Course info
Lafrique Dance Company offers different courses of Latin American and African dances. Currently we teach Bachata, Salsa LA, Salsa Cubana, Rueda and Kizomba at various levels.
Some dances are playful and energetic, others sensual and grounded. What they have in common is that they are all a lot of fun and very sociable! You don’t need to have a regular partner. In fact, you often find yourself at the dance floor with a dance partner you have never met before. Because of the sociable nature of these dances, Salsa, Bachata as well as Kizomba have become highly popular, all around the world!
Salsa LA style
LA style salsa is danced in a slot. It is typically seen as explosive, fiery, and passionate. There are a lot of turns and flair, as it was influenced by swing and mambo and developed to be danced in performances. Salsa LA is danced on the 1st count and the cross body lead is an essential step in this style, since it is used to switch places.
Salsa Cubana
Salsa Cubana originates from Cuba and is known for its circular motion, as partners face each other in intricate patterns of arms and body movement. It has a strong basic step known as guapea, and is often a playful game of seduction using body movement, facial expressions and jokes.
Rueda
Rueda de Casino is a way of dancing Cuban Salsa where pairs form a circle, called Rueda (Spanish for “wheel”) and dance to the commands of a Cantante (Spanish for “singer”). Couples exchange partners and carry out moves in sync with the music and corresponding to the commands called out.
Bachata
Bachata originated in the Dominican Republic and is commonly known as a very sensual dance. The movement of the hips is very important and is seen as the soul of the dance. Generally, most of the movement is in the dancers lower body; footwork and hips.
Rumba Cubana
Afro-Cuban rumba, not to be confused with the ballroom dance, or the African pop music, developed in rural Cuba, blending Congolese drumming with influences of Spanish flamenco-singing. In Cuba, Rumba is a generic term covering a variety of musical rhythms and associated dances.
Kizomba
Kizomba, which means ‘party’ in the Angolan dialect Kimbundu, is a dance and music that developed in numerous African Countries in the early 1980s. The Semba (from Angola) and Coladera (from Cape Verde) were transformed in what we now know as Kizomba. A music known for its slow, insistent, yet sensuous rhythm. With a hug being the basic dance hold of Kizomba, dancing this sensual dance gives you the feeling of moving as one.
Semba
Semba is a traditional music and dance from Angola. The Semba music was played by small bands in Angola, especially at large social gatherings. People say the word ‘Semba’ comes from ‘massemba’ meaning “a touch of the bellies” – one of the most recognizable and fun movements in Semba. The steps of semba are fairly quick and playful, incorporating facial expressions and mimed grabs for an escaping partner.
Tarraxinha
Tarraxinha is the sexy, percussive cousin of Kizomba. The music is mainly electronic, has a much heavier beat and fewer melody. Tarraxinha is danced mainly in place and is focused on isolations, fitting into the rhythms of the music. The body movements are initiated with the lead’s leg, hip or arm (on the ladies lower back/hips) movements or are initiated by the follower.