List of Social Dances From Latin America (+Videos)

I love Latin-American social dances very much and have spent the last 8 years learning and dancing various styles. Here I have compiled a list of widely known social dance styles from South America, which have crossed continent borders and are also being danced internationally. I will say a couple of words about each style, but mainly let the video examples do most of the talking.

Some of the most well-known Latin-American social dance styles include:

1. Argentinian Tango 
2. Bachata
3. Brazilian Zouk
4. Cha Cha Chá
5. Forró
6. Lambada
7. Merengue
8. Salsa
9. Samba de Gafieira

Multiple dance styles here have sub-styles as well so I apologise in front of respective dance enthusiasts, because I cannot represent all variations of each dance style without the article getting too long. Also don’t forget that I am talking about social dances and not competitive ballroom dances. Check out my definition of social dance and how it works.

Argentinian Tango

Tango originates in Argentina, as its name suggests. It has been around since 1880 and has influenced other dance styles as well. It could be descibed as romantic and sensual and is mostly danced to classical music.

This breathtaking tango video has almost 5 million views.

Bachata

Bachata is a dance originally from the Dominican Republic where it started as a popular dance among lower class individuals. Today there is a new style called Sensual Bachata which was created in Spain and has taken the world by storm. (Read about the different bachata sub-styles here.)

Here’s my favorite bachata video featuring one of my favorite dancers ever, Sara Panero. The video currently sits at 3 million views on YouTube.

Brazilian Zouk

Brazilian Zouk is a relatively new partner dance that emerged in the 1990s from lambada. It is now danced internationally and there are many zouk events around the world. It fits the international audience well since it has influences from contemporary, ballet and hip-hop dance styles. It is not as well-known among local Brazilians as the samba or forró.

Zouk dancers use many different styles of music to dance to, so it was challenging to pick just one as an example. Here’s a video featuring one of my favorite female zouk dancers Larissa Secco.

I have been dancing Brazilian zouk for years and if you’d like to know more about it then I have an article here going in depth about this dance style.

Cha Cha Chá

Cha cha chá is a dance from Cuba and is quite similar to salsa, but still has its distinct vibe and basic steps. There is a version of cha cha in the ballroom community, but here I am talking about the original Cuban dance. Nowadays cha cha chá seems to be taught at salsa congresses mostly as a solo dance class, but it originally was still a social dance. Hence an older video here from Havana:

Forró

Forró is a Brazilian social dance that continues to thrive today, with communities all over the world. It’s fast-paced, fun and casual. Forró dancers tend to dress more casually as well, with girls wearing short mini-skirts with flats and guys often seen in flip-flops. It’s easy to learn for beginners, thus making it a true social dance. Forró is also a popular music style, especially in Brazil, and there are often live forró bands at festivals and events. 

Here’s a nice artistic video of a couple dancing in Bahia, Brazil.

Lambada

Lambada was an international success in the 80s and 90s, originally from state of Bahia in Brazil. The craze has since died down, but did you know that lambada has kept evolving as a dance and looks quite different nowadays? This dance is characterized by circular movements and the tilted head of the follower which allows the hair to flow. The hip movement has less importance now.

Take a look at this video below from Pedro and Cibele, the latter being one of my favorite dancers.

Merengue

Merengue is from the Dominican Republic and is considered part of its national identity. The dance itself is very simple and beginner friendly and is danced at local family gatherings and parties. To add complexity, dancers sometimes add salsa-like turns. 

Salsa

Salsa is originally from Cuba and is perhaps one of the most well-known Latin social dances out there. It also has the widest reach and is danced all over the world. Salsa is characterized by fun happy music and lots of turn patterns. You can read why I think it’s one of the most popular social dances out there in this article.

This beautiful video is addicting to watch!

Samba de Gafieira

Samba de Gafieira is a partner dance from Brazil. (Not to be confused with samba no pé which is danced at carnivals and is a solo dance). It is considered one of the more difficult social dances, requiring a good sense of rhythm and fast legs. It was created at the beginning of the 20th century and has a long history, just like the tango. It looks classy and elegant and gives you an opportunity to dance to delightful samba music. 

The best samba de gafieira demo videos are on Instagram, but here’s an oldie but goodie on YouTube from one of my favorite couples Robinho & Evelin:

These were Latin American partner dance forms that are well known outside of South America. There are many more dance styles like cuban bolero, cumbia, sertanejo and more that I have left out since they are more difficult to come across overseas. However, I might make a part 2 with lesser known styles.

How many of these dance styles have you tried? Did any new styles peak your interest?

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