Want to tango, salsa or swing? Our guide to social dancing covers many styles of partner dancing, with information on where to observe, learn and dance each style.
The first step is to figure out what style is best for you. Consider what kind of music you like and what kind of scene you are looking for. Don’t be afraid to take a risk and try something new, though.
To get started, choose a style:
American Ballroom
Latin/Salsa
East Coast Swing/Lindy Hop
West Coast Swing
Argentine Tango
Country, Polka, Ceroc, Stepping, Folk
Once you get going, remember the most important part is to get out on the dance floor and have fun.
AMERICAN BALLROOM
Ballroom is a general term, which actually encompasses every kind of partner dancing. However, what most people think about when they hear “ballroom” are fox trot, waltz and traditional tango (as opposed to Argentine, which is discussed separately in this guide).
LESSONS: There are quite a few dance studios in the Chicago area that offer lessons in various styles of ballroom. Many of the introductory and beginning level classes will teach the basics of several different ballroom dances so that students can get a taste of each one. For those who aren’t ready for the formal dance studio setting, there are also opportunities to get a taste of various ballroom dances by attending pre-party lessons at events such as Navy Pier’s Dancing Under the Stars series and the city of Chicago’s SummerDance series.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: Fox trot is a smooth, six count dance, executed in closed position (leader has his arm around follower’s waist). Waltz is a formal European folk dance with a distinct rise and fall motion. Tango is the sexy, crisp dance made popular most recently by the movie “Scent of a Woman.” There are distinct stylistic differences to regular ballroom tango and the Argentine Tango, but the basic foot pattern is the same.
THE SCENE: Ballroom dance events have the stereotype of drawing the 60-and-over crowd, but the past few years have seen a notable broadening in the range of dancers that this traditional style of dance attracts. The ballroom scene is still much more formal than, say, swing or latin, but many dancers from those scenes are trying out ballroom in an effort to broaden their horizons.
LATIN/SALSA
Salsa dancing is suddenly the talk of the town. While it’s had a thriving scene in Chicago since the ’80s, many local dance instructors feel that it is just now coming in to its prime. For those who aren’t exactly sure what salsa is, it combines the foot pattern and syncopation of mambo (a traditional ballroom dance) with the spins, turns and dips of swing.
LESSONS: Plenty of clubs are now offering complimentary salsa lessons to precede an evening of latin music and dancing. For those interested in pursuing it further, there are also good latin instructors affiliated with many of the ballrooms and other types of dance studios around the city. One studio, Latin Street Dancing Inc., is dedicated entirely to Latin dance.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: If you go to the club lessons, you’ll learn the basic step plus a tricky turn or two. Go to enough clubs and sample enough different instructors and you might build a strong foundation without delving into more progressive lessons. But if you really want to get good, enroll in a salsa class that will take you through some of the trickier patterns. Well-rounded latin dancers also are versatile in Cha-Cha and Merengue, which have slightly different basic foot patterns but have stylistic similarities to salsa, such as smooth, rapid hip movement and upright body posture.
THE SCENE: It seems the latin dance scene breaks down into three sects. On the North Side, at clubs such as Lexxus and Tropicana D’Cache, you’ll find the Latinos who grew up with this dance and consider it an essential part of their culture. In the downtown clubs, you’ll find a different group of seasoned salsa dancers. They wear cocktail dresses and suits and are there to be seen. They dance at The Buzz on Wednesdays, Excalibur on Thursdays and Club Inta’s on Saturdays. Finally, there is the nuveau-salsa crowd. They are the ones attending the new salsa nights being added to newer clubs such as Liquid and Art Bar.
EAST COAST SWING, LINDY HOP, JITTERBUG
This is the dance that has experienced an enormous burst in popularity over the past two years. This mainstreaming of this style has had trickle-down effects which have caused interest in virtually all forms of social dancing to heighten.
LESSONS: You don’t have to look far to find somewhere to take a swing dance lesson. In both the city and the suburbs, free introductory swing lessons are offered weekly at a number of nightclubs. In addition to this, many park districts and other community organizations have hired instructors to teach courses, plus a number of dance companies specializing in this dance style are thriving. To really learn something, a progressive weekly class is in order. If you only go to the free intro classes at the clubs, you’ll just keep learning the same basic step over and over. The weekly progressive classes generally move at a fast enough pace so that by the end you will feel like you’ve really learned something.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: To start, you’ll want to take an East Coast Swing (more or less the same as Jitterbug) class, which will teach the basics of lead and follow plus a good number of lead-able moves all using a fairly simple six-count basic step. After you take one or two sessions of East Coast Swing, you can decide whether or not you want to advance into Lindy Hop. Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing steps can be combined together for more variety. Lindy Hop is a slightly more complicated dance and its basic step follows an eight-count pattern. Beyond lindy, there are many other styles of swing which accomplished dancers may want to try such as shag, balboa and boogie woogie.
THE SCENE: It seems that the height of the swing craze has come and gone, but it has left in its wake a still-vibrant scene of dedicated dancers and lovers of authentic 30s and 40s era big band music. The swing scene is primarily made up of singles in their mid-20s to mid-30s but some events, such as those at Willowbrook Ballroom, draw a much broader age range.
WEST COAST SWING
Even though this dance technically falls into the “swing” category, the style and scene associated with it is very different from the East Coast Swing/Lindy Hop scene. West Coast swing is danced to R&B and contemporary popular music, rather than the traditional swing and jump blues used for other styles of swing.
LESSONS: The Chicago Rebels Swing Dance Club is the dominating force in the West Coast swing scene in Chicago. The club offers lessons at the Center at North Park in Franklin Park and also hosts bi-monthly dances there. They also organize an annual West Coast Swing dance convention and competition in Chicago. The next one occurs in September of 2000.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: West Coast Swing is a fairly intricate dance performed in a “slot,” which means that the dancers move in straight lines past each other rather than the more circular patterns of other forms of swing. In a beginner class, you learn the basic foot pattern and a few of the simpler turns.
THE SCENE: The West Coast swing dancers in Chicago are a fairly close-knit group, primarily in their mid-20s and 30s. Dance competition is a big part of the West Coast Swing scene, and there are many conventions and workshops around the country where these dancers have the chance to compete.
ARGENTINE TANGO
This brand of tango, the most sensuous, perhaps, of all social dances, stands apart from the type of tango that is part of American Ballroom, as evident in the fact that it attracts a different set of dancers and is danced to different music.
LESSONS: For a taste of Argentine Tango, it is necessary to attend a “Milonga,” which is their word for a dance party. Most Milongas in Chicago begin with an introductory dance class where you can learn the basic step. After that, you can enroll in a progressive class which will teach you moves beyond the basic. Several ballroom studios offer Argentine-style tango, plus there are several groups dedicated solely to this dance.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: The defining feature of Argentine Tango is that the dancers stand very close together–with chests touching–and their movements are very fluid. Many Argentine Tango dancers are very interested in the performance and “show” aspect of the dance while others are more interested in developing it as a social dance to be enjoyed between two people. Be sure to look for instructors whose own interests in the dance match your own.
THE SCENE: Regular Milongas often draw 80-100 people. Most dancers like to dance socially, changing partners frequently, rather than remaining as a couple with only one person. The dancers in this scene are very committed, so if you go a few times, you’re likely to begin seeing familiar faces.
FOLK/CULTURAL DANCES
Almost every culture of the world has a dance, or a derivative of one, which it claims as its own. And here in Chicago, it’s possible to find at least a small group of people doing virtually all of these dances. While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are a few other styles of social dance to explore:
COUNTRY/SQUARE DANCING: The Chicago Barn Dance company is the driving force behind these dances in Chicago. Call 847-329-9173 for more information about regularly scheduled events held at Abbey Pub (every Monday), the Fermilab Village Barn near Naperville (alternating Sundays) and the Esperanza School in Chicago (varying Saturdays). You can also try the Windy City 2-Steppers at 773-334-8750.
POLKA: Poland’s national folk dance became very popular in the ’60s and ’70s and many of those dancers are still going strong. Contact the International Polka Association at 773-254-7771, or stop in at the Baby Doll Polka Club.
STEPPING: Popular in the African-American community, this dance can be found in many clubs on the South Side. There is little formal instruction for this dance, so the best advice is to just get out on the dance floor and start moving. Here are some clubs to try: Cotton Club, 50 yard line in Chicago and in Harvey, Artis’s lounge and Club Inta’s.
ZYDECO/CAJUN: Straight from Louisiana, this upbeat dance style goes best with spicy food. For lessons, contact Louie Stallone (773-545-8286) about classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
CEROC: This simple, modern social dance is mostly defined by lead and following based on arm movements rather than foot patterns. This dance is enormously popular in European nightclubs, but is just now making its way to Chicago. Ceroc lessons and dancing take place on Tuesday evenings at River West Brewery. Call 312-337-9033 for more information.
INTERNATIONAL FOLK: Most folk dance groups focus primarily on Eastern European cultural dances, but an evening with most of these groups will offer a taste of dances from every corner of the world. A typical night of folk dancing includes some basic teaching for easier dances at the beginning of the night and then a progression throughout the night to more complicated dances as requested by the attendees. Newcomers should not feel intimidated to attend, as most groups have a high degree of turnover and are very accustomed to dancing with people of all levels. The best way to get information about the numerous folk dance groups throughout Chicagoland is to get in touch with the Folk Dance Council of Chicago, 630-232-0242. You can also check their website.
