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as @ 14:23 21 Jan09 |
Dance is changing all the time, usually in subtle little ways such as
new steps, & at other times into something distinctively different.
There is a well documented event when a couple, dancing in a Charleston
competition, performed some freaky new steps.
Such was their impact, the new steps became an instant US craze known as
Lindy Hop, which within a short time led to the demise of Charleston.
Shame !
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In common use, the expression "ballroom dancing" refers collectively to two distinct classes of dancing, namely • Ballroom ~ Quickstep, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango - plus Slow Rhythm (a useful learners' dance) • Latin ~ Jive, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble At public dances, the styles are usually restricted to Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, Jive, Cha Cha Cha, & Rumba. The other ballroom dance styles, & indeed many of the complicated steps and flashy introductions as seen on Strictly Come Dancing - these are mainly for display or competition level dancing. Definitely not the sort of dancing for a crowded dance floor ! The ballroom tuition market is split between dance schools, & independent dance teachers hiring halls. For recreational dance tuition, either is equally good and this is an excellent way to get started. However, when it comes to the finer points of dancing, such as poise & footwork (as often commented upon by the Strictly Come Dancing judges, but goes un-noticed by almost everyone else), this is normally taught by private tuition at dance schools. Be aware that the jump from recreational dance tuition in classes to personal tuition is quite large, therefore start by joining a class & decide later whether you want to invest in honing your skills. If you should make the transition, there is also the competition world to become involved in!  The modern meaning of this term applies mainly to ballroom style dances, where standardised steps are danced in a sequence, and repeated several times during a particular tune. Also, everyone on the dance floor dances the same steps in synchronisation, usually going around the floor in a circle. Some of these routines have become especially popular, such as the "Mayfair Quickstep", "Square Tango", "Saunter Together" and even the "Mod Rock Barn Dance" (which is really a party dance), and are often encountered, to a lesser or greater extent, at ballroom dances. The term 50:50 aptly describing one common combination, although rarely accurate! Beyond this, there are Sequence Dance Clubs specialising entirely in Sequence Dance styles, where the attraction is learning some of the many new variations which are introduced every year. Swing dance is based predominantly on Jazz music as played in the inter-war years. Styles include Charleston, Lindy-Hop, Swing, Boogie Woogie, Jitterbug, Balboa, Bal-Swing, Shag, & Shim Sham. Within any of these, regional styles abound, such as Hollywood style Lindy Hop, West Coast Lindy Hop, and Savoy style Lindy Hop. Lindy-Hop was the most successful of all Swing dances, & has again recaptured that popularity. More recently, Balboa is gaining a strong following & is poised to become the next Swing Dance revival craze. Rock’n’Roll began with the likes of Bill Hayley. According to our correspondent who was there at the time — "Rock'n'Roll was learned 'on the hoof' by the rock n roll kids of the 50's & 60's". The steps were made up as you went along, & dancers were always trying out variations that would fit in time with music — a lot of the best ones were created by accident, never ever taught, & became guarded secrets almost. The Rock‘n‘Roll taught at ballroom classes today is really only "similar". The above probably describes the initial evolution of all dance styles. What tends to happen is that as a dance matures, it becomes "standardised" for teaching to a much larger audience. For some curious reason, Rock’n’Roll has never been standardised to the same degree as most other dances. Instead, there were two further evolutions. One of these is the highly standardised Jive as taught by Ballroom dance schools. Although many of the upper body movements are virtually identical to R'n'R, the footwork is more complex, requiring a slower tempo. Modern Jive is the latest variation in the Swing/RnR/Jive evolution chain. It derives from a popular French style known as LeRoc, which is adapted to suit slower modern disco music that would otherwise be unsuitable for earlier forms of Jive. In the UK, it is better known as Ceroc, which is a franchise. A distinguishing feature of Modern Jive, is that emphasis is placed on upper body movement patterns, leaving it for the dancer to sort out what to do with their feet ! The Ceroc franchise offers dancers a highly structured and well thought out dance experience. Most weekday events begin with a session on learner moves, in which frequent partner rotation is a key element. After a short break for freestyle, advanced dancers take an intermediate lesson, while helpers siphon off outright beginners for a recap session. The evening then concludes with freestyle, in which everyone (both ladies & gents) are encouraged to ask anyone they like for a dance. Modern Jive / Ceroc is consequently well suited to beginners in a hurry.
Fundamentally Salsa is a Latin dance rhythm to which strong sensuous dance movements are attached. As with Ceroc, although perhaps slightly less so, many venues operate to a franchise. Classes are again well structured with an emphasis on making things easy for the beginner. Tango has many styles, but the best known are the highly standardised Ballroom Tango, & Argentine Tango which retains its original & spontaneous character with numerous style variations. For the purposes of this web site, we have included Ballroom Tango within the generic category of Ballroom Dance, leaving Argentine Tango as a distinct classification in its own right. This reflects the fact that Argentine Tango is taught & practiced by specialist groups, whereas Ballroom Tango is almost always taught & danced within the Ballroom dance fraternity. Tango refers to the group of dances & styles that are recognised as being derived from the Argentine Tango, with its origins in the melting pot of Buenos Aires & Montevideo at the turn of the 19th & 20th centuries. The cultural & ethnic origins of the prototypical dance form cause arguments today. It is a partner dance with a Leader & Follower role. The dance is lead from the torso, & demands a great ability to dissociate the hips from the chest while maintaining a connection with the follower. Tango is the broad label that encompasses all the derivatives, which include Ballroom Show (Fantasia) Tango through to the Electronic, Liquid & Nuevo derivatives. Tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in the different regions & eras of Argentina and Uruguay, as well as in other locations around the world. The dance developed in response to many cultural elements, such as the crowding of the venue & even the fashions in clothing. Argentine Tango as a narrower definition can be considered the set of tango styles that are totally improvised by the couple dancing in response to the music & social context. The styles within Argentine Tango are myriad, & can be argued over endlessly depending your definition of how to define a "style", & are not necessarily distinguishable to the uninitiated. A good reference for recognised tango styles in fuller detail is tejastango.com and a brilliant site for tango nuances from a Buenos Aires perspective is tangoandchaos.org The predominant style on offer for anyone learning to dance Argentine Tango is "Salon Tango" also known as "tango de salon." Salon-style tango is typically danced with an upright body posture with the two dancers maintaining separate axes. The embrace can be close or open, but it is slightly offset depending on the physiology of the couple. Salon-style tango requires that dancers exercise respect for the line of dance, & be able to navigate and dance in a crowded space. It is a social dance & the expectation is that partners will change at the end of a tanda or several tandas. A tanda is a set of pieces of music, usually between three or five, composition of which is determined by the band or DJ. Argentine Tango has three distinct dance types, which can all be danced according to the style each couple prefers — these are: • Tango — mid-tempo core type of the three • Vals — has a waltz three beat & usually has a slower tempo than tango • Milonga — has a faster tempo than Tango with the distinctive Habanera Rhythm, requiring grounded & close embrace to allow a couple's connection to work at the faster pace [ article contributed ] The main distinguishing features of Line Dancing are that it's based on Country & Western music, danced in lines, & it’s a singles dance. The latter makes it especially appealing for anyone without a partner. As during an evening, several different routines will be taught, and will be in different stages of development, it is normally easy for new joiners to start immediately. Some Country & Western Clubs teach partner dancing, which is technically more challenging but very rewarding. Again, many Line Dance evenings are structured with classes followed by general dancing, although due to the nature of the dance, freestyle is rarely admissible. Flamenco is the vibrant, earthy song, music & dance of the Spanish Andalucian gypsies. The emphasis in Flamenco dance is on strong rhythmical footwork & expressive arm and hand movements, accompanied by live Flamenco guitar, cajon (percussion), song & palmas (rhythmical hand clapping), urged on by jaleo (shouts of encouragement). [ article contributed ] Belly dancing is one of the oldest dance styles in the world, ranging from traditional Egyptian to earthy folkloric style, Turkish, Lebanese, Moroccan, American Tribal and even a fusion of Greek & Spanish influences. The dance makes exceptional use of the whole body to create the dance - hips, stomach, chest, shoulders & head move in a series of isolations which then come together to form this wonderful dance. Principally danced by women for women there are also some great male belly dancers. The dance builds on a series on foundation moves with many variations to provide an exciting and constantly changing dance, using repetition to build muscle memory so the soft flowing moves become fluid & the faster staccato moves become sharper & more accented. See Links page for more sources of information. [ article contributed ] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
