Which dance or combination of dances gives the best workout?

[Sagitta]

I've been thinking about fitness related issues and it struck me that we have never discussed which dance or combination of dances gives the best workout. What do you think?

 

[Chris Stratton]

Well's there's the legendary Viennese-Quickstep-Samba-Jive until only one is left standing marathon supposedly run at a college comp a while back...

 

[pygmalion]

aerobic? High speed samba, jive, quickstep. Oh yeah, and certain C&W lne dances, such as cotton eye Joe. Holy cow!

If you're after muscle development, go for bolero. The first class where I did bolero, I literally could not walk the next day, that's how much my quads and hamstrings hurt. I wasn't used to using them that way. ( That was before I started lifting weights. LOL.)

 

[Dancegal]

Lindy Hop.

 

[SDsalsaguy]

Jive

 

[cocodrilo]

Try doing about 10 minutes of shines- will get you sweating like a DAWG!

 

[tasche]

Paso if you do it right and throw your whole body into it and keep your form

 

[Sabor]

hmm.. interesting query.. never thought about it from this angle..

cant be sure because in a number of dances there is the faster beat and the slower one.. and how an individual chooses to dance definetely is a factor.. but .. to my knowledge .. the highest speed beat i've heard are that of wicked fast sambas and merengues.. if they are danced to the extreme activity and motion they definetely would be top heart stoppers in my opinion...

but aside social dancing.. i think ballet gives the overall best fitness..

 

[Sagitta]

Brazilian samba definitely has a wicked fast tempo. And the way you shake to it is nothing compared to ballroom samba!!

 

[cocodrilo]

Brazilian samba definitely has a wicked fast tempo. And the way you shake to it is nothing compared to ballroom samba!!

That's the only samba I know, and boy is it tiring!!! Gets repetitive after awhile, no?

 

[Sagitta]

Brazilian samba definitely has a wicked fast tempo. And the way you shake to it is nothing compared to ballroom samba!!

That's the only samba I know, and boy is it tiring!!! Gets repetitive after awhile, no?

Yup. That's why it is good to mix it in with merengue/cha cha as part of the latin cycle of cha cha, bachata, salsa and merengue...oh yes forro and cumbia...

 

[ShyDancer]

Id have to agree with SD

Jive.

Getting those knees up is a task all in itself! No areobic class I have ever taken has had my leg muscles going like jive does. The upper body tension in swivels/twists is fabulous for your stomach too.
The bounce gets your heart rate pumping to extreme levels....maybe thats why we always have Rumbas played directly after the Jives!

 

[Pacion]

but aside social dancing.. i think ballet gives the overall best fitness..

does this mean we will be seeing photos of you in tights very soon :wink:

 

[tintinnabula]

I agree with Sagitta, brazillian samba is def. a workout.

 

[pygmalion]

Hey tintinabula. Do you do Carnavale samba and ballroom samba? If so, could you explain the differences? (or could one of you lurkers? LOL) I love ballroom samba, but I have a feeling I'm missing something great by not knowing authentic samba.