Five American Dances is a set of short pieces designed as a pedagogical tool for trombonists that demonstrates various musical styles and trombone techniques. Each is based on a specific form of rhythmically compelling music from South and North America. “Mathcore” is based on the famously intense and driving form of heavy metal which owes much to the works of Bartók and Stravinsky. “Foxtrot” emulates the piano works of Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, and other early jazz pioneers. “Tango Solemnis” combines a Baroque sarabande progression (already a European/American hybrid form) with the tango which has roots in both Uruguay and Argentina. “Steve and Terry” combines minimalist techniques from Reich and Riley whose works heavily influenced electronic dance music. Finally, “Whole Tone Mambo” utilizes the intertwining Afro-Caribbean rhythms that inspired the works of Dizzy Gillespie and Leonard Bernstein. This work was commissioned by Dr. Drew Leslie, professor of trombone, Colorado State University and was premiered at the 2021 International Trombone Festival.