ISTD International Latin
Ballroom Dance
Syllabus

Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble

Note: *Pre-Bronze figures are part of the the Bronze level syllabus.

Cha Cha

• PRE-BRONZE *
  1. Basic Movements (Closed, Open, In Place)
  2. New York (to Left or Right Side Position)
  3. Spot Turns to Left or Right (including Switch and Underarm Turns)
  4. Shoulder to Shoulder (Left Side and Right Side)
  5. Hand to Hand (to Right and Left Side Position)
  6. Three Cha Cha Chas (Forward and Back)
  7. Side Steps (to Left or Right)
  8. There and Back
  9. Time Steps
  
  
• BRONZE
  10. Fan
  11. Alemana
  12. Hockey Stick
  13. Natural Top
  14. Natural Opening Out Movement
  15. Closed Hip Twist
  
  
• SILVER
  16. Open Hip Twist
  17. Reverse Top
  18. Opening Out from Reverse Top
  19. Aida
  20. Spiral Turns (Spiral, Curl, Rope Spinning)
  21. Cross Basic
  22. Cuban Breaks (including Split Cuban Breaks)
  23. Chase
  
  
• GOLD
  24. Advanced Hip Twist
  25. Hip Twist Spiral
  26. Turkish Towel
  27. Sweetheart
  28. Follow My Leader
  29. Foot Changes
  
  

• PRE-BRONZE *
  1. Basic Movements (Closed, Open, In Place, Alternative)
  2. Cucarachas (LF and RF)
  3. New York (to Left or Right Side Position)
  4. Spot Turns to Left or Right (including Switch and Underarm Turns)
  5. Shoulder to Shoulder (Left Side and Right Side)
  6. Hand to Hand (to Right and Left Side Position)
  7. Progressive Walks Forward or Back
  8. Side Steps (to Left or Right)
  9. Cuban Rocks
  
  
• BRONZE
  10. Fan
  11. Alemana
  12. Hockey Stick
  13. Natural Top
  14. Opening Out to Right and Left
  15. Natural Opening Out Movement
  16. Closed Hip Twist
  
  
• SILVER
  17. Open Hip Twist
  18. Reverse Top
  19. Opening Out from Reverse Top
  20. Aida
  21. Spiral Turns (Spiral, Curl, Rope Spinning)
  
  
• GOLD
  22. Sliding Doors
  23. Fencing
  24. Three Threes
  25. Three Alemanas
  26. Hip Twists (Advanced, Continuous, Circular)
  
  

• PRE-BRONZE *
  1. Basic Movements (Natural, Reverse, Side, Progressive)
  2. Whisks (also with Lady's underarm turn)
  3. Samba Walks (Promenade, Side, Stationary)
  4. Rhythm Bounce
  5. Volta Movements
  6. Travelling Bota Fogos Forward
  7. Criss Cross Bota Fogos (Shadow Bota Fogos)
  
  
• BRONZE
  8. Travelling Bota Fogos Back
  9. Bota Fogos to Promenade and Counter Promenade
  10. Criss Cross Voltas
  11. Solo Spot Volta
  12. Foot Changes
  13. Shadow Travelling Volta
  14. Reverse Turn
  15. Corta Jaca
  16. Closed Rocks
  
  
• SILVER
  17. Open Rocks
  18. Back Rocks
  19. Plait
  20. Rolling off the Arm
  21. Argentine Crosses
  22. Maypole
  23. Shadow Circular Volta
  
  
• GOLD
  24. Contra Botafogos
  25. Roundabout
  26. Natural Roll
  27. Reverse Roll
  28. Promenade and Counter Promenade Runs
  29. Three Step Turn
  30. Samba Locks
  31. Cruzados Walks and Locks
  
  

Jive

• PRE-BRONZE *
  1. Basic in Place
  2. Fallaway Rock
  3. Fallaway Throwaway
  4. Link
  5. Change of Places Right to Left
  6. Change of Places Left to Right
  7. Change of Hands Behind Back
  8. Hip Bump (Left Shoulder Shove)
  
  
• BRONZE
  9. American Spin
  10. Walks
  11. Stop and Go
  12. Mooch
  13. Whip
  14. Whip Throwaway
  
  
• SILVER
  15. Reverse Whip
  16. Windmill
  17. Spanish Arms
  18. Rolling off the Arm
  19. Simple Spin
  20. Miami Special
  
  
• GOLD
  21. Curly Whip
  22. Shoulder Spin
  23. Toe Heel Swivels
  24. Chugging
  25. Chicken Walks
  26. Catapult
  27. Stalking Walks, Flicks and Break
  
  

• PRE-BRONZE *
  1. Sur Place
  2. Basic Movement
  3. Chasses to Right or Left (including Elevations)
  4. Drag
  5. Deplacement (also Attack)
  6. Promenade Link (also Promenade Close)
  7. Promenade
  8. Ecart (Fallaway Whisk)
  9. Separation
  10. Separation with Lady's Caping Walk
  
  
• BRONZE
  11. Fallaway Ending to Separation
  12. Huit
  13. Sixteen
  14. Promenade and Counter Promenade
  15. Grand Circle
  16. Open Telemark
  
  
• SILVER
  17. La Passe
  18. Banderillas
  19. Twist Turn
  20. Fallaway Reverse Turn
  21. Coup de Pique
  22. Left Foot Variation
  23. Spanish Lines
  24. Flamenco Taps
  
  
• GOLD
  25. Syncopated Separation
  26. Travelling Spins from PP
  27. Travelling Spins from CPP
  28. Fregolina (also Farol)
  29. Twists
  30. Chasse Cape (including Outside Turn)
  
  

Return to the Main Ballroom Dance Page.
Go to Dan Calloway's Bronze or Silver routines using International Standard and Latin syllabus figures.

American Style Syllabus:

• Go to the NDCA American Smooth Syllabus.
• Go to the NDCA American Rhythm Syllabus.

Visit the webmaster, Stephen Wright.


Essential books:

• The best price we've found on the Latin Syllabus books is at "www.dancescape.tv," where they are $14.50 per book + $8.00 S/H and $4.00 S/H for each additional book:
  • ISTD Latin American Cha Cha Technique
  • ISTD Latin American Rumba Technique
  • ISTD Latin American Samba Technique
  • ISTD Latin American Jive Technique
  • ISTD Latin American Paso Doble Technique
  
  
• Amazon.com sells an excellent book, Ballroom Dancing, by author of the Standard Syllabus book and president of ISTD Alex Moore, it also has step diagrams, which the Standard Syllabus book doesn't have. We found it here for only $17.50 (30% off), and shipping is low ($4 for the first item, $1 additional items).
• You can pay a lot more, but a number of sites have essentially the same price (including shipping) as the official US-ISTD (United States Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) site for the Standard Syllabus book, which is entitled: The Ballroom Technique. They also recommend Ballroom Dancing, (mentioned above), as a complementary "perfect companion" volume, but it's a lot cheaper at Amazon.com. Unfortunately, Amazon.com doesn't sell the syllabus books at present. To buy books from the US-ISTD site, you'll have to print out and mail in their order form with a check (no credit cards). Shipping is low ($4-$7, depending on the dollar value of the order).

Other Off-site Resources:

• The University of Maryland, College Park Ballroom Dance Club: BAM (Ballroom at Maryland).

updated 2/17/05