ballroom Standard Dances
Quickstep
Typically danced in 2/4 time, Quickstep is a bright and energetic dance. It is danced with a lot of forward motion and
Some songs we like for Quickstep include:
- Billy-A-Dick by Bette Midler
- Spiderman Theme by Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience
- Crazy in Love from ‘The Great Gatsby’
Tango
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Tango is danced as a charismatic march. The dance is distinguished by its sharp and defined movements.
Some songs we like for Tango include:
- La Cumpasita by Danny Malando
- Roxanne’s Tango by DJ Maksy
- Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
Viennese Waltz
Typically danced in 6/8 time, Viennese Waltz is perhaps the oldest ballroom dance still danced today. It is danced swiftly and elegantly.
Some songs we like for Viennese Waltz include:
- The Merry-Go-Round of Life from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’
- The Potter Waltz from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
- Love On the Brain by Rihanna
Waltz
Typically danced in 3/4 time, Waltz is a classic of ballroom dancing. The movements are smooth and sweeping, progressing gracefully down the floor.
Some songs we like for Waltz include:
- Fascination by Nat King Cole
- Take it to the Limit by the Eagles
- Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Latin Dances
Cha Cha
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Cha Cha is a fun and upbeat dance developed in the 1950s.
Some songs we like for Cha Cha include:
- El Rey Tiburón by Maná
- Smooth by Santana and Rob Thomas
- W.I.T.C.H. by Devon Cole
Rumba
Typically danced in 4/4 time, Rumba is a smooth and slow dance with Cuban roots.
Some songs we like for Rumba include:
- Acércate Más by Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole
- Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Lisa Bassenge and The J-Chestra
- Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
Samba
Typically danced in 2/4 time, Samba has its roots in Brazil: based on a dance called Maxixe. It is danced at a quick pace with a slight bounce.
Some songs we like for Samba include:
- Banto by Kaoma
- Take You to Rio from ‘Rio’
- Liar by Camila Cabello
