Tempo Table

Ballroom, Latin and social dances, sorted by tempo. Dance studios count in MPM (measures per minute, German "TPM"), musicians and DJs in BPM (beats per minute) — the table shows both. The chart below shows where dances overlap: between 110 and 135 BPM, six dances cluster — that is where the ear decides, not the tempo.

The ranges are deliberately wider than the official WDSF competition boundaries — social music varies more.

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Slow Waltz

25–33 MPMKizomba

20–25 MPMSamba

44–56 MPMRumba

23–29 MPMWest Coast Swing

23–32 MPMBachata

24–40 MPMSlow Foxtrot

25–32 MPMDiscofox

27–34 MPMMerengue

27–40 MPMCha Cha Cha

28–34 MPMPaso Doble

56–65 MPMTango

29–35 MPMJive

33–46 MPMBoogie Woogie

36–46 MPMSalsa

40–55 MPMViennese Waltz

53–63 MPMSocial Foxtrot

40–52 MPMQuickstep

46–54 MPM

BPM axis shows tempo cluster across dances — per-dance ranges in MPM (measures per minute).

Dance	MPM	BPM	Status	Category	Meter	Tactara behaviour
Quickstep	46–54	184–216	✓ V1.0	WDSF Standard	4/4	High tempo, usually clear; rare octave slips when the beat is weak
Slow Foxtrot	25–32	100–126	✓ V1.0 *	WDSF Standard	4/4	In the dense 100–130 BPM zone (4/4) — Tactara may show several candidates (e.g. Discofox/Tango/Rumba)
Slow Waltz	25–33	75–100	✓ V1.0	WDSF Standard	3/4	Clear 3/4 pulse, usually detected reliably
Tango	29–35	116–140	✓ V1.0 *	WDSF Standard	4/4	Overlaps with Discofox around 128 BPM — Tactara shows both
Viennese Waltz	53–63	160–190	✓ V1.0 *	WDSF Standard	3/4	3/4 time; tempo near double the Slow Waltz — possible octave confusion when the beat is weak
Cha Cha Cha	28–34	112–136	later	WDSF Latin	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Jive	33–46	132–184	✓ V1.0 *	WDSF Latin	4/4	Clear at tournament tempo; slow school tempo (from 132) overlaps other 4/4 dances.
Paso Doble	56–65	112–130	later	WDSF Latin	2/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Rumba	23–29	92–116	✓ V1.0 *	WDSF Latin	4/4	Newly suggested in V1.0; slow 4/4 in the dense 100–130 BPM zone — tempo can appear doubled
Samba	44–56	88–112	later	WDSF Latin	2/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Discofox	27–34	108–136	✓ V1.0 *	Discofox	4/4	Overlaps with Tango around 128 BPM — Tactara shows both
Bachata	24–40	95–160	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Boogie Woogie	36–46	144–184	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Kizomba	20–25	80–100	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Merengue	27–40	108–160	later	Social	2/4 or 4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Salsa	40–55	160–220	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
Social Foxtrot	40–52	160–208	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance
West Coast Swing	23–32	92–128	later	Social	4/4	Tempo reference only, V1.0 does not suggest this dance

✓ V1.0 = recognized automatically by the app · * = border zone: tempo overlaps with neighbouring dances, confusion possible · later = tempo reference for now, recognition arrives in an upcoming update

Source: WDSF/WDC tempo ranges (officially MPM = Measures Per Minute), widened for social use (~10–15 % broader than competition). BPM = MPM × beats per measure (3 for waltzes, 2 for Samba and Paso Doble, 4 for all other dances). Merengue is traditionally notated in either 2/4 or 4/4 — the MPM column shows the 4/4 reading. Dances outside the competition canon (e.g. Social Foxtrot, Boogie Woogie, Kizomba) follow the ADTV world dance programme or social practice.