Latin dance Latin dance Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that (with few exceptions) originated in Latin America. The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competitions consists of the cha-cha-cha, rumba, samba, paso doble, and also the jive of United States origin. Social Latin dances (Street Latin) include salsa, mambo, merengue, rumba, bachata, bomba, plena, and the Argentine tango. There are many dances which were popular in the first part of the 20th century, but which are now of only historical interest.
Soviet ballroom dances dance is based on Russian folk tunes. It has a soft and smooth character, danced at medium tempo in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The recommended tunes are "Русский лирический" ("Russian Lyrical") or "Подмосковные вечера" ("Moscow Nights") Ballroom dance manuals of Soviet times list quite a few other Soviet dances promoted to counter the influence of the "Western way of life", created basing on folk dances of the peoples of the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc: Soviet ballroom dances Competitions in Ballroom dancing in the former Soviet Union were held in three dance categories: "Standard dances", "Latin dances", and Soviet dances