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LATIN
DANCE
Salsa
(from Cuba & Puerto Rico), Bachata
& Merengue (from
the Domincan Republic) - energetic and passionate dances, they
can also be subtle and sensual. In Ithaca, there is great latin dancing
at several venues: Oasis, Level B, Castaways, Tompkins County Latino
Civic Association annual events. There are big salsa venues in Syracuse,
Binghamton, and Rochester. Check the CNY
Dance Calendars. In addition to the usual focus on footwork
and moves, ithacadance classes focus strongly what to listen
for in the music, on movement styles, and how both ladies and
guys can have fun as dancers, not just as "leaders"
& "followers!"
SWING DANCE
Jumpswing, Lindy Hop/Jitterbug, West Coast Swing, East Coast
Swing, Balboa, Carolina Shag, St. Louis Shag, Push Whip, Imperial, Hand
Dancing... This is a very short list of the swing dance styles to evolve
out of the 1930's and 1940's - there are plenty more regional styles,
both USA and worldwide. But it all started in the USA - an amalgamation
of European and African music/dance styles created by African-Americans,
starting in New Orleans, the second hub being Harlem NY> In Ithaca,
the first four styles are the most known. Teens on American
Bandstand danced a simplified form of what is now called East Coast
Swing - it is recognized worldwide. It is a good place to start for
older beginning dancers, and worth knowing by all dancers. Swing dance
is America's perfect marraige of African & European temperments,
and music/dance traditions. I have written a lot about this at www.cdance.net.
My DVD set has
a charming history segment on this topic.
MUSIC: Not just Benny Goodman, Count Basie, etc., not just Elvis
Presley, Chuck Berry, etc. Great jitterbug music by the Beatles ("Can't
Buy Me Love"), Stevie Wonder ("Part Time Lover"), Martha
Reeves ("Heat Wave"), Kenny Loggins ("Footloose"),
Billy Joel ("For The Longest Time"), Madonna ("Hanky
Panky"), John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John ("You're The One
That I Want"), etc, etc.
Venues for Swing include Jumpswing Club Rooftop Mayhem, Cornell
Swing Dance Club, ISDN, and various monthly and annual events, such
as Grassroots and Ithaca Festival. Check
the DANCINGCNY.com
calender of details. Rooftop Mayhem's annual February big band valentine's
dance is a local highlight.
BALLROOM DANCE
The worldwide ballroom craze can justifiably be traced back
to ex-slapstick comedy vaudevillian Vernon Castle and his wife,
actress Irene Castle in the pre-World War One era. They tamed
the wild dances of the time, adapted various ethnic folk partner dances,
made them attractive to more reserved and refined temperments, and defined
lead-follow style dancing for generations to come. The Castles ushered
in an era when social partner dances were THE entertainment phenomenon
of society. TV was not yet even dreamed of in the wildest imagination
(except in the mind of Nicola Tesla).
Some of the dances that the Castles created/adapted have become extinct,
and some have evolved into modern ballroom standards with the original
or changed names. Their student Arthur Murray took the Castles' creative
and adaptive work towards even further lengths. The most popular modern
social ballroom dances include Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Swing, Merengue,
Salsa/ Mambo, Cha cha. More dedicated ballroom enthusiasts also enjoy,
Samba, Quickstep, Paso Doble and Viennese Waltz. Our experience has
shown that the Castle Foxtrot, one of the earliest American ballroom
dances, is a most excellent beginner dancer strategy. It is enjoyable,
easy to learn, and very practical. See info under each dance
on this page.
WEDDING DANCE
Most couples prefer a nice romantic slow song for their
bridal/wedding/first dance (although a few want an uptempo tune!). Slow
songs are played more at weddings than at clubs, since slow songs tend
to draw larger numbers of guests, especially older couples, on to the
dance floor. There are a vast number of wonderful slow tunes to choose
from in all eras of popular music. Out of all the dance styles, we feel
that the Castle Foxtrot, created by Vernon
and Irene Castle, is the easiest access point to ballroom dance for
the beginner, as well as the most practical dance style to learn. The
Castle Foxtrot is also very satisfying and fun, and open to endless
variation as one advances in dancing. One can learn it quicky, making
it suitable for bridal couples starting just a few months or less before
their wedding. Our Wedding
Dance DVD, which we are very pleased with, is currently available.
SALSA
Salsa's roots are Africa and Spain. These influences
came together in the Caribbean countries of Cuba and Puerto
Rico (map), where Afro-Hispanics created the
music and dance. The music was created in 1938 by Cuban cellist and
composer Oresta Lopez, as an evolution of the Cuban Son.
He called MAMBO. But it was his friend, bandleader and composer
Prado Perez who took the cue from the swing orchestras in the
USA, and put Mambo into a big band format, and marketed it . Perez became
the first Mambo King, touring and recording extensively. You can hear
his recordings on Amazon, itunes, etc. at that time. He wrote the original
Mambo No.5, a huge hit yet again when covered in 1999 by Lou
Bega.
Many Cuban/Puerto Rican dancers and musicians emigrated to New York
City, Miami, and Los Angeles, especially from the
beginning of the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba. The dance and music
took several big leaps forward in New York CIty in the 1950s-60s. The
huge NYC dance hall The Palladium was NYC's most prestigious
Mambo Club. From the early 1970's onward, the dance/music was re-named
SALSA, and this re-naming gradually became standard worldwide
- same dance, different names (more on this later). Many Cubans
today use the namesMambo and Salsa interchangeably. FYI - the term
"Mambo (Voodoo priestess)" comes from Haiti (map),
where Voodoo is the main religion.
Style: Salsa is the core of club
latin dancing in Central NY, New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and
many countries around the world.. Salsa can be danced energetically
(the staple style one sees in clubs) or intimately (seen less often).
It can be danced as a strong lead-follow dance, very controlling, with
a lot of complex turns, or the guy can give the lady considerable latitude
to play (Salsa Libre style - our term). Salsa can be just a big
bunch of complex manuevers, or it can be very expressive, or it can
be very playful, flirtatious and sexy. It can also be funny! There is
room for many temperments. When you get a creative guy and a gal who
both have a sense of humor, and have wide boundaries, it can be amazing
to watch. There are circle dances variations (Casino Rueda),
and line dance variations (Salsa Suelta).
Dancesport:
In the world of Dancesport, there are two main competition divisions:
American and International (UK). This dance is called
Mambo in American Rhythm; there is no Mambo or Salsa in International
Latin. In Dancesport Mambo, the break (the step away from center) is
theoretically on 2. (In a recent Dancesport Competition, I saw many
couples breaking on 1 <wrong>, and a few breaking on 2 <correct>
- however the "1" types usually don't make it to the next
round.) Ballroom people are fond of saying "Salsa breaks
on 1, Mambo breaks on 2," but this is naive. Many accomplished
hispanic salsa dancers break on 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 as they please. More
detail on this follows.
The Break: Outside of the Dancesport
world - the clubs, the street dancing - no distinction of Salsa and
Mambo exists. Songs use the names Salsa or Mambo interchangeably, and
dancers in various regions break on 1,2,3, or 4. Los Angeles
dancers and native Puerto Ricans tend to break on 1. Students
and followers of the famous Eddie Torres (NYC street dancer turned pro)
religiously break on 2 (They call it "Salsa").
A lot of modern Cubans tend to break on 3. Many native
dancers tend not to care on which beat they break, even changing within
the same song. I asked the director of a top Cuban dance school in Santo
Domingo about what bat they break on. . He told me that this topic was
meaningless to them. They don't even have a name for "the break."
Some songs have rhythm patterns that lend to a certain break point,
so why force a different one? Some songs will change rhythm patterns,
so why stick to breaking at the same place when the music changes?
Movement:
Salsa is a Caribbean dance - the dancers are inspired by the ocean
that surrounds them from birth. They start with body waves, rather
than add them later as a flourish. Stepping to the music's rhythm is
a start for us Northerners, but there is more - legs, hips, torso, shoulders,
arms, hands, head - free movement of energy through the natural channels
of the body from the ground up! This free movement is part of Salsa's
African roots. Salsa is an earth-centered dance, drawing energy
up from the earth. However, one can can enjoy salsa with full body movement
and body waves/ripples, or with very little.
Music: There is a lot of modern
Salsa music. A certain amount of it is hard to dance to, although
it is nice to listen to in the car (which is why composers write it,
and record companies put it out). We sift very carefully through the
available material to select real danceable salsa, and our selections
have received high praise from the best local dancers.
Rhythms: The tumbao
rhythm, played on the congas as 4+ and 8+, is the driving force behind
the whole ensemble. Often it is doubled in the cowbell, or other instruments.
It follows the classic "backbeat"or "upbeat"pattern,
emphasizing beats 2, 4, 6, and 8. This is really the heart of salsa.
It is something you want to tune into for the "feel" of salsa.
Upbeat timing: + 1
+ 2 +
3 + 4 +
5 + 6 +
7 + 8
+
Tumbao timing: + 1
+ 2 + 3 + 4
+ 5 + 6
+ 7 +
8 +
The African-derived clave rhythm is the "key" of salsa.
However, you rarely hear it exprssed in its entirety. Instruments draw
on 3 to 4 beat segments of the clave for fhythmic ideas. What
is the clave? The famous call and response "Bo Diddley
Beat" is precisely the 3/2 clave. 
the 3/2 son clave rhythm: ("shave & a haircut -
two bits.")
+ 1 + 2 +
3 + 4
+ 5 + 6 + 7
+ 8
the 2/3 son clave rhtyhm (reversing the 4-beat measures):
+ 1 + 2 + 3
+ 4 + 5 + 6 +
7 + 8
Although we give these numeric rhythms for clarification, good
dancers tend to listen to rhythm patterns in the music - a lot more
fun than abstracting a numbered count from the music, and dancing to
that instead! One of the best web articles on clave
I have found is at the
Latin American Folk Institute.
Salsa timing: + 1
+ 2 +
3 + 4
+ 5
+ 6 +
7 + 8
+
quick-quick-slow-quick-quick-slow
This commonly taught beginners footwork rhythm can be done anywhere
in any combination of body movements, not just the feet. That is a big
difference between Caribean dances and European dances. Also, as in
swing, the dancers can improvise rhythm patterns far beyond this basic
one - dancers are jazz musicians!
MERENGUE
From the Dominican Republic (map),
where it is the National Dance, Merengue has a strong and joyful groove.
Merengue clearly influenced the creation of USA club dance music. Madonna,
Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Earth Wind Fire, etc. all owe that disco
groove to a fusion of Merengue and 60s R&B Motown. If you like modern
club dance music and/or disco, merengue is a very practical dance. It
is easy to learn, and it naturally morphs into a 2-step hustle!
The music derives from a cultural melange of African, Hispanic, and
Polish-German-Russian musical temperments: polka got into the
mix (Merengue translates as "mix.")
Merengue got a big push in the 1940s when President (dictator) Rafael
Trujillo made Merengue the national dance, hiring orchestras and
composers, and promoting Merengue ceaslessly - he loved it. The population
did also. The capital, Santo Domingo, is the hub of Merengue
in the Dominican Republic. In DR clubs, Merengue involves simple partner
patterns. I don't think there will ever be an international merengue
competition - it is by nature a simple dance. You almost never see a
lot of fancy turns in DR clubs. Dominicans that study ballroom, swing,
or salsa, learn plenty more moves, but they are the exception. The dance
is more about movement style, than about moves.
Body waves are inherent to the style of all the Caribbean dances.
Learning the subtle hip, rib cage, and body movement styles takes a
bit of work for us Anglos. Again, movement in these Caribbean dances
is inspired by the ocean - it is not about isolations,
it is about the ways energy naturally flows: diagonally across the body
in spirals.
The music is exhilerating, and you really want to move! Merengue moves
can be dynamic, or slow and sexy, although central NY dancers seem to
favor the more energetic style. Merengue has a wide range of tempi -
120-180bpm. There is plenty of great merengue music. It is always mixed
in at salsa club nights locally. Sometimes you see Dominicans emphasizing
one side of the weight shift, the famous Merengue "limp,"
but not always. It is sometimes over-simplified by naive anglo instructors
as "marching in place." The Domincans used to laugh at the
stiff-hipped U.S. Marines in Santo Domingo in 1964-65 attempting to
march the Merengue. Slide your toes on the floor in very small steps
while lfting your heels - keep the weight back and down, not forward
and up. Push off the floor to change weight. Let your weight fully shift
into each step. Relax your hips and they will move.
The most famous merengue artist is Juan Luis Guerra. The brilliant
and beautiful recordings of this Berkeley School Of Music trained artist
are standard in any club scene. However, recent (2008-2009) merengue
radio/club hits seem to be favoring street style, rather than slick
production with top studio musicians - - rough vocals, looser but energetic
rhythms, saxophone rifs barely in tune. Check out recent mega-hits
Vamos Pa' La Playa (Kiko El Presidente) and Ya No Me Amas (Omega).
Merengue drives with two 16th notes into the 1/4 note pulse:
Merengue timing: +a1
+a2
+a3
+a4
+a5
+a6
+a7
+a8
BACHATA
From the Dominican Republic (Map),
Bachata (loose trans: "informal party with guitar music")
is related to Merengue, as a slower dance with a steady 1/8 note division
rhythm. Although Bachata dates to the early 1960s., you would never
recognize in its early forms. In the modern style of Bachata (1980s
- present), bongos and acoustic guitar dominate a light musical texture,
and there is also a distinctive guitar style and tone, AND often a particular
guitar, the american-made Ovation! The rhythm has a clear 1/8
note division, and is very danceable.
Bachata has from its inception been associated with alcohol and prostitution.
Indeed, the music was most commonly played in brothels, and associated
with the very lowest social classes. It has been called the Blues of
the Dominican Republic. The music was at first vigorously repressed
by the Merengue industry. Bachata arose from back-porch obscurity to
national prominence through the radio in the 1980s, driven by compositions
with sexual double entendre lyrics. The 2006 movie Santo
Domingo Blues is a must-see for bachata lovers. Some current hit
makers are Monchy Y Alexandra, Aventura, Extreme, and Huey
Dunbar. For much more history on Bachata, you may wish to visit
here.
Dancing, a light rise of the hip, alternatively a toe or heel tap or
flick or leg raise, on the 4th and 8th beat of the 8-count phrase is
characteristic, with the usual Caribbean body waves. Bachata can be
danced tight and very sexy, or with plenty of space between the partners
- both are common in its country of origin.
Jorge Elizando is a key figure in modern Bachata dance and instruction
- hot Dominican street style with many added sophistications. One can
think of Bachata dancing in three temperature levels: cool, warm, and
hot, as per the inclinations of the dancers. Real street style bachata
is way too hot for most anglos. Additionally, some Dominicans enjoy
being as exhibitionist as, well... beyond what you want to even imagine.
I have seen it in Santo Domingo clubs - quite amusing, but most American
dancers would be astounded and/or horrified.
Bachata timing: + 1
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4
+ 5
+ 6
+ 7 +
8 +
step-step-step-tap step-step-step-tap
HUSTLE
The dance attained its defining characters in the disco era,
but the music lives on through Madonna, Michael Jackson, and the house
music and techno of today. Classic 70s-early 80s artists are Bees Gees,
ABBA, Donna Summer, KC & the Sunshine Band, Earth Wind & Fire,
Barry White, etc. Most music historians agree that the music is a mating
of Dominican Merengue with Rhythm & Blues/ Motown.
The dance style is clearly swing-derived, but with a strong ballroom
flavor. The "one-step" hustle, the simpler version, certainly
owes itself to Dominican Merengue. The 4-step hustle, often taught and
danced +123 or 12+3 makes more sense when taught and danced +123+456,
since hustle music is very different from waltz! Hustle music emphasizes
the upbeats (even beats) of the music - that is an aspect of its R&B
roots.
CHA CHA
Cha Cha comes from Cuba (Map).
Cha cha is essentially slowed-down Salsa, with triple steps
(chasse steps) replacing the hold-steps. In 1952, UK dance instructor
Pierre Margolle saw the dance in Cuba, and developed a ballroom
version of it. Margolie helped found the Imperial Society of Teachers
of Dancing (founders of so-called International Style of ballroom dance).
During the 1950s, its worldwide debut period, Cha Cha became a USA craze
due to dance instruction magnate Arthur Murray, who spent considerable
time in Cuba. He shortened the name from Cha Cha Cha to Cha
Cha. Arthur Murray also introduced the simplified rhythm pattern
of 1-2 cha cha cha (breaking on 1, instead of the original
2)! The chasse steps move - either to the side or front and back. (NOTE:
"the break" is the step away from center. Anglo dancers
and teachers talk a lot about the break step, but the Cubans
don' t even have a name for it.)
A Caribbean dance, there are plenty of body waves on the break steps
- this is what results in the hip motion. Competition and performance
styling, as usual, is considerably more extravagent than social styling.
The Cuban street version is more earthy, and less "over the top"
than the Dancesport version.
Cha cha is always played in the mix on club latin nights. As with all
street dances, Cha cha can be danced vigorously, or in a very mellow
style. If you keep in mind that Chacha is an offshoot
of Salsa, it opens up a lot of doors very quickly to you as a dancer.
Classic Chacha timing (break on 2 and 6)::
+1 2
3
4+5
6
7 8+1
+1 2
3 cha-cha-cha
6
7 cha-cha-cha
Arthur Murray version (break on 1):
+1 2
cha-cha-cha 5 6
cha-cha-cha
RUMBA
Rumba has been described as a type of Waltz with Latin, i.e.
Cuban, rhythm and movement (American style), or as very, very slow
Salsa aka Mambo (U.K. aka International style). The dance is patterned
off of the Cuban Son-Bolero or Danzon. Ballroom Rumba
is VERY different both in music and dance style to what Cubans call
Rumba today - a type of fast Guaguanco, a lascivious barnyard
dance imitating animals in heat. Ballroom Rumba hit the USA before the
first World War, and was popular in the 1930s, with a box step, breaking
on 1. In 1947, the influential U.K. French-born dancer/instructor
Monsieur Pierre (Pierre Margolle) visited Havana, and
got some steps and timing ideas from dance champions Pepe and Suzy Rivera.
For 20 years, U.K. instructors argued over whether to break on 1 or
2. Monsieur Pierre's version is more like slow salsa (mambo) - no box
step, with patterns similar to Salsa/ Mambo.
The term "Cuban Motion" was invented by people who
apparently had never been to Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic.
It refers to the natural rise of the opposite hip when a foot is lifted,
and a relaxing of the hip when weight is shifted and a leg is straightened,
resulting in a body wave - it is not just the hips. Rumba, Salsa, Cha
Cha, Merengue, Bachata all have this natural body wave as part of the
rhythm.
The 8 count American pattern (Arthur Murray style) is:
12 +34 56 +78
Slow and quick-quick Slow and quick-quick
Touch shift-side-together Touch shift-side-together
The Fred Astaire version starts on the quick-quick (side-together):
Quick-quick Slow and quick-quick slow
AMERICAN TANGO
The American style of Tango is popular all
over the world, including in its native Argentina. American
style, in contrast to modern Argentine style (which some
say has no basic step) is quite accessible to beginners. American
style has a well-defined basic step, which works perfectly to the 8-count
musical phrase. Modern American (and International) Tango is 80% a snapshot
of Argentine Tango in the early part of the century (ballroom-ized,
of course).
The music has strong Spanish Flamenco and Italian connections,
especially in the bel canto vocal style, and the overall dramatic
operatic quality of the music. Strongly contrasting textures characterize
traditional tango music: long lyrical romantic phrases quicly followed
by sharp pizzicato or sforzando punctuations express the
quickly changing and diverse emotions. The musical arrangements can
have light textures, with violins and bandoleon (a type
of accordian) dominating or full dramatic orchestra, conveying subtleties
and passionate intensity. Tango can be (but it doesn't have to be) a
very varied dramatic dance acting out intense attraction, desire, lust,
affection, passion, revulsion, domination, submission, rebellion, jealousy
and rage - just like Italian opera! For dancers with a dramatic flair,
this is all quite fun. Because of Tango's possibilities of drama and
expressing strong emotions, Hollywood features the dance in many movies,
from the 1920s to the present day ("Take The Lead"
with Antonio Banderas). The French stage adopted tango, named
"Apache" to act out the often violent emotions of lovers
- during performances, a few women accidentally lost their lives on
stage, due to overacting on the part of the male leads!
Modern scholars say that Tango was born in Argentina 's working class
dance halls. A popular myth is that tango was born in the city's brothels,
or as an acting out of the prostitute-pimp-patron drama - this is debatable.
It has been said that tango was adopted by the Buenas Aires male homosexual
population as a homo-erotic dance of domniation and submission. Because
of its' lower class roots, the dance was at first shunned by the upper
classes, then later embraced by them. The capital city of Buenos
Aires was the hub of tango. Under dictator Juan Peron, tango
enjoyed a golden age. Famous tango composers from that time are Osvaldo
Pugliese and Astor Piazzolla. However, when Perron was ousted
by a military junta in 1955, tango was supressed - artists were imprisoned
and blacklisted, tango clubs were restricted. Many other methods were
used to suppress the dance, although it was not blatantly outlawed.
This suppression of the dance continued until the junta fell in 1983.
Tango took the
lead-follow concept to a high level of sophistication. Young Argentinian
aristocrats (a popular myth says that Argentine sailors were responsible)
, brought Tango to France in the pre-World War One era. European dance
instructors (and Vernon & Irene Castle, living in Paris at
the time) were fascinated by the style, and the sophisticated lead-follow
concepts and adapted the dance to the social ballroom. Tango has since
evolved into a very subtle partner dance, in which the lady is given
considerable display and opportunity to create. American Tango has become
a favorite romantic couples dance, and is a consistent all-time favorite
in our college ballroom classes.
Tango timing: + 1
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4 +
5 + 6
+ 7
+ 8
+
slow-slow-quick-quick-slow
walk-walk-walk-side-touch
aka walk - walk - Tan-go - closed
aka T - A - N-G - O
SLOW DANCE - CASTLE FOXTROT
 Vernon
and Irene Castle (Vernon Blythe and Irene Foote) single-handedly
created the USA ballroom craze in the pre-World War One era. Their "Castle
By The Sea" was the original ballroom dance mecca in America. Anything
Irene did fashion-wise was immediately copied by millions of women -
bobbing her hair, shorter dresses, etc. The Castles were the first to
codify an American version of the waltz, tango, and more. Arthur
Murray studied with the Castles. Any history of ballrom dance must
focus on the work of Verrnon and Irene Castle. Interestingly, they were
intuitive self-taught partner dancers - prior to ballroom dancing, Vernon
was a vaudeville comedian and tap-dancer.
Foxtrot as a ballroom dance was created in 1914 by ballroom instructor
and exhibition dancer Oscar Duryea. The story is that Foxtrot
was created by and named (Fox's Trot) after popular vaudeville
dancer Harry Fox (born Arthur Cunningford) who debuted
a performance version of the dance on a Manhattan stage. However, there
is eveidence that Duryea actually taught the dance to Harry Fox. Foxtrot
immediately became the most popular dance in the ballroom and cabaret.
Vernon and Irene Castle created a slow version of Foxtrot,
and although their version was greeted with enthusiasm, it did not continue
in the studios. Vernon & Irene stopped teaching later in 1918, when
Vernon went to Britain to fly with the Royal Air Force in the First
World War. By the time he returned, Irene was already pursuing her first
love: acting.
The Castle Foxtrot is a great slow dance! There are innumerable wonderful
slow tunes in all eras of popular music. Surprisingly, the International
and American Ballroom Syllabus,contain NOTHING for slow dance (except
Rumba, which requires a very particular rhythm of music, and
is very sophisticated). California instructor Buddy Schwimmer invented
the "Night Club Two Step" for slow music, but it is
like a slow hustle, and not as romantic, intimate, or as easy and relaxed
as the Castle Foxtrot.
The Castle Foxtrot follows the natural phasing of most music, making
it instantly enjoyable as a dance style, and lends itself to expansion
with improvised figures. It is strongly rooted in Tango, although considerably
easier to learn. Compared to the commonly taught simple "sway basic,"
the Castle Foxtrot is more interesting, more expressive, follows the
music in a more satisfying way. It is also the perfect wedding dance,
far beyond the common "hug & wobble."
Castle Foxtrot timing: + 1
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4 +
5 + 6
+ 7
+ 8
+ slow-slow-quick-quick-quick-quick
WALTZ
 Waltz
is the first "closed position" dance. Originally an
AUSTRIAN folk dance dating back to the 17th century (some say
13th c.), waltz became popular as an unstructured social dance in European
dance halls in the 1800s. It was considered very risqué, indecent
even, due to the closed hold and the turning, turning, turning! For
this reason, waltz was forbidden in some countries and by various
religious groups. Vernon and Irene Castle brought elegance and
definition to the waltz in America at the early part of the 20th century,
paving the way to waltz's social acceptability, (Prior ot the Castles,
an early demonstration of Waltz by a Boston dance instructor was met
with horror by the upper classes.)  Viennese
Waltz is fast; standard American Style Waltz is slow. Waltz is the
first modern ballroom dance, and was the model for many dances that
followed: foxtrot, rumba, even swing and salsa.
Waltz is one of the few ballroom dances that have crossed over into
American Country-Western, Cajun, Folk, and Argentine Tango dance halls.
Dr.
Richard Powers at Stanford University has developed a very popular
variation he calls "cross-step" waltz. In the American "roots"
styles, the ballroom "rise and fall" is often omitted. Waltz
has a wonderful gliding feel, like ocean waves. Although written
in 3, waltz phrasing is in 6 - counting waltz in 3 makes it feel
choppy. Yet, some "roots" waltzes are intentionally played
in 3 for that choppy feel. Many of country music's top artists have
recorded very popular waltzes. Waltz timing: +1
+ 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +
FOXTROT
During the swing era, Foxrot was the most popular dance in the
ballroom, a graceful way to dance to the supremely popular swing music
of the time. Foxtrot is still quite high on the list of ballroom dances
worldwide, having undergone considerable development since 1914.
Harry Fox (performer, real name Arthur Carringford) )
debuted the dance in a rooftop show at a Manhattan restaurant, and
it was quickly named "Fox's Trot." Ballroom teacher Oscar
Duryea refined and codified the dance for mass comsumption - and
there is evidence that he actually taught the original dance  to
Harry Fox. Foxtrot borrows MANY figures from the dance that historically
preceded it in popularity - the WALTZ. In America, Fred Astaire's
foxtrot in movies was considerably influential. Arthur Murray's syllabus
lists 31 bronze level figures, and dancers (and instructors!) find a
lot of ways to combine these patterns of smooth walking steps and quicksteps,
with a 6-count and an 8-count basic. Foxtrot became the basis for the
Texas Two-Step, a dance created by Houston ballroom instructors..
Foxtrot 6-count timing: +1
+ 2 + 3
+ 4 +
5 + 6 + Slow-slow-quick-quick
Foxtrot 8-count timing: +1
+ 2 + 3
+ 4
+ 5
+ 6 + 7
+ 8 + Slow-quick-quick-Slow-quick-quick-
JUMPSWING
My personal feeling is that Jumpswing is the easiest and most
satisfying entrance into Swing Dance for beginners of any age. It includes
Charleston, Jazz, Jitterbug, Jive and Lindy. It is more Lindy-rooted
than single-step, toe-step or triple-step 6 count swing. It is more
natural, relaxing, rhythmic, and just plain feels better and more musical.
Jumpswing includes Jitterbug, Charleston, Jive, Jazz, and Lindy.
Having tried everything, we feel that this is the easiest access to
swing for the average beginner of any age level. Please don't get scared
by the name if you are an older dancer - it doesn't have to jump. The
energy level is up to the dancers' choice. But Jumpswing gets people
dancing to the uptempo music that they like much sooner, and feels better
than any swing style that we have seen or tried for beginners. Our students
are not the ones sitting down when the music is faster! Cornell students
liked Jumpswing so much that they started a club,
( I am the advisor) so they could dance to it on a regular basis.
EAST COAST SWING
Arthur Murray is mostly responsible for the ballroom adaption
of common practice swing era Lindy Hop/Jitterbug patterns and styles.
East Coast Swing with its 6 and 8 count patterns works quite well and
is very enjoyable. Considerably more detail about East Coast Swing at
www.cdance.net
LINDY HOP
Hugely popular among modern dedicated swing dancers, Lindy Hop
was born in Harlem NY. It was developed by the top show dancers of Harlem's
Savoy Ballroom for themselves. Everyone within eyeshot copied it
and created their own variations. Often felt to be the Mother of all
swing dance styles by its afficianados, actually it is not, since other
styles emerged quite independently of Lindy Hop - Balboa and Shag to
name a couple. Lindy Hop lends itself to individual interpretation of
the music, depending on how deep one responds to music and hears it.
Like any other dance, beginners do patterns, period, in ever increasing
complexity. Advanced dancers hear more and respond and create and become
a part of the music. Lindy Hop has a steep learning curve, due to its
characteristic move, the notoriously sophisticated SWING OUT. However,
we have developed methods whereby one can learn it well and enjoy it
without constantly evaluating "Is this right?" IF one is willing
to practice. Once it becomes a part of you, Lindy Hop is fun.
Although there are classic gestures, the very natural of this dance
is massive freedom, improvisation, humor, creativity, individuality,
and play. Losing sight of this is losing sight of Lindy Hop.
More history at www.cdance.net
WEST COAST SWING
West Coast Swing is the state dance of California. It
was originally called Sophisticated Swing in the late 1930s.
And has it ever lived up to its name! It is a favorite of dance professionals
with extensive training in ballroom. West Coast style gives the lady
plenty of room to express herself to the max. But, without full body
movement and musical expression, West Coast style is a flat, tedious-looking
dance. We use a variety of tehcniques to explore greater body awareness.
But the real dancers are "musicians of the body" if this means
something to you. Nowhere is this more evident than in West Coast Swing.
More West Coast Swing history at www.cdance.net
CAROLINA SHAG
Carolina Shag is the state dance of North Carolina. Hundreds
of thousands of shag fans reside in the Southeastern states, compared
to a handful in the Northeast. Shag has a great look. Beach Music
is its music, a name that is virtually unknown in Northern music stores.
Beach Music is essentially R & B, but with a kind of flavor that
you would have to hear a bit of, to know what I mean. Beach songs tend
to be R&B type, nostalgic of the Carolinas, the South, the Beach.
I went down to Myrtle Beach and Georgia specifically to study Shag and
to see it in a large group of dancers of mixed abilities. We teach it,
but now only in private lessons. Today, I feel that Shag is very much
a regional dance, whose feel is rooted in Southern Culture, and largely
non-transplantable for that reason. Carolina Shag is not just a dance,
it is a cultural celebration. More Carolina Shag history at www.cdance.net
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