The Mambo dance originated in Havana, Cuba in the 1940's and gained popularity in the 1950's in the United States starting in New York and Miami. This is a playful, high-energy, flirtatious, amd sensual dance that is great fun to learn. You can see a demonstration of the Mambo dance in the Mambo video on this page.
The Mambo dance is not a progressive dance and is danced on one part of the floor. There is use of strong Cuban Motion (a rolling action of the hips in a figure eight movement that is caused from the alternate bending and straightening of the knees when changing weight from foot to foot), which alternates with sharp, fast steps and flowing body movements. Along with Cuban Motion, the use of a strong rib motion makes the dance look more dynamic. There can be extensive use of spins and swivels throughout the dance.
The music for Mambo is written in 4/4 time and is usually danced to fast tempo Latin music. Mambo is counted 2 3 4(1) or Hold-2-3-4 where the dancers hold the 1 count (there is no weight change) and break (a forward or backward step) on the 2 count. This dance is a very popular Latin social dance enjoyed around the world and is also included in the American Style Rhythm competition dance program. Again, you can see a demonstration of the Mambo dance in the Mambo video on this page.