Also known as Slow Waltz or English Waltz originally flourished in Vienna and Western Europe in the 18th and 19th century before coming to England in the 20th century is an elegant, smooth dance with  partners moving around the ballroom in an anticlockwise direction.
It is characterized primarily by its rise & fall action. Socially, this is the most popular dance for people to learn and is a good introductory basis toward learning the other four dances.

The Viennese Waltz developed from the English waltz and is a fast dance consisting of a continuation of rotary actions.

Foxtrot, the most classical of all ballroom dances originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox.
It is is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor.
For the beginner, the easier version is the Social Foxtrot, which is ideally suited for dinner dances and weddings. For the more advanced dancer, this is the dance they want to perfect. Foxtrot is extremely versatile and can be danced to a variety of musical styles and tempi.

The Quickstep was developed in the 1920s in England. During this time, many bands began playing the Foxtrot at a faster pace, earning the name Quick Foxtrot. The Charleston appeared after this, but lacked long-term potential. However, in 1927 the Charleston was combined with the Quick Foxtrot resulting in the Quick Time Fox Trot and Charleston, so it became known simply as the Quickstep.
The quickstep is elegant, smooth and glamorous. Quickstep dancers are energetic while appearing extremely light on their feet.

The Tango was developed from the Argentine Tango into a more international style.
The characterisation of this dance is based on a strong, seemingly intense movement and staccato action danced to passionate music.
There is no rise and fall in this dance.

Originating from Cuba, the cha cha cha is a bright lively and cheeky dance.
This is one of the most popular dances for people to learn, especially with the current influence of Latin trends in music.

This is the most earthy and passionate of the Latin dances, and originated in Cuba.
The dance relies on the old-age promise of the lady trying to dominate the gentlemen by means of her womanly charms and incorporates all the elements of teasing and withdrawing.

Originates from Brazil where it is a national dance. Many versions of Samba are danced at the local carnival in Rio.
To achieve true character of this dance, a dancer must use a pulsing action to accent it’s flirtatious and exuberant interpretation.

Originally a French folk dance now more associated with Spain, the music lends itself to great characterisation. The Paso Doble is based on the bullfight. The man represents the bullfighter, ‘Torero’, and the lady the red cape or ‘cappa’.
It is danced to the characteristic march music used for procession at the beginning of a corrida.
The dance should be very dramatic.

Jive, a lively and fun dance, originated from the United States from the Jitterbug and Boogie Woogie in the 1940’s.
In the 1880’s the Jitterbug and Boogie Woogie were seen as too exuberant for the ballroom and the dance was gradually tamed and lost the acrobatics.
Jive is characterised by flicks, kicks and strongly emphasised leg rhythms.
Rock ’n’ roll is a gender form of the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug.

The Waltz, based on the Viennese Waltz and standardised in the 1930’s is an important feature in Old Time Sequence Dancing as it is used in most of the sequences.
It consists of a natural turn, a reverse turn and a joining movement called the Pas de Valse.

These dances are merely Old-Time versions of the Foxtrot – often with a Swing or Blues rhythm. They share many of the same steps but frequently use shadow and side-by-side positions.
The dance is slow and graceful and the footwork is more casual than in formal Foxtrot.

The two-step is an American dance.  It forms a modified polka, adapted to American rag-time music, and was introduced into Europe at the end of the 19th century.

The origins of the gavotte or gavot go back to 1698 . The name is said to be derived from the Gavots, the inhabitants of the Gap, in France.
The Gavotte originated as an air for a dance with two strains, each of four or eight bars, in 2/4 or 4/4 time, the starting notes occupying half a bar.

Tango is not considered an Old Time Dance. In fact, on the contrary, it is a Modern Dance but the fact remains that the Tango has made an influence in the Old Time Ballroom, and as danced there, it conforms to a well established technique which is different to that danced in the modern ballroom.