True name is Afro-Cuban Dance. Latin dances can be very slow and romantic or hot and sexy. Latin Dance is an umbrella term used to describe the Latin-American dances such as the Samba, Cha-Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Merengue, Pachanga, Bolero, Shoeing the mare, Paso Doble, Lambada, Son, Tango etc. (click on the link to see more.)

   These dances originally came from Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc. with Spanish, African, Cuban and Vernacular influences. Today, "Latin Mambo" is generally called Salsa (see Mambo) by the public with the term "Latin" meaning the Ballroom versions of mambo and "Salsa" meaning the street versions (basically same thing). However, the Salsa umbrella is much more limited to certain dances such as Mambo, Casino Rueda and Merengue.

    Most of these dances have been changed heavily into an American version rather than its original. Many other form of dance / Steps have integrated into each dance. And Bascus introduced Tap and Legomania at the Palladium in New York and Teddy Hill added many steps of the Lindy Hop Acrobatic steps into the Mambo as well as The Cha Cha Taps incorporating Tap steps, Ballet Arms, and hand getsues, Buck and Wing and Cuban Body movement into the dance. Other dancers such as

"Killer Joe" Piro and Cuban Pete would add more non latin dance steps into the dance, Alltho Cuban Pete was really a latin dancer (he did add some Tap,) Killer Joe was not. These steps would be confused with many dancers of later years not seeing the transitions, proclaimning their version as being original, and it was original, an American-Latin original, yes!. This blending has been going on for many years and is not just confined to salsa, this process overall dilutes the dance form, but at times may be truly great!.

   It is funny to watch them do signature dance steps from other dances and claim it as innovative latin dancing. In the current Salsa craze (1990's), Salseros, eager to be the next star are polluting the dance with even more non Latin dancing that just breaks the flow of the whole dance, just to do that Over the shoulder flip and thru the legs slide, or the moon walk, and the girls doing the same movement 15-20 times over and over in the same dance trying to be known for it. However there are some great male and female latin dancers out there doing truly amazing feet rhythms and body movements that sizzle and flow with the music and who have "real Style" rather than "tricks," and yes, you know who they are when you see them.

   'Latin Mambo' (see mambo) basically breaks on count "Two" and 'Salsa Mambo' breaks on count "One," mainly because the untrained dancer wants to start on the first beat rather than the more difficult second beat as well as the first beat being much easier to teach (plus here in the USA all of our dances start on count One not count two.) This causes many to be lead to believe it makes no difference which beat to start, but it does. However, whatever beat you decide to use can be as fun as the other.

   Casino Rueda (salsa in the round), is a form of round dance, where as the dance is done as a group, forming a circle. Instead of using a caller, one or more people participating in the dance will call out the figures, which the whole group will execute at the same time, sometimes a changing or swapping (called Stealing) of partners will take place during the course of the dance.

Films / Movies

Television

Ballets / Stage

1914 - In The Latin Quarter

1957 - Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (I Love Lucy)

1939 - Streets of Paris (Miranda)

1926 - La Fiesta

1957 - Xavier Cugat Show

1940 - Panama Hattie

1929 - Mexicana (Cugat)

1958 - Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1942 - Latin Quarter

1929 - Quartier latin

1984 - Routes of Rhythm

1942 - Priorities of 1942 ???

1934 - La Cucaracha (RKO Short)

1996 - Salsa e Merengue

1958 - La Plume de Ma Tante

$1935 - Dante's Inferno

1999 - The Latin Beat

1959 - West Side Story

1935 - In Caliente

2001 - Salsa

1983 - Latin Quarter

1935 - Under The Pampas Moon

2002 - Palladium: Where Mambo was King

Publications

1937 - Let's Go Latin

4/4/1938 - Life Magazine

1938 - Latin Hi-Hattin

9/22/1941 - Life Magazine

1939 - Quartier latin

1950s - Ecran Magazine

1940 - Down Argentine Way

1960s - Rincon Juvenil Magazine

$1941 - Blondie Goes Latin

1960S - Ritmo Magazine

1941 - Cuban Rhythm

$ Ballroom Dance American Style:

$1941 - Two Faced Woman

$ Culture and Dance in Latin America

1941 - Two Latins from Manhattan

$ Folk Dances of Latin America

1942 - Saludo Amigos (Joe Carioca Cartoon)

$ Latin-American Dance Book

$1942 - Springtime in the Rockies

$ Latin and American dances

1943 - The Heats is On (Cugat)

$ Social, Swing & Latin Thing: Social Dance

1946 - Cuban Pete

$ Teach Yourself Latin American Dance

$1946 - Holiday in Mexico (Cugat)

1946 - Latin Quarter

1947 - Jitterumba

1949 - Holiday in Havana (Arnaz)

$ 1950 - Nancy Goes to Rio

1955 - Chicago Syndicate (Cuban Mambo song)

1959 - Girls of the Latin Quarter

1963 - La Salsa de la vida

$ Foods of Latin America (VHS)

1976 - Salsa (Arnaz)

$ 1988 - Salsa!

$1992 - Mambo Kings

$ 1998 - Dance With Me

$ Son Sabroson: Antesala De La Salsa (History)

Other Related Dances of the time...

Bambuca

Charanga

Jota

Mexican Hat Dance

Son (Danzon)

Bolero

Dirty Dancing!

La Conga

Mexsomba

Spanish

Bossa Nova

Fandango

La Cucaracha

Pachanga

Tango

Calypso

Flamenco

Lambada

Pambiche

The Twist

Carioca

Guaracha

Mambo

Paso Doble

Zembra

Cha Cha

Hustle!

Maxixe

Rumba

Chacona

Jaleo

Mesemba

Salsa

Chalypso

Jive

Merenque

Samba

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Andy Bascus (Palladium)

Gower Champion

Carmen Miranda

Greta Garbo

Ceaser Romero

Jeanne Tyler

Chita Rivera

'Killer Joe' Piro (Palladium)

Cuban Pete

Rita Hayworth

Cansino's, the

Rita Moreno

Cha Cha Taps, the

Teddy Hill

Deloris Del Rio

Veloz and Yolanda

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Latin-American Dancing

Borrows, Frank

1961

Frederick Muller Limited

Official Guide to Latin Dancing

Dow, Allen

1980

Chartwell Books

Musicians

Artists

Poets / Writers

Cal Tjader

Fernandez (Cuba)

Celia Cruz

Roberto Garcia

Desi Arnaz (1917-1986)

Esquivel

Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674)

Joe Quijano

Machito

Perez Prado

Rene Touzet

Santana

Selena (Selena Remembered: VHS)

Tito Puente (1923-2000)

Xavier Cugat (1900-1999)

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Bailar

Cumbia

Maracas

Rhumba / Rumba

Bailes

Guapacha

Modina's

Salsa

Clave

Mambo

Mulatto

Shoeing The Mare

Contradanza

Other...