Gotta Dance Studio

From the Ballroom Dancer's Rag, April 2000
Recent Explosion of Latin Music and Dance, Good for the "Heart and Sole."
by Pat and Bob Horne, owners of the Gotta Dance Studio.

You are invited to celebrate the beginning of the new Millennium by stepping into the world of the sophisticated, smooth moves and sultry sounds of Latin dance and music. This new and exciting music can be "expressive" as well as "impressive. I view Latin music and dance as a history of love that can be expressed as the "Heart and Sole" of our innermost feelings.

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie."

The bands and the dancers seem to be coordinating with one another because the music is so tantalizing that you can't help but want to move to the beat. But is the Latin influence currently being heard on the airwaves and seen on the dance floor really "new"?

"Frenesi" by Artie Shaw

Each of the Latin dances - the Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Salsa, Samba and Tango have their own rhythm, step patterns, style and connections. Just as various bands play varied rhythms, the dancers can in turn master the different aspects of the music in their steps. Put the music and the dance together and you have Love Potion #9, a great Cha Cha Cha rhythm in retrospect.

In the 40s and 50s most of the Latin bands played Cha Chas and the Mambo. One of the most legendary Mambo dancers of that era was Andy Jerrick. Jerrick was hired to dance with the great Latin bands playing at the Palladium in New York. In the 50s, Perez Prado and Tito Puente were called the Kings of Latin, and let's not forget the artistry of Xavier Cugat and his Latin sounds.

"Maria Elena" by Jimmy Dorsey

Reportedly, in November of 1939, at the height of his success, Artie Shaw walked off and went to Mexico for a little rest and relaxation. While there he was entertained by Alberto Dominguez's rendition of "Frenesi." Shaw returned to the States, "Frenesi" was a big hit, and Shaw went on to write the song "Begin the Beguine" which is still played by many bands today.

As we move into the 2nd Millennium, a number of new artists are emerging on the music scene. They are exciting, modern, "today" bands, often playing variations of older musical themes. Some of the more famous include Ricky Martin, (Living La Vida Loca,) Lou Bega (Mambo #5,) Santana, (Smooth,) Marc Anthony, (I Need to Know) and many more.

My husband Bob and I believe it's a small (music and dance ) world. As the saying goes, "What goes around comes around." And so it is with the Cha Cha Cha and the Mambo.