7 Destinations For The Traveler Who Wants To Learn To Dance The Night Away

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Wanna dance with somebody on vacation? Us, too. We love a good travel destination with a traditional dance that you can jump in on, whether you take a lesson on site or prepare ahead of time. There’s nothing better than some carefree dancing in the moonlight, especially if you’ve got your special traveling someone or your bestie along for the ride. Here are seven spots around the world that are perfect for travelers who wants to dance their nights away.

1. Argentina — Tango

Is there anything sexier than the tango? If there is, we have yet to see it. Tango is all about your partner, so we’d suggest taking a class while in Argentina to learn the ins and outs (and maybe a little bit of fancy footwork) before grabbing a dance partner and going at it.

2. Cuba — Salsa

We love us some salsa. While you can totally get some steps in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico or even New York City, Cuba is where the salsa beats really thrive. Dance on the 1,2,3, hold on four and you’re off — you’re dancing salsa!

3. India – Bollywood

If all you know about Bollywood is from “Slumdog Millionaire,” you, my friend, are missing out. It’s a gigantic industry in India and is always evolving from the recent classics to more modern styles. We hate to break it to you, but you may not get to wear as many sparkles as you hope in a Bollywood class. But the dance itself is still wildly fun.

4. Brazil — Samba

Beyond Carnivale, samba is the rhythm of Brazil. The dancers in the festival train year-round for the bedazzled, feathered spectacle in February, but you can jump in on a class during your visit for a taste. Fair warning: The steps are a lot trickier than the pros make them look in their super high heels.

5. Egypt — Belly Dance

Forget Shakira, you want to learn the real-deal belly dancing. Many Arabic countries have their own specific style of belly dance, but Egypt is where the art began. From there, it spread to the entire world (including Shakira’s Colombia), but if you want to make your hips not lie, start here.

6. Spain — Flamenco

Sharp and dramatic, you’re going to love flamenco. It’s characterized by precise tapping and turns, and you’ll often see street dancers bring their own mini dance floors to accentuate the sound of their shoes. Flamenco is native to Andalusia in Southern Spain.

7. Ireland — Stepdance

You might know this style as Riverdance from the touring show of the same name that made Irish dancing an international spectacle. But the lightening-fast footwork is technically called stepdance and it is a blast. Pro tip: Leave the tippy-toes stuff to the experts.

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