Carolina Shag

Also called beach music dancing, the Carolina shag is a popular swing dance in the southeast region of the United States. It's a smooth, slotted swing dance that shares ties to the East Coast and West coast swing styles. It is danced to triple step-triple step-rock step rhythm.

Carolina Shag can trace its origins to the southern United States during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 40s. Carolina Shag is the state dance of North Carolina and South Carolina.

More Information on Wikipedia

Dance in Film & Television. See it in Action!

"Shaggin' on the Boulevard" - Alabama (video)

"Shaggin On The Strand" - Myrtle Beach history

Shag: The Movie (1989 - filmed in NC & SC )

Good songs for the Carolina Shag include:

1. Brown Eyed Girl - Jimmy Buffett version
2. Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price
3. Dance Party - Quinn Golden
4. Carolina Girls - The Chairman of the Board
5. You're More than a Number... - The Drifters

Hustle

The Hustle is a catchall name for several disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Today it mostly refers to a unique partner dance done in ballrooms and nightclubs.  The couple dance form of hustle is usually called New York Hustle or Latin Hustle

The movie Saturday Night Fever showed both the line and partner forms of hustle, as well as something referred to as the "tango hustle."

Although the huge popularity faded quickly as the hype that was created by the movie died down, the hustle has continued and is now a "ballroom dance"; it has taken a place besides swing, cha-cha-cha, tango, rumba, bolero, nightclub two step and other partner dances in America.

More Information on Wikipedia

Dance in Film & Television. See it in Action!

"Famous White Suit" - John Travolta (partner style)

Dancing With The Stars - Hustle Group Dance

Good songs and music for the Hustle include:

1. More than a Woman - Bee Gees
2. Song
3. Song
4. Song

Texas Two-Step

The country/western two-step, often called the "Texas two-step" or simply the "two-step," is a dance that proceeds counterclockwise around the floor. The social style uses a quick-quick-slow-slow rhythm.

More Information on Wikipedia

Dance in Film & Television. See it in Action!

Cultural References (ex movies), tv shows

Good songs for the Texas Two-Step include:

1. Last Name - Carrie Underwood
2. Shine Them Buckles - The Bellamy Brothers
3. Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner
4. Am I the Only One - Dierks Bentley

Argentine Tango

Argentine Tango is an intimate and passionate dance.  The essence of Argentine tango is about life and, especially, about the relationship between a man and a woman.

Argentine tango dancing relies heavily on improvisation.  Every step is led and followed, spontaneously, with partners focused on each other and on the music.

More Information on Wikipedia

Dance in Film & Television. See it in Action!

There are a lot of movies with tango scenes in them (Wikipedia list).  Here are a few classics:

Assassination Tango - Robert Duvall

Scent of a Woman - Al Pacino

Shall We Dance - Richard Gere & Jennifer Lopez

Good songs for the Argentine Tango include:

1. Song
2. Song
3. When Doves Cry - Prince
4. Querer - Cirque du Soleil
5. Gotan Projects has Tango collections

Bachata

Bachata is a style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic.  Today Bachata is a worldwide phenomenon. One reason for Bachata's rapid rise in the "club scene" may be its accessibility to newcomers.

The basic side-to-side steps of Bachata are easy to learn. Partners often dance with their chests connected, relying on swinging hips and fluttering feet to express their style.

This dance has a strong significance in the history of the Dominican Republic. At one point the Bachata was banned and the dance and music were punishable with jail time.

Bachata Chronicles - Documentary Clipipip

More Information on Wikipedia

Dance in Film & Television. See it in Action!

Cultural References (ex movies), tv shows

Bachata is a style of music not just a dance, with entire collections available.   Here are a few songs with a good Bachata "feel/beat"

1. Hasta El Final (Bachata) - Monchy Y Alexandra
2. "Solo por un Beso" - Aventura
3. Sealed with a Kiss - Brian Hyland