In the Beginning: Do a little dance!

Dancing (for fun)

Since dance doesn't leave behind artifacts, we can't really tell you who was the first caveman to get up and do a jig. (There's a little evidence of dancing in Egyptian tomb paintings) What we can tell you quite a lot about is...

The Waltz

The Polka

It sounds like it should be Polish "“ but hold on, the polka is actually Czech. First embraced in the middle of 19th-century Bohemia, and the name was originally the Czech word pu _ lka, meaning "half-step." So what's the Polish connection? The Czechs changed the name to "polka" around 1830 as a demonstration of solidarity with their neighbors, the Poles, who were fighting Russian rule in the November Uprising at the time.

The Tango

The Charleston

Named for the city in South Carolina, the dance was popular among African-American dockworkers but quickly got co-opted by young whites looking for an easy way to express their disdain for Prohibition. Later, it would give rise to Lindy Hop, which in turn was a forerunner of swing. The basic Charleston step, however, was incorporated into both dances. Here's what you need to know: rock left, step right, kick left, step left, kick right, knee right, kick back right, step right. Trust us, it's easier if you just pretend you're a flapper and freestyle it.

The Twist

The Lambada

Perhaps appropriately for such a passionate dance, the Lambada has warring factions arguing over who came up with it first. Some think it came from Brazil (where several other dances appear to be its ancestors); others argue that a song from Bolivia started it all. Either way, the 1990 movie Lambada made it an international hit. But don't refer to it as the "Forbidden Dance" when in conversation with a Brazilian or a Bolivian. Lambada dancers prefer to think of their pastime as sensual, not sexual. And whatever you do, don't mix it up with...

La Bamba

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