Dancing in Latin America

One of the most traditional and popular activities throught Latin America and Spain is dancing. There are several types of dancing, from modern dance to ancient idigenous dances, all of which are accompanied by their own style of music that is often named after the dance.

The most popular dancing genre is salsa, which is common throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Carribean. Each country has its own variation of the salsa dance, but it is typically performed by two dance partners (usually a man and a woman, though it is not uncommon to see two partners of the same sex). This dance usually includes the man spinning the woman in 360 degree turns and sometimes ends with the woman leaning, nearly falling on her back if not for the man holding her. Below is a salsa celebration in Puerto Rico.

Another popular dance in Latin America is the tango. This dance is popular in Argentina and Uruguay, but is growing in popularity throughout Latin America. Like salsa, tango is performed by two partners. This dance, however, is usually performed by the man holding the woman's arm outwards. The second video has a couple performing tango.

In Spain, the flamenco dance is very popular. However, unlike salsa and tango, flamenco is an individual dance performed by one person. It is similar to tap dancing. The last video has a woman performing flamenco.