This shows that these local influences have become the basis of Latin dance. Indigenous dances often tell stories about daily activities, such as hunting, agriculture or astronomy. When European colonists and conquerors began to colonize South America in the early16th century, they reshaped the local dance tradition, but still kept the local style.
Catholic settlers combine local culture with their own culture, and incorporate Catholic saints and stories into the dance. Europeans are attracted by highly structured large members working together in a precise way.
Europeans brought home the Aztec/Inca influence in the16th century, and they incorporated their own style into the dance. Because Aztec/Inca dances are collective performances, many European dances are performed by men and women on the same stage. This is a new practice, because European dances prohibit male and female partners from touching each other.
The benefits of this dance style make music appreciation and social integration a form of Latin dance. However, "when the emphasis turned to rhythm and steps, many elements of storytelling disappeared from this type," Hansen explained.
The evolution of this movement is different, because it brings some elegant elements to Aztec dance, because its steps are smaller and its movements are not so powerful. It is the combination of African style and local and European influences that really makes Latin possible.
The movements and rhythms influenced by Africa left a permanent mark on Latin dance. When African slaves were forced to migrate to Europe in 1500, their culture brought basic and simple movements (emphasizing the upper body, trunk or feet) and complex movements (such as the coordination and complex movements of different parts of the body). ?
"Fast rotation, body ripple, contraction and release, and changes in dynamics, level and space utilization." The difference between African style and European style is that it includes bent knees and downward focus (grounding) instead of straight back focus like Europeans, and the whole foot instead of toes and heels. These influences from African roots have created the Latin dance today.
Classification of Latin dance
Latin dance is a kind of international standard dance. There are five kinds of international Latin dances: rumba dance, cha-cha dance, samba dance, swing dance and bullfighting dance. It should be noted that Latin dance is usually called international Latin dance, because there are also American rhythm dances, including American cha-cha, American rumba, American bolero, American swing dance and American mambo.
Although the names are similar, American rhythm dance and international Latin dance are quite different in many technical movements.