Music




Curious about the music we use to practice? Here is an overview of music for the different styles as well as some song suggestions. If you are interested in a ballroom music CD, talk to one of our officers or email us at ballroom@nd.edu.

Waltz:
Waltz is a graceful dance known for its rise and fall, its elegance, and its effortless feel. The American style is characterized by its beautiful lines in open moves such as underarm turns. The international style is done completely in closed frame. Check out this clip of Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini from Dancing With the Stars.

The music is very expressive, slow to moderately paced, and in 3/4 time. It is counted 1,2,3 1,2,3.

Tango:

Foxtrot:
Jazzy Ballads in 4/4 time.

Quickstep:
As its name implies, this is a fast dance full of energy and elegance. It's the perfect dance for learning how to be light on your feet. Check out this clip of Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough and this one of Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Viennese Waltz:
In 3/4 time like Waltz, but significantly faster. Here is a clip of Mark Ballas and Chelsea Kane on Dancing with the Stars.