Dance Styles A–Z: Every Type of Dance Explained

Concert and stage forms trained in studios and performed on stage — from classical ballet to modern, contemporary, jazz, tap and Broadway dance.

Ballet

Italian Renaissance courts; codified in 17th-century France

Varies (class music in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8)

Contemporary Dance

Europe and the United States, mid-20th century

60–120 BPM

Modern Dance

United States and Germany, early 20th century

Varies

J

Jazz Dance

African American vernacular dance; theatrical jazz on Broadway and in film

100–140 BPM

L

Lyrical Dance

United States competition studios

60–110 BPM

Tap Dance

United States — African rhythmic traditions meet Irish and Scottish step dancing

100–220 BPM

M

Musical Theatre Dance

Broadway and London's West End

90–160 BPM

Partner dances with standardized technique and competition tempos: the International Standard and Latin programs plus the American Smooth and Rhythm styles.

Waltz

Austria and southern Germany (from the Ländler)

84–96 BPM

Viennese Waltz

Vienna, Austria

168–186 BPM

Foxtrot

United States (New York vaudeville)

112–128 BPM

Quickstep

England (from the fast foxtrot and the Charleston)

192–208 BPM

B

Ballroom Tango

England and the United States, adapted from Argentine tango

120–132 BPM

Cha-Cha

Cuba (cha-cha-chá music by Enrique Jorrín)

112–128 BPM

R

Rumba

Cuba (son and bolero-son); ballroom versions in the US and England

96–108 BPM

Samba

Brazil

96–104 BPM

P

Paso Doble

France and Spain, modeled on the Spanish bullfight

116–124 BPM

Jive

United States (jitterbug) refined in English ballrooms

168–176 BPM

B

Bolero (American Rhythm)

Cuba (bolero music); ballroom version in the United States

96–104 BPM

Mambo

Cuba and New York's Palladium Ballroom

188–204 BPM

Club and social partner dances from Latin America and the African diaspora — salsa, bachata, merengue, kizomba, cumbia and zouk.

Salsa

New York City — Cuban son and mambo, Puerto Rican musicians

150–220 BPM

Bachata

Dominican Republic

110–150 BPM

Merengue

Dominican Republic

116–160 BPM

K

Kizomba

Angola

80–100 BPM

C

Cumbia

Caribbean coast of Colombia

80–110 BPM

B

Brazilian Zouk

Brazil (evolved from lambada)

70–100 BPM

The improvised embrace dance of Buenos Aires and Montevideo and the milonga culture built around it.

Argentine Tango

Río de la Plata — Buenos Aires and Montevideo

2/4 or 4/4 (tango), 3/4 (vals), 2/4 (milonga)

African American jazz-era dances and their descendants: Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, East and West Coast Swing, Shag and Hustle.

E

East Coast Swing

United States (simplified from Lindy Hop by dance studios)

120–176 BPM

Lindy Hop

Harlem, New York — the Savoy Ballroom

120–240 BPM

West Coast Swing

California

80–130 BPM

Charleston

African American communities of the South; named after Charleston, South Carolina

200–280 BPM

Balboa

Southern California (Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach)

160–320 BPM

C

Carolina Shag

Myrtle Beach and the Carolina coast

110–130 BPM

H

Hustle

New York City discos

110–125 BPM

Dances made for community floors — square and contra dance, line dancing, two-step, clogging and polka.

T

Texas Two-Step

Texas dance halls

150–200 BPM

Line Dancing

United States (country, disco and pop)

100–140 BPM

Square Dance

British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US

120–132 BPM

Contra Dance

New England (from English country dance)

108–124 BPM

Clogging

Appalachian Mountains

116–144 BPM

Polka

Bohemia (today's Czech Republic)

110–140 BPM

Styles born in neighborhoods, clubs and cyphers — hip-hop, breaking, popping, locking, house, krump, waacking, voguing and K-pop choreography.

Hip-Hop Dance

The Bronx, New York, and California funk styles

85–115 BPM

Breaking (Breakdance)

The Bronx, New York

100–130 BPM

Popping

Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area, California

90–115 BPM

L

Locking

Los Angeles

100–120 BPM

H

House Dance

Chicago and New York City clubs

118–130 BPM

K

Krump

South Central Los Angeles

80–110 BPM

Waacking

Los Angeles LGBTQ+ disco clubs

110–130 BPM

Voguing

Harlem ballroom scene

120–132 BPM

K

K-Pop Dance

South Korea

95–140 BPM

Traditions with deep cultural roots that thrive in American studios and communities — flamenco, belly dance, Irish step, hula, bhangra, Indian classical and African dance.

Flamenco

Andalusia, Spain (Gitano/Roma culture)

12-beat compás (and 3/4, 4/4)

Belly Dance

Egypt and the Middle East (raqs sharqi); American Tribal Style in the US

Middle Eastern rhythms (maqsum, baladi, saidi, chiftetelli)

Irish Dance

Ireland

110–125 BPM

Hula

Hawaiʻi

Chant-driven (kahiko) or song-driven (ʻauana)

Bhangra

Punjab (India and Pakistan)

Dhol rhythms (chaal)

B

Bollywood Dance

Mumbai (Hindi film industry)

Varies

Bharatanatyam

Tamil Nadu, India

Carnatic tala cycles

Kathak

North India

Hindustani tala cycles (teentaal)

African Dance

Sub-Saharan Africa (hundreds of traditions)

Polyrhythmic (djembe and dunun ensembles)

Dance-based workouts taught in gyms and studios, from Zumba to pole fitness.

Z

Zumba

Colombia; company founded in Miami

120–160 BPM

Pole Dance

Circus, Chinese pole and mallakhamb traditions; modern pole fitness

Varies

More dances A–Z

Folk, historical, regional and social dances from around the world, summarized from encyclopedia articles.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z