It’s time for some dancing fever, from samba and flamenco to the Argentine tango, put on those dancing shoes and dance the night away. Here are our best places for dancing across the globe.

Brazil

There’s no denying it – Brazillians know how to dance and they love to show their moves in clubs and even on the streets. Each Saturday the Lapa neighbourhood holds a big street party where you can find the locals dancing the samba. But samba is not the only dancing here: Capoeira, a dance developed by Afro-Brazilians descends upon the street plazas at nighttime complete with the sound of drums. The biggest celebration has to be the Rio Carnival; the world’s largest carnival held in February each year with a four day celebration of colour and feathers that leave you well and truly partied out.

Drinks cards replace buying drinks at the bar so don’t forget to pay your tab at the end!

Spain

Spain is the home of flamenco dancing and flamenco shows can be found across the Spanish cities. Learn how to dance the traditional dance of the gypsies in various schools in Seville and Granada then show off your sexy senorita in the choice of clubs. Seville has a buzzing nightlife and many venues to choose from, all just a short distance apart. Dance all night in Barcelona – the city that rarely sleeps or join in with the Valencians, who know how to throw a good party.

Don’t go out too early as nightclubs are empty until midnight.

Argentina

Argentina is famous for the leg flicking Tango that originated from the streets of Buenos Aries and is part of the Argentine culture. Usually danced in intimate surroundings, Tango shows can be found practically everywhere. For street performances head to La Boca on the weekends or if you can’t wait that long, the Plaza Dorrego holds daily shows. If you’d rather try the tango yourself then head to one of the Tango clubs. We recommend Suneo Porteno.

If you’re not looking for a dance partner, avoid the quick nod of an eager gentleman.

 

Turkey

Turkey is the home of belly dancing and is enjoyed by Turks of all ages who regularly shake their jewelled bellies at the Turkish nightclubs. If it's a more tamer performance that you’re interested in, head to the Sirkeci district for an evening of traditional dances.

Visit Egypt for a more conservative style of bellydancing

Whether it's salsa, tango or cumbia, dancing is a huge part of the culture in Latin America and having lived here for the last six months, I have come across all different types of genres that I never even knew existed before I arrived on this continent. Here's a guide to my favourite Latin America dance styles:

DANCES IN LATIN AMERICA

Tango

Everyone has heard of tango, the famous dance from Argentina and known for its foot flicks. Dramatic, passionate and extremely technical, tango originated from Buenos Aires in the mid-19th century.

The oldest tango was written by Rosendo Mendizabal, a pianist in the 1890s. Traditionally, tango music is played with a bass and violin and a bandoneon – a type of concertina that looks similar to an accordion with buttons instead of keys which accompanies the piano.

Tango isn't danced just with a man and women either. You can find groups of girls, boys, and even men dancing with other men. Here's an introduction to Tango:

Salsa

Popular in Cuba (and it's true when they say that everyone in Cuba can dance), salsa is also known worldwide. This style of dancing is found everywhere and with a few of the basic steps you can easily make your moves on the dance floor whether it's just forward and back or side to side. This couple take it to a whole new level:

Bachata

This is my favourite style of dance. Romantic, versatile and extremely sexy, Bachata originated from the rural regions of the Dominican Republic in the 1960s and is now one of the most popular genres with Colombia. Telling the story of a man and woman in love, it's traditionally played with a güira – an instrument which looks like a large cheese grater with a handle and has a tinny sound.

Bachata has been made famous by Romeo Santos, the king of bachata, who even collaborated with Usher for the song “Promise.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAuS-TPv9dc

Merengue

Also originating from the Dominican, this is the easiest dance move to learn. Thought to be the dance of slaves who were chained together by their feet, merengue is popular throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. With just two steps to master along with a bit of hip action, the dance style can be found in most crossover bars (bars which play all types of music from electronic to salsa).

Cumbia

Cumbia is the heartbeat of Latin America and the founder of most of the music genres. A fusion of African and native music, cumbia originated from north Colombia and Panama along the Caribbean coast and has now spread as far as Argentina and Mexico.

There are so many more genres of dance to be found here such as regggaeton and porro and these are just a sample of the popular styles that you'll find if you visit Latin America. Being a solo female you don't even need to find a dance partner to take with you on a night out. Just sit there patiently and you'll soon be asked by a local to dance.