Latin dance makes your swing dancing historically accurate

It has probably happened to you- you’re out on the dance floor, swinging out and rock steppin’ it, and you hear someone yell out “Let’s see some Cha Cha!”

Wha…??

The Galaxie’s Salsa and Tango workshops, as well as the 4 week Cha Cha class, are offered because Latin music and dance historically relate to swing and jazz.

You didn’t think we were turning to ballroom, did you?

You no longer have to leave the floor to wait for your standard swing to come back, or worse yet, just rock step through it- the Galaxie’s upcoming Latin dance workshops and class will give you enough of the basics of Salsa, Tango and Cha Cha to stay in your groove on the floor, even when the congas come in.

Which is exactly what they did in the 1930s and ‘40s. If we’re going to embrace American vintage dancing and music, we might as well embrace the whole spectrum.

By the 1930s, the Cuban music that had migrated north to America had taken a strong hold in New York City, where Latin music spread through not only Spanish Harlem but in clubs and hotel ballrooms throughout the city. Establishments that were more Latin oriented would hire Cuban bands to alternate sets with the swing bands. The Latin rhythms of Cuban bands blended with the sounds of big band and swing, and soon people of all races were dancing together to Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean influenced big bands in large ballrooms like the Palladium, the “Home of the of the Mambo.” “Everyone was equal under one roof because everyone was there to dig the music and to dance,” (in Sonobria and Socolov 1990, 6).

During World War II, Hollywood began to take advantage of this cultural transition, portraying Latin music in the movies and making celebrities out of Latino actors. Latino soldiers became war heroes in Europe and the South Pacific, giving a social boost to Latino culture. With the increased Latin influences in American society, people were soon dancing the mambo and cha cha along with the dances of the swing era.

The Galaxie aims to help continue that today.

Intro to Salsa and Intro to Tango are both one-time “Getting Schooled” workshops offered August 3rd and 5th. Cha Cha for Swing Dancers is a 4 week class beginning August 12. See below for details, and for full class descriptions, visit the web site at http://www.galaxiechicago.com.

Latin and swing music, as you probably know, have many similarities but feel very different- you could Lindy to a cha cha rhythm, but you probably wouldn’t feel it like you would with the steps of the Cha Cha.

So when that Latin groove starts playing, don’t find yourself in confusion on the dance floor- let the Galaxie teach you some basics that will allow you to go from swing to salsa and back again- much like they did in the dance halls of the 1930s and ‘40s.

Because, after all, the Galaxie is here to help you to “dig the music and to dance.”

Workshops:
Intro to Salsa
Monday, August 3
8-10pm
$25

Intro to Tango
Wednesday, August 5
8-10pm
$25

Cha Cha for Swing Dancers
Beginning Wednesday, August 12
4 weeks
$60

See http://www.galaxiechicago.com for details, info on other workshops and classes, and to sign up.