Waltzes are in 3/4 time (three beats in each bar). To dance the modern waltz, the tempo should be between 28 and 30 bars per minute. Musicians of all styles compose tunes in 3/4 time, and the tunes tend to be either romantic or sad. Here’s a Waltz that’s a bit of both. It’s nice and slow making it ideal for beginners.

Quickstep is the second fastest ballroom dance with a tempo between 46 and 50 bars per minute. Quickstep is a close relative of the Charleston from the 1920s and feels just right with brassy big band music with a strong drum beat but also works well with contemporary tracks like this.

There are two varieties of foxtrot, this one being slightly faster (30 to 33 bars per minute) and jazzier than the slow foxtrot. Many songs by crooners like Frank Sinatra or the modern day singer Michael Bublé typify the foxtrot sound.

The slow foxtrot is arguably the classiest of all the ballroom dances and is danced between 28 and 30 bars per minute. These are the smooth sort of songs you could cooly snap your fingers to.

The cha cha cha is danced to upbeat but not overly fast music around 28 to 30 bars per minute. The original Cuban style music still works well, but quite a lot of contemporary pop songs have the necessary tempo and syncopated beats to get your feet moving.

The rumba is danced to slower songs around 24 to 26 bars per minute, and the mood of the song definitely has to be romantic. The track we are suggesting for the rumba is a double treat as not only is it a beautiful rendition of a great song (which is often performed as a foxtrot or waltz ) but it is sung by Agnetha Fältskog from ABBA.

The traditional distinctive sound features violins, piano, double bass, bandoneóns (accordions) and sometimes drums. The dance is full of staccato movements and is about passion, so naturally the music should match this. Ballroom tango is danced between 30 and 33 bars per minute.

Salsa is danced to a wide range of musical styles typically between 42 and 50 bars per minute. Here is a strong percussive track which blends Latino, Jazz, Reggae and Turkish influences. One of our favourites from 2006/7.

Samba, the dance from Brazil, is the fastest of the Latin dances at around 50 bars per minute. Drums, small bells and whistles from carnival parades come to mind, but a wide and sometimes unexpected range of songs work well as sambas, including several by R&B divas like Alexandra Burke.

Jive has probably the widest usable range of tempos and is danced from a manageable 32 bars per minute up to a breathless 45 bars per minute. We rarely go over 40 bars per minute at our dances! It has the instantly recognisable percussive accent on the 2nd and 4th beats in the bar, once again making you click your fingers and tap your feet.

The Viennese waltz, can be danced at a tempo up to 60 bars per minute, which is twice the speed of the waltz or three steps every second! It is a fast dance, and when learning it you need something a little slower.