MEMBER NEWS
This Week's Scene
Fundraising
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Norwich Dance Club Performs at the Norwich Rehab Center
The dancers who joined us this Sunday to perform for senior citizens at the Norwich Rehabilitation Center walked away with something better than financial compensation. Our rewards came from seeing these gengle souls tap their feet and smile. What a great experience. Joining us were Bill and Fran Roberts, Sue and David Frye, Jessie Tefft and Nathaniel Cole, James Potter and well Mr. Ryan and myself. Our next date in in January 29th at the Chase Memorial Nursing home. Save the date and join us if you can.
Museum Exhibit -
The Exhibit at the museum is officially open. The exhibit will highlight the work and
incredible talent of our ballroom stars, there is a fun display of
women's ballroom fashion through the decades, a self taught "jitterbug"
course (a movie from 1940 showcasing a humorous way to jitter bug) and
also historical research of ballroom in chenango county by David Graham,
Town of Norwich Historian and one of our dance club members. If you have
any ballroom memorabilia you would like to lend us to use in the
exhibit, please
email me.Dancing Shoes
The right footwear protects your knees and back when dancing any type of music. Rubber soles stick to the floor, the friction puts pressure in your knees. When we change position drastically to ease pain in the knees, it can cause misalignment of the spine resulting in back pain and injuries.
For this reason, only dance shoes are allowed in the ballroom floor. However, you don't have to spend a fortune on competition footwear, any comfortable shoe with good support, a leather or suede covered soles will do just fine. In fact, great shoes for dancing are found at second hand stores. Many people purchase them for a lesson, and sell them or give them away.
Will the wrong footwear can cause injuries? The answer is Yes! These are factors to consider when choosing the right shoe. High of heel must feel comfortable in the front of your leg and back, the arch of your feet must rest comfortably in the inside arch of the shoe, the width must be comfortable because the friction between the bones of your toes can cause abscesses and the sole must have controlled sliding ability. This means, very slippery shoes or rubber soles shoes can cause a fall or injury. Professional dance shoes go beyond these elements, they also have a stronger construction to keep the heel in place and the inside of the shoe is cushioned for additional comfort.
In our Weekly Newsletter I share shoe bargains for the week. Make sure to Subscribe to receive shoe bargain updates. For those of you searching for affordable dance shoes, here are some choices.
LOCAL STORES...
BODY GEAR - Ithaca NY
center of Ithaca Commons.
273-4327
ON LINE...
USA DANCE (Professional Dance Shoes)
DANCE FOR LESS (Affordable Practice and Dance Shoes)
DANCE SHOE ON LINE (Great ballroom shoes)
Dance Resources
USA Dance, Inc. was organized in 1965 under the name of United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, Inc., also known nationwide as USABDA to promote the acceptance of ballroom dancing into the Olympics. In January 2005 a corporate resolution was filed with the state of Virginia changing the name to USA Dance, Inc.
In 1965 during the organization stage of USA Dance, the late Normand Martin, a leading social and competitive dancer and ballroom dance champion, organized a group of interested dancers to petition the Olympic Committee for inclusion of Ballroom Dancing into the Olympics. Those early efforts to get into the Olympics failed but in developing the bylaws, it was realized that the dance world of the American dancer went far past accommodating the "International Style" competitors who were interested in the Olympics. As the founders worked on defining the dancing guidelines and needs to be considered in developing the Bylaws, the American Style competitor and a vast number of serious and dedicated Social Dancers suddenly came into view.
The resultant Bylaws of USA Dance addressed four very important areas of association – the International Style competitors, the American Style competitors, the Social dancers, and the Youth and College dancers. Those early-on plans of USA Dance, while helping the competitors to compete nationally and internationally, also helped set the stage for the availability of floors, music and venue for the Social dancers which then were and still are, the backbone and strength of USA Dance.
Since the 1985 reorganization USA Dance focused on promoting the growth of all styles and forms of ballroom dancing, both competitive and recreational social dancing. This included a program to establish a network of chapters in each state. These efforts were very successful with major growth each year in the number of dancers, chapters and related activities such as competitions, workshops and social dances. Much volunteer labor and resources were devoted to promoting ballroom dance and DanceSport in colleges and secondary schools, a long term project that will extend over many years.
USA Dance organizes and supports educational programs among the public about the healthful aspects of recreational ballroom dancing and Dancesport, the competitive form of ballroom dancing. These programs emphasize the physical, mental and social benefits of dancing, and include the expansion of dancing skills among those of all ages and capabilities.
Annually, USA Dance conducts national, regional and local DanceSport Championships. National DanceSport Champions are selected and USA Dance helps to finance their participation in the IDSF World DanceSport Championships. United States representatives also are sent to the World Games, which are held for Olympic recognized sports that are not yet in the Olympic Program.
In summary, USA Dance developed into a nationwide nonprofit organization of thousands of volunteers who love ballroom dancing and appreciate the excitement and romance, as well as the social and health benefits, that ballroom dancing brings into their lives.
At grass roots level in communities, colleges and secondary schools all over the country, USA Dance volunteers provides opportunities for the public to engage in affordable social ballroom dancing and DanceSport. Beginners are welcomed, helped to get started and then assisted in achieving their goals. USA Dance's goal is for everyone to dance.
Local Dance USA Chapter Dances
History of Ballroom Dance
History of Ballroom Dance (from
_Academic American Encyclopedia_)
A: Historical Cause and Effect
Social Dancing, which is simply group dancing for pleasure or
recreation, has probably existed in some form since the beginning of
human society. Most group dances were originally ceremonial rites
grouped around three basic aspects of human existence: food supply,
sexual impulse, and relationships with the spirit world. For primitive
people, dancing was a formal expression of religion or superstition.
When dance abandoned its primitive, pantomimic forms, when it ceased to
be specifically about crops, war, wooing, initiation, or religion, it
became pure social interaction, with no aim or purpose but the
participants' employment.
As the conditions of human existence change, so do social dances.
Although they serve no concrete purpose, propitiate no gods, and
celebrate no military victories, they are related to the fundamental
concerns of modern life just as intimately as their ritualistic
ancestors
were to primitive life. Unlike art, social dance is not consciously
formed, but its development is far from random of accidental. Unfailing,
the dances of an epoch faithfully reflect the spirit and structure of
that of technology, and its social customs and predominant ideologies.
Establishing historical cause and effect is often difficult;
similarly, social dance has not only mirrored cultural patterns, thereby
to some extent maintaining them, but it has also on occasion altered
them
radically, revolutionizing the prevailing trends of thought and manners
rather than reinforcing them.
Various changes in social dance through the ages clearly
demonstrate its interdependency with the world around it. During the
14th century, for example, when social dance and folk dance were
virtually indistinguishable, popular ring dances moved inside English
upper-class homes as part of the evening entertainment. As long as the
hearth occupied the center of the room, the dances retained their
circular, and egalitarian, form. With the introduction of the chimney
about 1368, however, the hearth could be moved to a side wall, which
cleared the floor of obstacles and allowed processional dances--then
favored in the royal courts where rank determined the order of
procession--to replace the ring formations.
Throughout the Renaissance and the 16th century, social dance
became more firmly ensconced in the courts, whose members systematically
dressed up and formalized the lusty folk dances to suit their elaborate
codes of manners and attire. Styles emanated particularly for France,
where the royal court dictated etiquette and moral behavior for all
European gentry. The 17th century Minuet was nothing but manners, the
final flourish of aristocratic elegance before national and then
industrial revolutions returned social to the masses.
When fine demarcations of rank and title vanished, square
formations like the Cotillion and Quadrille, with partners constantly
changing, filled the ballrooms. The Waltz--whose dizzying speed was
derived as much from the newer, more polished surface of dance floors
and
the abandonment of hobnailed shoes as it was from the public's
enthusiasm--also became popular. The embracing, closed hold of the Waltz
successfully defied the polite convention of the period.
Advancing technology and two world wars so continually
restructured life in the 20th century that social dance has been
changing
almost constantly, quickly altering with the values and practices
surrounding it. The syncopated rhythms of American Ragtime music
inspired the Foxtrot and Shimmy. After the 19th Amendment gave women the
vote in 1920, they became "emancipated": the flapper was born, as well
as the Charleston. The Jitterbug burst from the Swing improvisations of
the 1930's and 40's. Long playing phonograph records appeared in 1949;
thus, in the 1950's, the teenagers born during the postwar "baby boom"
could launch the Rock 'n' Roll phenomenon in both music and dance. By
then, the once-shocking Waltz position and the sexual attitudes it
represented were passe. Because everyone performed the steps
individually, men no longer always "led" women, and couples were not
essential. The emergence of Disco dance styles in the 1970's and later
popular dance forms continued this trend, although some of the more
formal dances required a partner.
In a world that prides itself on the speed of its
transformations, new forms are inevitable. Social dance no doubt will
continue to evolve as society does.
B: Process of History
Coupled Dance, as a dance form, emerged in the Europe of the 15th
century in a variety of vigorous styles in innovative adoptions and
refinements of folk dance developed by the dancing masters of the time.
These new dances, gay and lively in character, developed first as a
social dance diversion among the aristocracy of France and Italy, the
expanded developmentally to every royal court on the continent to
become,
in the later centuries, part of the social life of the emerging middle
class as well.
The forms of social dance in Europe developed in three phases,
each characterized by different designs in rhythm, space, and floor
patterns. The nature of these dances reflected the related elements of
the respected time periods-- the elaborate and bulky fashions in
clothes,
the spacious floor areas of courts and palaces, and the elegance of the
successive periods.
Each period can be characterized by its most popular dance: the
age of the Galliard (1500-1650), when that dance, bold and dashing in
expanded movement, consisted entirely of leg thrusts and leaps and
demanded the utmost vigor of the dancers; the age of the Minuet
(1650-1750), when the energetic, expanded, and leaping movements were
transformed to close movement in formal, measured, small steps; the age
of the Waltz (1700-1900), when that dance with its gliding turns,
brought
a new joy and intimacy to social dance and an enraptured all of Europe.
There were, of course, other, even opposite, dance styles in each
period. The courtly Pavane and stately Saraband were rivals of the
Galliard; the Contredanse and Quadrille competed effectively with the
Minuet; the Polka and the Mazurka challenged the supremacy of the Waltz.
By the end of the 19th century, however, these social dance steps
had become repetitious and no longer reflected the quickened pace of the
emerging contemporary world. In this vacuum a social dance explosion
occured--the American introduction of the Two-step in 1891. Social dance
from then on, as a product of the 20th century, belongs to the United
States. The Two-step was followed by the Cakewalk of 1893, in turn
followed by Ragtime music. Vernon and Irene Castle, in the decade from
1910 to 1920, enchanted both Europe and America with their famous
exhibitions of the Tango (derived from Argentine folk dance), the
Brazilian Maxixe, the Cakewalk and the Foxtrot. The black influence in
Jazz dominated in the 1920's with the Shimmy and the Charleston, a form
of the Jitterbug, of which another latter version was the Lindy Hop. The
1930's incorporated Latin- American rhythms with the Rumba, Conga, and
Samba. World War II interrupted dance evolution in the 1940's, but the
1950's brought the Merengue and Cha Cha. The mid-1950's saw the dramatic
emergence of Rock 'n' Roll, which utterly changed popular music. The
1950's closed with people Jitterbugging to Rock, but with the 1960's
came
the Bossa Nova and Discotheque dancing, the latter producing dozens of
individualized, free-moving dances, such as the Twist. Disco dancing of
the 1970's returned to couples together executing often complex,
choreographed moves. Break Dancing--street dancing that combined
acrobatic and martial arts movements--achieved popularity in the 1980's,
and the Lambada became a craze in 1990.
The role of composers of popular dance music in this development
cannot be overestimated, not can the many other elements the popularized
American social dance throughout the world during the first half of the
20th century. Major influences were Vaudville, musical comedy, films and
the popularity of such stars as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Further
reinforcement came from the accompanying technology, such as the mass
impact of dance music on radio, records, and tape, and, more recently,
the dance images on television.
Social dance today is international and reflects the
democratization of dance more clearly than any other contemporary dance
form.
Part II: The Ballroom Dances (close chronological order)
Church authorities- "in many areas, the Waltz was banned from public
ballrooms for many years-" because it was "the first dance to use closed
dance position for any extended period of time." (5:24)
The Waltz, of course, did survive this scrutiny, but was forced
to split into two distinct styles, the Waltz know to the French and
English ballrooms and the Viennese Waltz, 1812, know to the strong-mined
Germans who refused to give into the criticism of the church (14). In
the first style, it was kept slow, with the knowledge that "the
gentleman
wait until the dance had begun before encircling the lady's waist" that
it would be immoral to ever have the gentleman "put his hand on that
portion of her anatomy." It was said that "should he lack gloves, the
least he could do was to hold a handkerchief in his hand." The Waltz was
to be performed solely for the demonstration of elegance and not
pleasure. The Viennese style Waltz, on the other hand, "made an immoral
name for itself" because the youth refused to give up its mobility and
freedom, thus offering the suffer the churches' consequences of dancing
a
dance of "more speed,... gliding and turning around the room while
throwing head and body from one side to the other" (3:127).
Even though the Waltz caused so much trouble with the church, it
did bring about one change that exuberated the course of concert music,
that of the increased need for increased tempo and more joyous moods in
the concert halls. "Perhaps Chopin is the best known composer of
brilliant Waltz music, although today when we hear his melodies in the
ballroom as distinct from the concert hall, they are distorted for
'contemporary' purposes almost beyond recognition." Other composers for
the new Viennese style also arose; "Brahms and Schumann composed Waltzes
which are typically German in style and character." But probably the
most famous and influential Waltz composer of that era was Johann
Strauss. Percy Scholes wrote "...it seems as likely that such a Waltz as
the 'Blue Danube,' by Johann Strauss the younger, the 'Waltz King' will
last for ever as that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony will do." (7:131-2)
B: Polka
The Polka had originated in Bohemia and formalized by the French.
"There is a romantic story of its origins, whereby a Czech servant girl,
a certain Anna Chadimova, was moved on Sunday to a dance in a way not
seen before. The steps and the tune were noted down by musical observers
who just happened to be on the scene, and thus a new dance supposedly
was
born." From that point, "its rhythms and steps took a firm hold on the
audience, and Paris ballrooms promptly went Polka-mad, to which fever
England soon succumbed." (3:142-143)
The name "Polka" came from the Czech word meaning "half," because
of the number of half steps used in the dance (14:143). The Polka is "a
bright, lively dance step in uneven rhythm... with the addition of a hop
so that it becomes hop, step, close, step. The hop comes on the pick- up
beat" (9:35). Thus the Polka, traditionally in a 2/4 meter possesses a
hop, quick, quick, slow pattern with the count of hop, 1 and 2, hop, 1
and 2. Though is may seem to be an awkward pattern of motion, in
actuality, it adds to the joyousness and celebratory mood of the dance.
Since the introduction of the Polka in the 19th century, the
Polka has entered the ballroom scene as mainly a Folk dance done in
celebration rather than in exact and standardized basic "correct" and
incorrect" movements. Though the Polka does contain its distinct basic
steps, the mood of the Polka is that which makes it the dance it is.
"Every ballroom was like a whirlpool; dancing more resembled the driving
home from Derby than anything else; the collisions rivalled in frequency
and severity, those of the iron railways before the infants had learned
how to behave themselves" (2:156). Though this is not the kind of
behavior that was normally tolerated by the social elite, it was said
that "the masses who now favored the public halls whizzed and twirled
about the floor in outbursts of robustness which matched the vulgar but
vital energy" brought out by the Waltz. "The Polka came just at the
right moment to harness this energy and to direct it into a less
uncontrolled and unseemly direction." (7:134)
C: Tango
The Tango began as two different dances. The first, with it's
home in Spain, was "an exhibition dance performed by a solo dancer who
directs the sharp accents of heel rhythms, snapping fingers, and flowing
arm movements into a blend of both classical and Gypsy Iberian dance."
The contrast to this is the well known ballroom style performed today.
This style began in Argentina as "El Baile con Corte meaning 'the dance
with a stop'" and later changed to "tango" or the "touch dance." It was
performed as a taunting dance of the males upon the females. (5:48)
Originally the Tango was danced as a courtship dance of the
"gauchos, sailors, and Italian immigrants, all competing for the
'favours' of the half-Indian women habituees of the waterfront cafes."
It
was a dominating dance of the working men who had been away for long
periods of time; it "was now a sensuous, flamboyant and highly exotic
dance, as yet known only in the lowest haunts of Buenos Aires and
completely taboo in polite Argentine society." But, like most "unpopular
dances" as it gained popularity among the dancers it would slowly
"become
slightly more respectable" though for the Tango, this popularity was
mostly due to the new orchestra sound that was too good to remain in
small bars. (14:191-3)
Though the Argentineans tried so hard to suppress this dance, a
number of recognized dancers discovered it and in time toned it into and
acceptable ballroom version. The first moderation came prior to World
War I by Vernon and Irene Castle. Though they did not radically change
the domination or style of it, they toned it down to hold what was know
as "Tango tease." This where is was made standard to the slow, slow,
quick, quick, slow pattern that exuberated the motion of the quick stop
and dramaticism. The most widely known was the new French version
transformed by Valentino. Valentino returned to emotion to the Tango
"where the steps were more 'exotic'" and expressed the original emotion
of the gauchos of Argentina. With this, Valentino returned the extreme
closeness of the male to the female and the stubbornness to comply of
the
female to the Tango, which were what had been disapproved of from the
beginning. (3:171-175).
D: Foxtrot
The Foxtrot known as the first truly American ballroom dance, was
named after the creator, Mr. Harry Fox, after he sformed into grotesque
holds with exaggerated body and arm movements." These "animal dances"
contained "such descriptive names as the Turkey Trot, Grizzly Bear,
Kangaroo Hop, Bunny Hug, and Harlem Glide." (5:35)
Dance teachers then answered the call for this syncopated dance
and want to rid themselves of the "animal dances" and went to work on
modifying the Foxtrot for the ballrooms. The result was "one of the most
standard and popular dances wherever dancing is performed." And even
though music has changed so much since the 1910's and 20's, "becoming
smother and more flowing," it has always been accepted, though it has
often taken on the title of "the slow dance" by the youth. (5:35)
The original Foxtrot was characterized by English dance teacher
Victor Silvester as to "walk four slow steps (2 bars), then take a run
of
seven quick steps, bringing the right foot to the back of the left on
the
eighth beat" (3:168). Because the quick steps would rapidly de-energize
the dancers, the Foxtrot had to be modified down to an even and
systematic dance for the masses.
Unfortunately since the Foxtrot had to be modified so many times
it, in the end, was turned into four different styles. The first, and
most standardized and known, brought about by Vernon and Irene Castle
became four walking steps with one step on each beat. The formation was
then noted by the popular "Box" of Step, Touch, Side, Together. The
second, known as the dance walk is a slower version of the first with
two
slow walking steps for each measure of music. The third form that was
helped to be standardized by Arthur Murray, along with the fourth form,
is the "Magic Step." "The Magic step represents broken rhythm as it
takes
a measure and a half of music... (and) it is an uneven rhythm pattern,
slow, slow, quick, quick." The last, as just as popular, is the
"Westchester" style, characterized by a slow, quick, quick walking in
cut
time that takes two measures to complete one "Box." (9:359-60) But no
matter how it has been changed or how it is performed, what remains is
that it has been the standard American dance, and thus transformed and
defined the style of all American-style of ballroom dances to follow.
E: Swing
"The 1930's were years of financial depression and hardship, yet
they were also years which ballroom dance reached one of its highest
peaks of popularity and finesse in the United States." From this period
of World War I and the Great Depression also came the New Orleans and
Chicago- style Jazz of Benny Goodman, who "is the band leader credited
with developing the rhythm eventually known as Swing." (5:67) And along
with this new, vibrant style of music, came a dance to compliment the
upbeat feel of it: Swing.
Named after Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic
Ocean in 1927, the "Lindbergh Hop," later the "Lindy Hop," "Lindy,"
"Shag," "Jitterbug," and others, the Swing is noted for its acrobatic
movements that complement the "exuberant" and "bounding" new rhythmic
music. This brought about its wide popularity among the GIs of the World
War II era. (5:68)
Though there are three different types of Swing, Single Lindy,
Double Lindy, and Triple Lindy, the basic steps for them all is just
that, basic. The Single Lindy is a Slow Side Step, Slow Side Step, Quick
Rock Step; the Double Lindy is six Quick Steps with a Side Together,
Side
Together, Rock Step; the Triple Lindy is a Side Together Side for two
beats, Side Together Side, for two beats, and Rock Step.
The acrobatics come as variations to these basic movements. The
most notable variations in the Swing are Collegiate (hands joined),
Semiopen Basic, Turn, Swing Out Break, Continuous Underarm Turns, Brush
Off (flirtation pass), Tuck Spin, Wrap, Dish Rag, Overhead Swing, Swivel
Step, Out and Close, Wrap-Unwrap Spin, and other variations and
combinations to these added steps. These can all be done to the music
but since "the rhythm pattern is generally the same over and over but
the
changes of position and direction and the constant subtle smooth roll to
offbeat rhythm generates a fabulous excitement for both dancer and
observer." (9:335-8)
For classifying swing to the other ballroom dances, Arthur Murray
wrote that "swing is the general, all- inclusive term that is applied to
syncopated Foxtrot dancing. Formally called, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, and
various other names in different sections of the country, Swing is the
newer title" (204).
F: Rumba
"In the thirties, an entirely new rhythm and dance from Cuba was
becoming known- the so-called Rumba. The true Rumba is of Afro-Cuban
origin, deriving from the days of Negro slavery... and is an exotic
dance
with violent and sinuous movements of hip, shoulder and torso." This
form of the Rumba was of course not accepted by the social elite of the
United States ballroom instructors, and had to be reformed for the dance
scene of the 30's and 40's. Thus, the Rumba split into "the 'son' which
is a slower and more refined version of the Rumba... that lacks the wild
freedom of the true Rumba and may be accompanied by a romantic and
sentimental melody." It was said that "the Rumba flaunts, the son
insinuates." In 1946, this style of the son, played at a faster tempo
was that which was finally accepted by the ballroom dancing profession.
(14:99,102)
The "subtle, continuous, rolling motion" of the Rumba contains
three main characteristics that distinguish it from other dances: [1]
the action is in the feet and the knees; [2] there is a delay shift of
weight; and [3] the upper body is upright and quiet, with a focus on
one's partner (9:387). These work together in a spot dance form to
"tease" your partner into exotic and rhythmic taunting and flirting,
creating the excitement of a relatively slow and simple dance step. This
taunting is formulated by and "side to side" motion of the hips and an
"opposition hip shift- the hips are shifting in the direction opposite
to
the step-" causing an exaggeration in the normal movement of the hips in
a sensual and seductive manner (16:41).
The basic step of the Rumba is placed into two distinct forms,
the Bolero and the Rumba Box. Either form is standardized by a Forward
step- Back step on the 2nd and 3rd counts, and a hold on the 1st (though
some American styles have begun on the 1 rather than the 2). The 4 count
is, typically, the only one which distinguishes the two styles. The
Bolero is performed on in a side to side motion causing a more
stationary
dance with some traveling, while the Rumba Box is performed in a Fox
trot-like box step, but can be traveled somewhat about the floor.
(5:59-63)
G: Quickstep
The Quickstep, or "joy" (12:41) dance of ballroom dancing, is
noted as a quick Foxtrot. As the Imperial Society of Teachers of
Dancing, 1924, continued to standardize the ballroom style dance, it was
thought that the "proper" Foxtrot had been made slower and slower, and
some dance had to fill "the need for a dance that could be performed at
a
fair speed but with smooth 'walking' movements" (3:193-4). This dance
was the Quickstep.
Because the "red-hot baby" dances of the twenties were being
tamed and placed out of fashion in order to accommodate dances of "sweet
music," the sedateness of ballroom dancing had to be "rescued" by some
dance (14:97- 8). The standard four dances of the time, Waltz, Foxtrot,
Tango, and Quickstep, became more and more unpopular as the "excitement"
had been taken from them. Studies showed that the approval rate of the
Foxtrot, Waltz, and Tango had fallen drastically due to this lack of
ability of free movement that was prominent in the Swing. (14:149-50)
The Quickstep, then, became the free-flowing dance that the youth
had been looking for. It was said to be so elated due to its quicker
tempo that dance halls had to resort to using "No Jive" signs that
disallowed Swing and Quickstep dances at the same time. Thus, the
Quickstep found its way to the large ballrooms, and an equivalent wide
popularity and to be considered a "recognized" dance of the elite ISTD.
(14:102)
The Quickstep is characterized by a Slow-Slow-Quick- Quick-Slow
rhythm performed to relatively fast 48-52 bars/min. music that brings
out
all of the "frills" it has. It's main aspect is the quick, short steps
with a distinct rise and fall motion in the walk. Alex Moore tells that
"the dancer who masters the fundamentals of the Quickstep will have
command of a dance that can never grow stale, a dance that is
unquestionably the most attractive expression of rhythm the world has
ever known." (12:41-42)
H: Paso Doble
The Paso Doble finds its roots in the Spanish style music of the
1930's that "had inspired such dances as the Maxixe and... the Tango."
It
came from the Spanish Bolero as a One-step. (3:196-7) Most popularly
known is that the Paso Doble is the "man's" dance, portraying the story
of the matador with (the female being) his cape, where the matador is to
"wield" his cape according to the "anger and intensity" of of the
roaring
boar. And thus for the accompanying music, "as strong as the matador's
concentration."
Though originally known as dance of the common people- as with
most dances- it later split into two distinct styles which brought about
its worldwide popularity. The first, the original, remained in
Latin-America and gave way to the rise of the Rumba; while the second,
found its way to France prior to the war, where it "gained great
popularity in England for demonstrations, competitions, professional
examinations, and amateur medal tests." (10:77) The first distinction
has been questioned by many sources, however.
The main features of the Paso Doble include the "precision of
footwork and elegant deportment as seen in all Spanish dancing,... the
hold... higher than the normal ballroom hold,... a light hip contact,...
(and) the Torero, (the male portrayal of) fighting the bull and handling
his cloak." (10:77)
I: Samba
"The Samba comes from Brazil. It differs from other
Latin-American dances in that it is lively and vigorous and the feet are
constantly leaving the floor. It is literally a bouncing step" (16:43).
The Black Brazilians were often know for their "imaginative" songs and
dances, and "as the paraders moved along the streets with jaunty,
body-swinging, rhythmic movements, a leader would occasionally shout
'Semba' (Americans later changed to "Samba")." At this point, the
participants were to "perform a series of freely improvised dances." The
ballroomers then toned these wild dances down to a closed position, but
kept the bounciness and exuberance to form the style known and accepted
today. (5:77)
It was expected that the Samba had begun by the drunken bar
hoppers imitating an equally drunken friend, who was "gyrating" to the
folk music. This soon after was cleaned up to become a standard for
social functions, and even today remains just as popular. Beverly
Yerrington claimed the story as such: "some people claim that at the big
carnival in Rio de Janeiro there happened to be a group of street
dancers
who had been unduly influenced by the spirits of alcohol, and were
performing a bouncy and gay version of the batuque. Those watching like
it so much that within hours it spread to many street dancers at the
carnival."
"The basic step pattern is similar to the Waltz balance, but the
feeling and the quality of the movement are quite different. The
movement of (the) Samba uses the whole body,... the upper body tilts
forward as the feet go backward" (16:43). It is characterized by three
distinct step motions: [1] step forward on the left, body sways
backward; [2] step right foot besides left; and [3] step left foot in
place (8:213).
J: Mambo
The Mambo is credited to a Cuban bandleader named Perez Prado
who, in 1943, mixed the strong American Jazz influence with the
predominant Cuban rhythm, creating a "particular" dance with a "jagged
rhythm: there was a beat in every bar on which the dancer took no step,
but rested" (3:199-200). The word "Mambo," though, has a discrepancy as
to its actual meaning; one source says it is of "Nanigo dialect spoken
in
Cuba, and has no 'real' meaning" (3:199) while another source says it
was
"freely borrowed from African voodoo religion, in which the cult
priestesses are honored with this name" (5:86).
But whatever the Mambo's meaning or who gets credit for it, one
thing remains important: the Mambo was caused by the clash of the
"American jazz beat with the Cuban Rumba rhythm" (5:86). Even though the
Mambo did not gain widespread approval until the 50's, this "new-style
'jazzed- up' Cuban Mambo music" (14:107) revived ballroom style dancing
to the youth that were leaning toward the new Jive sounds of the day.
The Mambo allowed for syncopated movements to an upbeat Jazz sound and a
then warn-out Rumba sound (14:108).
Beyond this new found excitement for the Cuban rhythm, the Mambo
had gained just as "jazzed-up" movements to follow it. "As in the
Rumba,... the movement is initiated in the hips,... but it is not quite
so subtle as Rumba" (16:38). It also uses the same rhythm as the Rumba,
however there is a hold on the first beat of each bar. This hold was
taught to be dressed up with kicks and body movements, thus creating a
very "sinuous" and popular dance.
The basic steps for the Mambo are similar to that of the Rumba
and Cha Cha. It follows a Quick, Quick, Slow rhythmic pattern with the
slow covering the beats 4 and carrying over to 1. The steps are Forward
Left, Back Right, Close Left to Right, then Back Right, Forward Left,
Close Right to Left for the next four counts.
K: Cha Cha
The Cha Cha is defined as the "Cuban dance that evolved from the
Mambo... (rising) to great popularity in the mid 1950's." The major
difference was that "the pause found in the Mambo was changed to a rapid
triple step." (1) This triple step, when performed, sounds off a "cha
cha cha" sound from the stepping on the 3-and-4 beats. This motion was
said to have been enjoyable because "(to the elders) it could be
performed with the Rumba figures substituted for the sexy wiggles
favored
by the young,... (while the youth) enjoyed it because it was another of
those dances that allowed for individual display" (3:200-1).
This triple-Mambo, "involving five movements to one bar of music,
became the basis of the 'cha-cha'." It had originally reached England
and taught "to a count of 'one, two, cha cha cha' and indeed many of the
commercial recordings stress this beat." This style though, was notably
different from the "essential beat" and rhythm of the Cuban bands and
was
changed to contain "the count of 'one, two, three, cha cha.'" Though
this became widely accepted and "being correct,... the other version...
is still taught and is a competition style." (14:107-8)
"The rhythm is an uneven beat pattern of the slow, slow, quick,
quick, slow and will be counted 2, 3, 4, and, 1, with the 4-and-1 being
the familiar Cha Cha Cha triple" (9:379). "You will see few people
beginning to step on count two- habit dictates beginning on count one
(16:36). Even though the rhythm has remained constant, the American
ballrooms have moved the Cha Cha Cha beats to the 3-and-4 counts to
match
the music emphasis and to make it easier and more standard for the
ballroom regulars (3:201).
L: Jive
The Jive came about by taking over and taming the Jitterbug
dancing of the 40's as the change from live bands to jukebox dancing hit
the dance halls and soda parlors in the 1950's. This milder form of
Swing/ Jitterbug/ Lindy dancing, with its loss of acrobatics that had
been acquired through the years gave the youth of the "Rock and Roll
50's" their own version of the ballroom dances (14:102), since the
"traditional" dances were being performed by the then elders of society
who had started the dances (3:201-203).
The Jive has three basic forms, the single, double, and triple,
however it is the triple which has stuck and given the Jive the
exuberance of the 50's as defined by performers like Bill Haley and his
most famous "Rock Around the Clock." Though the "passive" television
influence insured that ballroom dancing had to be tamed for the life-
reducing "twelve-inch space," the basic steps remained relatively the
same. (3:203-4)
Though the Jive has undergone many name and style changes, and as
"the new dances come and go,... the Jive stays,... because it has
definite basic steps." The basic steps of the Jive are defined by (for
male) Step Right, Step Left, Step Right (moving 2-3"), Step Left (moving
2-3"), and a Small Right Side Step. The count for this Fallaway style,
is 1, 2, 3, and, 4. As an alternative, the last three steps (known as
the "Jive chasses'") can be done on the left foot also, thus giving a
count of 1,2,3 and 4, 3 and 4. (10:108- 109)