It starts with YOU!
Every year, we recruit hundreds of students who want learn how to ballroom dance. Most of the people who join have no dancing experience. The team, along with our professional coaches, will teach you to dance from the very first step. You don't need a partner to start.
You’ll be part of a team that offers scholarships, reaches out to the community, and wins inter-collegiate competitions throughout the year.
Come join us at any of our practices or free lessons and find out more about the team!
Everyone who joins the UMBDT can learn all the dances displayed on this page, and more! Some of the dances that aren't included on this page are social dances like Salsa/Mambo, Hustle, Merengue, Bachata, East Coast Swing, and West Coast Swing. Take a browse through the dances that you'll be learning!
| International Latin | International Standard |
| Cha Cha | Waltz |
| Rumba | Tango |
| Samba | Foxtrot |
| Paso Doble | Quickstep |
| Jive | Viennese Waltz |
International Latin
The Cha-Cha is a cheeky and flirty dance. It is an upbeat dance with sharp movements, heaps of attitude and lots of sweat. Easy to learn and fun to master.
"The rumba is the vertical expression of a horizontal wish. You have to hold her like the skin on her thigh is your reason for living. Let her go like your heart's being ripped from your chest. Throw her back like you're going to have your way with her right here on the dance floor. And then finish like she's ruined you for life. " - from Strictly Ballroom
The Samba originated in Brazil as a dance for street festivals and celebrations. It's full of hip action and its a ton of fun.
The Paso Doble is a stylization of the movements performed by a toreador in the bull-fighting arena. It is the most powerful and aggressive dance, characterized by distinctive music and frequent posing.
The Jive is the most energetic and physically demanding of the competitive dances. It's style is part East Coast Swing, part West Coast Swing, part Latin motion, and part Rock and Roll.
International Standard
The Waltz is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous turns, and rise & fall. Graceful and elegant, Waltz dancers glide around the floor almost effortlessly. The tempo is slow, but the expressive quality of the music often invites very powerful and dynamic movement from dancers. It's the dance you should use on your wedding day.
As they did with many other dances, Europeans adopted the Tango and made it their own. A very powerful dance was the result, with big movements, dramatic gestures, and quick snaps of the head from one position to another.
