V is for Variety

V is for Variety

Of all the social activities that we can get involved with, the one that has the most variety might well be social partner dancing!  Foxtrot, slow foxtrot, waltz, vieneese waltz, quickstep, International tango, American Tango, paso doble, rumba, cha-cha, jive, bolero, country 2-step, night club 2-step, triple 2-step, west coast swing, east coast swing, jitterbug, lindy, shag, polka, hustle, Argentine tango, salsa, mambo and countless local variations.  In most cities, partner social dancing can be found 6-7 nights a week.  What a great exercise plan…each dance uses different muscles, burns an average of 300 calories/hour, it’s a great social activity, fun and social dancing has more variety of movements than any musical exercise routine!

Dance of the Day:  Viennese Waltz

Viennese Waltz is the oldest of the modern ballroom dances and the scandalous.  It was introduced in Europe in the late 1700s.  In 1797, its scandalous nature (ladies held their gowns very high to avoid stepping on the hems which gave the appearance of cloaking or covering themselves and their partner from outside eyes!) became the subject matter of a pamphlet entitled “Proof that Waltzing is the Main Source of Weakness of the Body and Mind of our Generation” by Wolf!  By Gosh!  Based on that pamphlet, I say “Let’s DANCE!” 

Anyway, Viennese Waltz is danced very fast (about 180 beats/minute) to music that is written in ¾ time such as the famous Strauss compositions.  Originally Viennese Waltz patterns were entirely rotational using only a change step to switch from a left rotating turn to a right rotating turn.  This structure has not changed much in the last 200 years, closing the distance between partners while in dance hold and adding only 4 additional patterns (Fleckerls, contra check, left whisk, and canter time pivots) to the International Standard Syllabus. 

Today, while it is danced competitively as one of the International Standard ballroom dances, Viennese Waltz is not danced socially as often as it’s off spring the Waltz (danced much slower at about 90 beats/minute). 

S is for Syncopation

S is for Syncopation
Musically, syncopation is defined as a disturbance or interruption of the regular or expected rhythm, or the placement of accents where they wouldn’t normally occur.  I suppose that this definition would also be generally appropriate for dances that have basic patterns which include only the basic timing of quicks and slows in their basic patterns:  waltz, foxtrot, rumba, and country 2-step would all be examples.  But what about cha-cha and polka?  Their basic patterns include a triple step or 3 steps stuffed into 2 beats of music.  Hustle?  It includes 2 steps stuffed into 1 beat of music.  All are examples of syncopations in dance:  more steps than ‘normal’ danced in a beat or two beats of music.

But what is my favorite definition of syncopation?  The extra steps or fancy footwork that a more advanced dancer uses to correct (or cover up) a mistake!  What?  Who me?  Oh no…that wasn’t a mistake….that was a syncopation!  Why yes….I thought it was pretty interesting too.  Thank you! (smirk!) 

Dance of the Day:  Salsa

Mix together:

6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 seeded and minced jalapenos
½ onion, chopped fine
1 TBS olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt, pepper, chopped fresh scallions, chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, to taste

Serve with tortilla chips.

Consume on breaks between dances while dancing Mambo “on the 1” to really fast 4-count Latin music!

P is for Posture

P is for Posture

Ummmm….as I watch dancers move around the floor, I almost always find my eyes settling on one or two that just seem to stand out from the crowd.  Not because they are doing the hardest moves or wearing the cutest dress or even dancing the most musically (although this is really high on the list of things that catch my attention, especially when I am dancing with someone)…no, what draws my attention is the dancer’s posture.  Standing straight, not leaning in toward their partner or bending at the waist or slouching.  Head pulled back and held high, not looking down to make sure that gravity is still causing their feet to hit the floor!  Shoulders comfortably stacked over their backbone, chest drawn up and broadened, dancing like they are proud of their abilities and comfortable in their dance shoes.  Those are the dancers that catch my attention no matter how experienced they are, no matter how many patterns they know or how well they execute those patterns.  No matter at all as they are the dancers I hope will ask me to dance…and if they don’t…guess I just going to have to ask them…’cause I know it is going to be an awesome dance experience!

Dance of the Day:  Polka

A fun, fast paced progressive dance that is characterized by a skipping, triple step action.  Although it originated in Poland in the early 1800’s, it is danced all over the world:  from Mexico to Iceland to Ireland to Germany and probably everywhere in between.  In the United States it is danced by both the ballroom and country western dance communities.

L is for Lilt

L is for Lilt

The Scotsman danced a polka with lilt

His feet a flyin’, his body a tilt.

He skipped ‘cross the floor

& now we know more…

‘bout what poked out from under his kilt!

Note:  I hope that dancing blows your dress up…but please remember your dance pants!

Dance of the Day:  Lindy – West Coast Swing that lost track of it’s track!

 Ok…Lindy or Lindy Hop is possibly the oldest of the swing dances to moderately fast music.  Using both 6-count and 8-count patterns, it is very similar to west coast swing, only unlike west coast swing, it is not restricted to a linear structure or track.