by Dr Matt
The Ideal Tempos (below) are slower than Competition Tempos and some Performance Tempos. The primary goal of Social Dancing is both dancing and socializing. Tempos that require a frantic, fast pace interfere with a dancer's desire and opportunity to socialize while dancing.
A good rule of thumb for determing the best Social Dance Tempo is this: Consider the difference between a walking or jogging pace at which you can comfortably talk, versus a running pace that does not facilitate talking at all. This does not mean eliminating faster tempos completely; instead, it means avoiding songs with tempos outside the Ideal Range for a particular dance.
For example, the song by Michael Buble "Save the Last Dance for Me" sounds like a Cha Cha (it has a Latin sound) . . . yet, the tempo of this song is much faster (134 bpm) than the recommended range listed for a Cha Cha. Thus, as social dancers try to do a Cha Cha to this tune, they will be frustrated by the screaming-fast Tempo.
In contrast, Santana's song called "Smooth" has a Cha-Cha-inviting, latin flavor AND the beats per minute (118 bpm) are also within the acceptable Tempo Range—winner!
If you'd like a print-able pdf of Dr Matt's
Social Dance Tempos, click this!
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