When I first walked into an Arthur Murray studio (almost 19 years ago!) there were many popular dances being taught:
The usual suspects: Waltz, Tango Fox Trot, Cha Cha, Rumba and Swing.
The fan favourites: Salsa, Merengue, Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop, Hustle and West Coast Swing.
Other timeless 'dance studio classics': Mambo, Samba, Bolero and Viennese Waltz.
And some modern additions have been added along the way: Bachata and Zouk.
What I never would have expected is that some dances, that had been considered all but extinct, would make a come back... in a big way.
The Peabody. The Peabody is a fun, loose, up-tempo jaunt. It's origins frame it as a faster tempo Fox Trot dance. Largely replaced by the more 'sophisticated' Quickstep 100 years ago, the Peabody was almost lost to time. Steadily over the past 10 years the Peabody has been making a comeback. First in the US and now even here in Australia. How did this happen? I think that the spirit of the dance makes it accessible to just about everyone and the use of modern music and modern remixes of classic charleston numbers has made it a fun choice at parties.
The Night Club Two Step. I confess to being a bit late to the party with this one. The NC2S has spiked recently as a popular slow tempo Rumba or Bolero alternative. Its origins are rooted in the disco era however. NC2S was the dance of choice to popular disco ballads of the 70's and 80's (giving everyone a break from all that Hustle or Freestyle Disco dancing). Again, Its adaptability to more modern music has helped put this dance back on the map over the past 5 years or so.
A number of students have taken up these classics as a fun addition to their regular dance experience, I wonder which classic will emerge next?