Wedding dance songs - Latin
Many people already have a particular song in mind - a song or piece of music that they just know is "their song" Some people haven't found theirs just yet. If you are still looking for that special song for your first dance we have come up with this list to make your life easier!
There are other International Style Latin dances that we have not covered, such as the Samba, and the Paso Doble. I have concentrated on the dance styles that are most commonly used in wedding dance choreography.
We have grouped these songs by dance style, and included a film clip of each dance, so that you can see what they look like....
Rumba
With its origins in Cuba, Rumba is the dance of seduction and love, as as such, is a very popular choice for a wedding dance! Since the original Cuban Rumba was considered improper, the "son Rumba" was developed and has become an International style Latin dance. In its advanced form the female's moves are deliberate and seductive, and the male responds appreciatively. It should have an "earthy" feel, and really good Rumba music evokes this quality. This dance is the slowest of the Latin dances, danced to 4/4 time music, and its basic steps are easy to learn in a short period of time. It doesn't require a large dance floor to look effective.
It can be turned into a show-stopping dance, with more elaborate moves and lifts, if a couple is prepared to put in both the necessary time in training, and practise between lessons.
Here is an example of Rumba at its best, from two of the world's top Professional Latin dancers - Sergey Ryupin and Elena Khvorova.
Many people already have a particular song in mind - a song or piece of music that they just know is "their song" Some people haven't found theirs just yet. If you are still looking for that special song for your first dance we have come up with this list to make your life easier!
There are other International Style Latin dances that we have not covered, such as the Samba, and the Paso Doble. I have concentrated on the dance styles that are most commonly used in wedding dance choreography.
We have grouped these songs by dance style, and included a film clip of each dance, so that you can see what they look like....
Rumba
With its origins in Cuba, Rumba is the dance of seduction and love, as as such, is a very popular choice for a wedding dance! Since the original Cuban Rumba was considered improper, the "son Rumba" was developed and has become an International style Latin dance. In its advanced form the female's moves are deliberate and seductive, and the male responds appreciatively. It should have an "earthy" feel, and really good Rumba music evokes this quality. This dance is the slowest of the Latin dances, danced to 4/4 time music, and its basic steps are easy to learn in a short period of time. It doesn't require a large dance floor to look effective.
It can be turned into a show-stopping dance, with more elaborate moves and lifts, if a couple is prepared to put in both the necessary time in training, and practise between lessons.
Here is an example of Rumba at its best, from two of the world's top Professional Latin dancers - Sergey Ryupin and Elena Khvorova.
Here is a list of suggested songs for your "Rumba" wedding dance
Could I Have This Kiss Forever - Enrique Iglesias
The song is written and sung by Enrique Iglesias, son of Julio Iglesias. The film clip is from the TV series "The Forsythe Saga", starring Ioan Gruffud and Gina McKee.
At Last - Lou Rawls & Dianne Reeves
And I Love Her - The Beatles
The Look Of Love - Diana Krall
Love Is All Around - Wet Wet Wet
No Matter What - BoyZone
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
Manana De Carnaval - Luis Miguel
Lady in Red - Chris De Burgh
From This Moment On - Shania Twain
Love With My Eyes Closed - Michael Bolton
One Day Like This - Elbow
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
This I Promise You - Ronan Keating
You Belong to My Heart (Solamente Una Vez) - Luis Miguel
Fields of Gold - Sting
Something Stupid - Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman
From Here to Eternity - Englebert Humperdinck
Satisfy My Soul - Paul Carrack
Love Me Tender - Norah Jones
I Can't Help Falling in Love With You - Richard Marx
Flying without wings - Westlife
We Have all the time in the world - Louis Armstrong
Cha Cha
Danced in 4/4 time, Cha Cha rhythm is popular in all music genres, and can be found in pop, rock, country, funk, and hip-hop.This is a party dance! Whereas the Rumba has an intense expression, the interpretation of Cha Cha music should produce a happy, carefree, party-time-like dance expression. Think “flirtatious” and “cheeky” and you get the soul of this dance!!!!!
It is a dance that can move if you have space – or your choreography can be adapted to use smaller dance floors
Here are two of the world’s top professional dancers, Slavik & Karina, dancing Cha Cha
It is a dance that can move if you have space – or your choreography can be adapted to use smaller dance floors
Here are two of the world’s top professional dancers, Slavik & Karina, dancing Cha Cha
These are just some of the songs you might want to consider for your "Cha Cha" Wedding dance.
Mercy - Duffy
Kiss - Tom Jones & The Art of Noise
Dance with Me - Michael Bolton
Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt
Game of Love - Santana, featuring Michelle Branch
You're the First. My Last, My Everything - Barry White
Play That Funky Music, White Boy - Wild Cherry
Kiss Me Honey, Honey, Kiss Me! - Shirley Bassey
I Need To Know - Marc Anthony
Lets Get The Party Started - Pink
A Fool in Love - Tina Turner
Some Kind of Wonderful - The Drifters
Stuck in the Middle with you - Michael Buble
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
One - The Bee Gees
Samba
Samba. The national dance of Brazil, and an International Latin competition dance style. I love it... it is a fun, happy party dance that really gets a good time pumping. As much as I love the dance - the following film clip shows why I rarely, if ever teach it as a wedding dance....
Mambo
Mambo is a Latin dance of Cuban origin. Mambo music was invented in 1930s Havana by Cachao and his contemporaries and made popular around the world by Perez Prado and Beny Moré. Mambo music developed from Danzon music, and was heavily influenced by the Jazz musicians that the Italian-American gangsters, who controlled Havana's casinos, brought to entertain their American customers.
Mambo is characterized by the hip movements that it entails. While moving forward and backwards to the beat, dancers "sway" with the hips, creating a fluid motion that flows with the music.. The mambo is quite different from other dances because it is blatantly sensual, instead of dramatic, fast or flowing.
Most people in Australia remember it as the primary dance style in the classic film “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze & Jennifer Grey
Mambo is characterized by the hip movements that it entails. While moving forward and backwards to the beat, dancers "sway" with the hips, creating a fluid motion that flows with the music.. The mambo is quite different from other dances because it is blatantly sensual, instead of dramatic, fast or flowing.
Most people in Australia remember it as the primary dance style in the classic film “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze & Jennifer Grey
This is a really good example of Mambo - & the kids are too cute for words too!
Here are some song suggestions for a Mambo dance
I've Had the Time of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
Be My Baby - The Ronettes
Let's Never Stop Falling in Love - Pink Martini
Save The Last Dance For Me - Michael Buble
Jive
To jazz musicians, who played swing music in the 1930s and 1940s, "Jive" was an expression denoting glib or foolish talk.
American soldiers brought the “Lindy Hop”/”Jitterbug” to Europe around 1940, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States the term Swing became the most common word used to describe the dance, which was often danced to “Big Band” music, such as made popular by the Glen Miller and Benny Goodman orchestras. In the UK variations in technique led to styles such as Boogie-Woogie and Swing Boogie, with "Jive" gradually emerging as the generic term.
After the war, the boogie became the dominant form for popular music. It was, however, never far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance.
English instructors developed the elegant and lively ballroom Jive, danced to slightly slower music. In 1968 the Jive became the 5th dance style danced in International style Latin competitions.
The modern form of Jive from the 90’s to the present day is a fun and fast paced dance, and as such, is not easy to do in a large or heavy wedding dress!
These days, we often associate Jive with WW2 Big Band era Swing, and the first “ Rock and Roll” dancing.
Here are two of the legends of Professional Latin dance, Bryan Watson and Karen Hardy, dancing to “Rock Around the Clock”
American soldiers brought the “Lindy Hop”/”Jitterbug” to Europe around 1940, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States the term Swing became the most common word used to describe the dance, which was often danced to “Big Band” music, such as made popular by the Glen Miller and Benny Goodman orchestras. In the UK variations in technique led to styles such as Boogie-Woogie and Swing Boogie, with "Jive" gradually emerging as the generic term.
After the war, the boogie became the dominant form for popular music. It was, however, never far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance.
English instructors developed the elegant and lively ballroom Jive, danced to slightly slower music. In 1968 the Jive became the 5th dance style danced in International style Latin competitions.
The modern form of Jive from the 90’s to the present day is a fun and fast paced dance, and as such, is not easy to do in a large or heavy wedding dress!
These days, we often associate Jive with WW2 Big Band era Swing, and the first “ Rock and Roll” dancing.
Here are two of the legends of Professional Latin dance, Bryan Watson and Karen Hardy, dancing to “Rock Around the Clock”