International Style Dances

These dances are regulated by the World Dance Council (WDC, formerly named World Dance
and DanceSport Council) and are usually performed at international dance competitions. There is
also World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) - another organization with alternative rules for
ballroom dancing competitions. The differences between the WDSF and WDC rules include
overall duration of the dances, tempo (measures per minute), etc. All the International Style
Dances are also called "Professional 10-Dance Program" and include two categories:

International Standard Dances (also known as

"European", "Ballroom" or "Modern")
1. Waltz
2. Tango
3. Viennese Waltz
4. Slow Foxtrot
5. Quickstep

International Latin Dances

1. Cha-cha-cha
2. Samba
3. Rumba
4. Paso Doble
5. Jive
 American Style Dances
Another classification of ballroom dances regulated by national body of the USA - USA
Dance (formerly USABDA, the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association). All
these dances are called "Professional 9-Dance Program". The American Style Dances as
International Style Dances also include two categories:

American Smooth
1. Waltz
2. Tango
3. Foxtrot
4. Viennese Waltz

American Rhythm
1. Cha-cha-cha
2. Rumba
3. East Coast Swing
4. Bolero
5. Mambo

Social Dances
The ballroom dance definition is quite fuzzy, that's the reason why many dancers can be
considered as ballroom dances. Apart from competition regulations, there is a category of dances
called "social". What does the social dance mean? It's a dance where the major role plays
sociability and socializing over choreography and performance. The following list includes some
dances that are considered to be social:

 Salsa
 Merengue
 Bachata
 Disco Hustle

Social dances are usually quite easy to learn, have dance moves that can be repeated quickly
even by a person who hasn't danced before in his life. That's why the social dances are extremely
 popular all over the world. Clubs, bars, restaurants and dance studios organize parties with social
dances (read more about such parties). Besides, dance instructors are often invited to do a master
class for team building or at wedding, birthday parties or other parties to add some fun and
entertainment, and of course to help people to learn the dance moves and enjoy the party. Our
dance school also takes part in such events, read more here.

The Dress Code for Ballroom

Dancing
There are obligatory rules for dress both for men and women required at dance competitions. At
everyday life it's not so formal: women are expected to wear a dress and men are expected to
wear a costume, however, sometimes people of both gender wear jeans and feel comfortable. But
wearing jeans is rather an exception to the rule, and is not a common practice. We have a special
guide for ballroom dress code where we explain the differences between the regular and
professional dance clothes, we give answer to the question what dress to wear and to buy. The
guide is separated for men and ladies.

The shoes play very important role for a dancer. It's the shoes that provide connection between
the dancer and the dance floor. The shoes must be comfortable and designed for ballroom
dancing. Read more about professional dance shoes here.

Types of Ballroom Dancing

Competitions
There are different levels of competition, but the basic division is between amateurs and
professionals. Amateurs are usually divided into groups where the couples compete with each
other. The division is usually done by age of the eldest partner:

 Juveniles (up to 12 years old)

 Juniors (up to 16 years old)
 Youth (up to 21 years old)
 Adult Amateur (21+ years)
 Seniors (over 35+ years)

Sometimes there are extra subcategories for more precise division into groups, e.g. "Juniors 1",
"Juniors 2", etc. Apart from age, competitions may be divided according to dancing ability:
 Newcomer, Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Pre-Championship, and Championship. Such
approach is common in the USA.
 Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Pre-amateur, and Amateur.

The classification according to the difficulty level is as follow.

“E” Class (Beginner)

 Standard Program: English Waltz, Tango, Quickstep;
 Latin Program: Cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Jive.

“D” Class (Novice)

 Standard Program: English Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep;
 Latin Program: Cha-cha-cha, Samba, Rumba, Jive;

“C” Class (Advanced), “B” Class (Intermediate), “A” Class

(Pre-Championship), “S” Class (Championship)
 Standard Program: all dances;
 Latin Program: all dances.

There is a special type of dance competition called "ProAm". It's a type of competition where
one partner is a professional dancer and another is amateur. Such competitions are very popular
in Europe, USA and Canada. Read more about specifics of ProAm dances here.

A dance competition is usually organized according to the one the following formats:

 Single Dance - when the results are determined for every single dance. For example, in this case
a couple can get first place for dancing Waltz and third place for dancing Foxtrot. There is no
any total score or total place.
 Scholarship or Championship. In this case there is a fixed list of dances that all the dancers
must perform and gain a score for each dance. In the end all the scores are summed up and the
result determines the final rank of the couple. Usually the list complies with the well-known
classification and equals to International Program (Standard and Latin) or American Program
(Smooth and Rhythm).
 Formation. It’s a team performance (more than two dancers) either with Standard (Smooth) or
Latin (Rhythm) dances.
 Classic Show. It’s a dance show performance with two partners according to the Standard
(Smooth) Program. Usually it’s a creative performance that may have some extra dance moves
or special dress.
 Latin Show. It’s like a Classic Show, but for the Latin (Rhythm) Program. The dancers can
usually also add some unique creative elements or have a special scenario of the dance.

The Judgement
„A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.“

-NELSON MANDELA-

The judges (called scrutineers) watch the performance and keep the score for the dancers. The
more points a couple gets - the better. A dancer is judged by various criteria, for example a poise,
the hold or frame, posture, musicality and expression, timing, body alignment and shape, floor
craft, foot and leg action, and presentation. Usually a Skating system of scoring is used. This
system provides a set of 11 rules that judges must follow and gives an algorithm of calculation of
the final score. All the bulletins filled with scores by judges are examined by the Board of
Adjudicator and the Chairman announces the final score. The whole competition is usually
divided into preliminary rounds and a final round. At each round usually several couples are on
the dance floor at the same time and dance simultaneously. During the preliminary rounds the
couples that get highest score are passed to the next round, other participants are eliminated. The
number of couples that will pass to the next round is defined and announced beforehand. The
final round is used for calculation of the total rankings of the participants.

According to the rankings, a competition can be either:

 Personal Ranking – each couple gets their own score and their own rank
 Team Ranking – the couples don’t get a personal rank, only the overall shared rank is defined
for the whole team. Here a team is a set of couples joint together, for example they can be from
one dance school or dance studio, or from one country.
 Mixed – in this case a couple earns their personal rank. Besides, a total rank of the team is also
calculated. It’s a mixture of Personal Ranking and Team Ranking.

Every dance competition usually has a syllabus that describes the dress code, allowed dance
moves and sometimes even hair style and make-up. Usually for beginner level category (called
Bronze) a couple is limited to more simple moves, while a higher level category (called Silver
and Gold) can use more sophisticated dance moves. Illegal moves and dress can lead to
disqualification.
 Benefits of our Dance School
Our "Dance For You" studio offers various ballroom dancing lessons and dance classes. We can
teach newbies for their first dance steps and train amateurs or professionals to prepare for dance
competitions. Our dance teachers are experienced winners and champions of various
international dance competitions and they know themselves all the secrets of successful
performance. We know the differences between competition standards and know how to prepare
best for a specific dance program. As a result of effectiveness of our educational process, all
students of our dance school show best results and get top rankings at dance championships
(click here to see the achievements). Besides, our dance instructors can be not only your tutors or
mentors, but also become your partners for ProAm dance competitions. We have a flexible
schedule for the dance courses and individual unique educational program for each of our
students. Contact us to get more information.

There are also Dance Floor Standards that differ from country to country and in respect to the
regulation body, e.g. WDC or WDSF. Our dance studio has the largest professional sprung dance
floor among other studios in Dubai. Besides the area of the floor matches and even exceeds most
known standards. That's another benefit of our dance studio. Click here to read more about our
floor.
Ballroom dance
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

A waltz, by Renoir, 1882. The waltz is the oldest of present-day dances.

Ballroom dancing is usually a form of elegancy .

 Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed dancing a tango. The couple, dancing for the USA, came third in the
Professional World Championship 2009.

Junior dance competition in the Czech Republic.

Ballroom dance is the name for a number of dances done in ballrooms. It usually means pairs
(mostly a man and woman) dancing separately from other pairs. The most important difference in
style is between the modern or standard dances and the Latin dances. The modern dances are
the waltz, quickstep, foxtrot, tango and Viennese waltz. The Latin dances are the cha-cha-
cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive.[1]However, there are also sequence dances, where
dancers move together in a pre-set pattern.
All these dances can be danced socially, more or less any way people want to. As competition
dances, they are organised under the rule of the World Dance Council.[2] These competitions are
danced in the International style; the techniques were developed by English dancers in the 20th
century.[3] All major international competitions are conducted within detailed regulations. There are
other systems of dance regulated by national bodies. American style is one; Scottish dancing is
another; Greek classical dance is another.
Although the most famous dancers were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, they did not dance in
ballrooms. Their career together was entirely on film. Astaire danced also on the stage, and on
television. The most famous American pair of ballroom dancers was Vernon and Irene Castle, who
were national figures until Vernon's death in 1918. Later, Arthur Murray's chain of dance schools
taught many Americans to dance. The most famous English ballroom dancer was probably Victor
Silvester, who was a professional dancer and a very successful bandleader.

Contents

 1International style
o 1.1Competitions
o 1.2American style
 2Movies and television shows
o 2.1Movies
o 2.2Television
 3Other ballroom dances
o 3.1Swing
o 3.2Latin
o 3.3Other
 4Related pages
 5References
International style[change | change source]
There are ten international style ballroom dances, five standard (or modern) and five Latin:

 Standard: Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese waltz

 Latin: Cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, Paso doble

Most of these are dances that started in other places, but were developed in their modern form by
English dancers and dance teachers.[3][4]
Most people do these dances for fun. When people compete against each other, the women wear
formal dresses (gowns) for standard competition and short skirts for Latin. Men wear formal evening
wear ('white tie and tails') for standard and informal shirts for Latin.

Some people earn medals to show how they are improving. They dance in front of a judge to earn a
medal at the Bronze, Silver, or Gold levels. Ballroom dance teaching and medal awards is done by
Dance Teacher organisations, such as the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) or the
International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA). These organisations also do ballet, stage
dancing (or 'theatre dance' or 'jazz dance') and several other types of dance. Their qualifications and
exams are held world-wide, even though they are English in origin. Street dance, as the name
suggests, does not need a ballroom. Nevertheless, it is being taught in ballrooms, as are some other
kinds of non-traditional dance.
There are also some line dances, in which people dance as a group instead of with a partner. Some
line dances are done to Mambo, Waltz, Paso Doble, and Samba.
Some people dance in couples, but also as a group, with everyone doing the same steps. This is
called formation dancing.
Competitions[change | change source]
Benedetto Feruggia and Claudia Köhler, 2010

WDC World Youth (Under 21) Champions 2013, Michael Foskett & Nika Vlasenko

People compete at many levels, but the basic division is between amateurs and professionals. Then,
amongst amateurs, there are age grades (British regulations):[5]

 Juveniles, up to 12. Standard juvenile clothing is worn.

 Juniors, up to 16.
 Youth, up to 21.
 Adult Amateur, 16 and over.
 Seniors, 35+.
 Over 45s.
In the USA, competitions may be divided according to dancing ability: Newcomer, Pre-Bronze,
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Pre-Championship, and Championship.
The best-known competition is the Blackpool Dance Festival, England. This has been going annually
since 1920 (except for war years), and its events, like most English events, are open to the world.
American style[change | change source]
American style ballroom dancing is sometimes called Social style. It
includes smooth and rhythm dances:

 Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz

 Rhythm: Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba, Bolero, East Coast Swing

Movies and television shows[change | change source]

The Wedding Ball of the Duc de Joyeuse, 1581.

Ballroom: a large room for dancing. The Catherine Palace, near St Petersburg.

Movies[change | change source]

 Strictly Ballroom
 Shall We Dance?
 Dance With Me
 Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey
 movies with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (such as Flying Down to Rio, The Gay
Divorcee, Top Hat and Carefree)
Television[change | change source]

 Ballroom Bootcamp (US)

 So You Think You Can Dance (US, UK, Belgium, Netherlands)
 Dancing with the Stars (United States, Netherlands)
 Strictly Come Dancing (UK)

Other ballroom dances[change | change source]

Swing[change | change source]

 West Coast Swing

 Lindy Hop
 Balboa
Latin[change | change source]
 Salsa
 Merengue
 Cumbia
Other[change | change source]

 Argentine Tango
 Polka

Related pages[change | change source]

 Ball (dance)
Tango History

Tango, the dance with the stop "Baille Con

Carte", is one of the most fascinating of all dances. Originating in Spain or
Morocco, the Tango was introduced to the New World by the Spanish settlers,
eventually coming back to Spain with Black and Creole influences.

In the early 19th Century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the woman.
The Andalusian Tango was later done by one or two couples walking together
using castanets. The dance was soon considered immoral with its flirting music!

Ballroom Tango originated in the lower class of Buenos Aires, especially in the
"Bario de las Ranas". Clothing was dictated by full skirts for the woman and
gauchos with high boots and spurs for the man.

The story of Tango as told is that it started with the gauchos of Argentina. They
wore chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of the horses body.
Hence to gauchos walked with knees flexed. They would go to the crowded night
clubs and ask the local girls to dance.

Since the gaucho hadn't showered, the lady would dance in the crook of the
man's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left
hip, close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with him.

The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor was small with round
tables, so he danced around and between them.
The dance spread throughout Europe in the 1900's. Originally popularized in New
York in the winter of 1910 - 1911, Rudolph Valentino then made the Tango a hit
in 1921.

As time elapsed and the music became more subdued, the dance was finally
considered respectable even in Argentina.

Styles vary in Tango: Argentine, French, Gaucho and International. Still, Tango has
become one of our American 'Standards' regardless of its origin. The
Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of each.

The principals involved are the same for any good dancing. First, the dance must
fit the music. Second, it must contain the basic characteristic that sets it apart
from other dances. Third, it must be comfortable and pleasing to do.

Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango music phrased to 16 or 32

beats of music. Tango music is like a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases);
sentences (Minor phrases); and the period at the end of the sentence is the Tango
close.

For exhibition dancing, a Tango dancer must develop a strong connection with
the music, the dance and the audience. The audience can only feel this
connection if the performer feels and projects this feeling. So it is when dancing
for your own pleasure -- and your partner's!

"The Tango is the easiest dance. If you make a mistake and get tangled up, you
just Tango on." (Al Pacino in "The Scent of a Woman.")

Movies that featured Tango dancing include "The Scent of a Woman", Madonna's
"Evita" and "True Lies" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Cha Cha Dance History

Originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha. Became popular about 1954. Cha Cha is an
offshoot of the Mambo.
When the English dance teacher Pierre Margolie visited Cuba in 1952, he realised
that sometimes the Rumba was danced with extra beats. This is said to be an
innovation introduced in 1948 by the musician Enrique Jorrin, combining two
Cuban dances, the 'Danzon' and the 'Montuno'. When Pierre returned to Britain,
he started teaching these steps as a separate dance.

In the slow Mambo tempo, there was a distinct sound in the music that people
began dancing to, calling the step the "Triple" Mambo. Eventually it evolved into a
separate dance, known today as the Cha Cha.

The dance consists of three quick steps (triple step or cha cha cha) and two slower
steps on the one beat and two beat.

The "Cha Cha" is danced at about 120 beats per minute. The steps are taken on
the beats, with a strong hip movement as the knee straightens on the half beats
in between.

The weight is kept well forward, with forward steps taken toe-flat, and it is danced
with minimal upper-torso movement.

The chasse on 4&1 is used to emphasise the step on beat 1, which may be held a
moment longer than the other steps to match the emphasis of the beat in the
music.

Spanish Gypsy and Flamenco Dance History

Written by Hadia
Any discussion of Spanish Gypsies would be remiss without a consideration of
Flamenco, which lies at the very soul of these often misunderstood and
misrepresented people.

In the past few years, there has been an ever increasing interest is all things
"gypsy" and what is termed "Spanish-Arabic" in the Middle Eastern Dance
community. I am very happy to see this interest and believe that creative fusion of
art forms can lead the way to artistic evolution.

Flamenco
Although there are many theories promising to explain the meaning of the word
flamenco, most lack enough evidence to substantiate them.

One commonly accepted version translates flamenco as Spanish for the Flemish
soldiers of the Spanish-Belgian Territories. These soldiers were renowned for their
self-confidence, style and ostentatious pride, all qualities that reflect the gypsy
character. In fact, the term "flamenco" came to be synonymous with "gitano"
(gypsy) in Spanish Romany Argot.
History

Between 800 and 900 A.D., a large exodus of people occurred from the Punjabi
region of India. These people are believed to be members of the Untouchables, a
group within the Indian caste system comprised of animal traders and trainers,
acrobats, dancers, musicians, palmists and metalworkers.

These nomadic groups, generally referred to as Roman and/or gypsies, divided

into two major migratory routes, the most traceable moving west across Asia and
the European continent, including Spain. The first recorded account of Spanish
Gitanos "Beticos" dates from 1447 in Barcelona.

It is also believed that a second migratory route took them down to and across
North Africa (including Egypt) and up into Southern Spain "Andalusia" via the
Straights of Gibraltar. This faction, known as Cale (black), has been far more
difficult to verify and trace due to the great similarity of appearance and lifestyle
to the indigenous peoples along the route. We should not forget that Southern
Spain was part of the Islamic Empire for a period of 800 years.

Although, the Northern Beticos immigrated to the more tolerant Islamic region of
Andalusia, to this day, the gypsies themselves maintain a great distinction
between the Beticos and Cales, with virtually no intermarriage between the
groups.

During the Inquisition of the Reconquista, even this tolerance ended while gypsies
from all over Spain were herded into "gitanerias" or ghettos. However unjust and
cruel, this persecution and isolation was the very influence that safeguarded the
purity of their music and dance within the family group.

Finally, in 1782, the Leniency Edict of Charles III restored some measure of
freedom to the Spanish gypsy and allowed this music and dance to be presented
to and adopted by the general population of Spain. This resulted in a period of
great exploration and evolution within the art form, which continues to this day.

Flamenco Music
The most important element of flamenco music is undeniably the singing,
"Cante". In fact, originally flamenco was comprised purely of Cante, with
handclapping "Palmas" or knuckle rapping percussive accompaniment. The guitar,
a variation of the Arabic Oud, was gradually incorporated in the 19th century. The
strongest influences evident in the evolution of Flamenco singing and music can
be traced from:

 Punjabi singing of India

 Persian Zyriab song form
 Classical Andalusian Orchestras of the Islamic Empire
 Jewish Synagogue Chants
 Mozarabic forms such as Zarchyas and Zambra
 Arabic Zayal which themselves are the foundation for Fandangos
 Andalusian regional folk forms
 Western African influences via the slaves of the New World Caribbean,
Central and South American colonies. These include Rumba, Garotin,
Guajiras, Columbianas, etc.

Flamenco Dance

Although much less research has been undertaken in the field of flamenco dance
than music, it has been documented that during the Phoenician empire, in the city
of Cadiz, Hindu dancers were hired as entertainers for the festivals, aspects of
which were incorporated into local processions and religious festivals.

This very strong resemblance to East Indian dance is seen in the Katak, NianiPuri,
Kathakal and Bharatanatyam forms. Elements such as the deep-seated plie,
outturned leg position, sharp angles of the body and arms, splayed fingers, rapid
barrel turns and, most certainly, the percussive foot movements are all evident in
flamenco dance.

As previously mentioned, the Mozarabic "Zambra" was occasionally performed

for a very brief time during the late 19th to early 20th centuries, although its role
in the development of flamenco dance is minimal. This dance, in 2/4 time,
combined elements of Andalusian folk dance with Arabic elements, such as finger
cymbals, tambourines and atypical theatrical costuming.
However, this bears no resemblance to the performances of Sevillanas, Tangos
and Bulerias by the commercial, touristic band of gypsies in the caves of Granada,
which Amaya identifies as Zambra in her video "Gypsy Fire". In fact, apart from
some of the percussive foot movements found in the Moroccan Shikhate, there is
almost no similarity between flamenco and Middle Eastern dance.

Even the open-knee hip movements of flamenco are attributed to the African
influence from the colonies and/or Indian dance. Absent to flamenco dance are
the torso undulations, pelvic oscillations, hip shimmies and rotations, all of which
are fundamental components of Oriental.

Finally, the soft, fluid, feminine, sweet and joyful external nature of Middle Eastern
dance is the complete antithesis of the internal, spring-loaded, strong, defiant,
explosive, masculine character of Flamenco.

Foxtrot Dance History

Written by Jake Fuller
 The Foxtrot originated in the summer of
1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona,
California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of "Fox" after his grandfather.

Harry was thrown on his own resources at the age of fifteen. He joined a circus for
a brief tour and he also played professional baseball for a short while.

A music publisher liked his voice and hired him to sing songs from the boxes of
vaudeville theaters in San Francisco.

In 1904 he appeared in a Belvedere Theatre in a comedy entitled "Mr. Frisky of

Frisco." After the San Francisco earthquake and the fire of 1906, Harry Fox
migrated East and finally stopped in New York.

In early 1914, Fox was appearing in various vaudeville shows in the New York
area. In April he teamed up with Yansci Dolly of the famous Dolly Sisters in an act
of Hammerstein's.
At the same time, the New York Theatre, one of the largest in the World, was
being converted into a movie house. As an extra attraction, the theater's
management decided to try vaudeville acts between the shows.

They selected Harry Fox and his company of "American Beauties" to put on a
dancing act. An article in Variety Magazine stated "Harry Fox will appear for a
month or longer at a large salary with billing that will occupy the front of the
theatre in electrics".

At the same time, the roof of the theatre was converted to a Jardin de Danse, and
the Dolly sisters were featured in a nightly revue.

The May 29, 1914 issue of Variety Magazine reported "The debut of Harry Fox as
a lone star and act amidst the films of the daily change at the New York Theatre
started off with every mark of success. The Dolly Sisters are dancing nightly on the
New York Roof.

Gold cups will be given away next week to the winners of dance contests on the
New York Roof."

The Fox-trot originated in the Jardin de Danse on the roof of the New York
Theatre. As part of his act downstairs, Harry Fox was doing trotting steps to
ragtime music, and people referred to his dance as "Fox's Trot."

In the rise to fame of the Vernon Castles, exhibition dancers of outstanding talent
and charm, there was no doubt that the fox-trot was the most original and
exciting of their various dances.

The elite of the dancing world were soon trying to capture the unusual style of
movement and when a very talented American, G.K. Anderson came over to
London, and with Josephine Bradley won many competitions, he set the seal - so
to speak - on the style of the foxtrot.

As a result of the great popularity which ballroom dancing was enjoying, it was
necessary to evolve a form of dance that could express the slow syncopated 4/4
rhythm and yet could remain "on the spot."
This did not mean that the "traveling" fox-trot was dropped, but the "on the spot"
dance did provide a means of enjoying the music in a background which large
numbers of people could afford and enjoy, and where various bands were all
producing excellent and individual musicians and experimenting with and perfect
all of the new sounds and beats from America.

The "on the spot" dancing was known appropriately as crush, then rhythm
dancing. It is now called "social" dancing and possibly this conveys its purpose
and limitations.

It would be anti-social to attempt to stride around a ballroom crowded with

dancers, to dance with only one partner when out with a party, or to be so
engrossed with the performance of figures that any conversation is taboo. It can
also create a very good base - should it be desired - for the foxtrot.

The Foxtrot was the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing. The
combination of quick and slow steps permits more flexibility and gives much
greater dancing pleasure than the one-step and two-step which it has replaced.

There is more variety in the fox-trot than in any other dance, and in some ways it
is the hardest dance to learn!

Variations of the foxtrot include the Peabody, the Quickstep and Roseland foxtrot.
Even dances such as the lindy and the hustle are derived to some extent from the
foxtrot.

History of Jazz Dance

World War I had ended and a social revolution was under way! Customs and
values of previous generations were rejected. Life was to be lived and enjoyed to
the fullest. This was the era of the "lost generation", and the "flapper" with her
rolled stockings, short skirts, and straight up-and-down look.

They scandalized their elders in the cabarets, night clubs, and speakeasies that
replaced the ballrooms of pre-war days. Dancing became more informal - close
embraces and frequent changes of partners were now socially acceptable.
Only one kind of music suited this generation - jazz, the vehicle for dancing the
fox-trot, shimmy, rag, Charleston, black bottom, and various other steps of the
period.

Jazz originated at the close of the nineteenth century in the seamy dance halls
and brothels of the South and Midwest where the word Jazz commonly referred
to sexual intercourse.

Southern blacks, delivered from slavery a few decades before, started playing
European music with Afro modifications.

The birthplace of jazz has many origins: New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis and
Kansas City are just a few.

But New Orleans was and still remains an important jazz center. The ethnic
rainbow of people who gravitated to the bars and brothels were a major factor in
the development of jazz. The city had been under Spanish and French rule prior
to the Louisiana purchase.

By 1900, it was a blend of Spanish, French, English, German, Italian, Slavic and
countless blacks originally brought in as slaves.

The first jazz bands contained a "rhythm section" consisting of a string bass,
drums, and a guitar or banjo, and a "melodic section" with one or two cornets, a
trombone, a clarinet, and sometimes even a violin.

Years later, jazz was taken over by large orchestras; a "society jazz band"
contained fifteen or more musicians. Today, there is a renewed interest in the "big
band" era, even though the music has very little to do with real jazz.

True jazz is characterized by certain essential features. The first is a tendency to

stress the weak beats of the bar (2nd and 4th) in contrast to traditional music
which stressed the first and third beats.

The second feature is syncopation through an extensive repetition of short and

strongly rhythmic phrases or "riffs". The third feature of jazz is swing (regular but
subtle pulsation which animates 4/4 time). The swing must be present in every
good jazz performance.
Mambo Dance History

Can Mambo recapture the glory of its golden days?

Can the flashy Cuban dance step find a new following?

The Mambo dance originated in Cuba where there were substantial settlements
of Haitians.

In the back country of Haiti, the "Mambo" is a voodoo priestess, who serves the
villagers as counselor, healer, exorcist, soothsayer, spiritual advisor, and organizer
of public entertainment. However, there is not a folk dance in Haiti called the
"Mambo."

The fusion of Swing and Cuban music produced this fascinating rhythm and in
turn created a new sensational dance. The Mambo could not have been
conceived earlier since up to that time, the Cuban and American Jazz were still not
wedded. The "Mambo" dance is attributed to Perez Prado who introduced it at La
Tropicana night-club in Havana in 1943. Since then other Latin American band
leaders such as Tito Rodriquez, Pupi Campo, Tito Puente, Machito and Xavier
Cugat have achieved styles of their own and furthered the Mambo craze.

The Mambo was originally played as any Rumba with a riff ending. It may be
described as a riff or a Rumba with a break or emphasis on 2 and 4 in 4/4 time.
Native Cubans or musicians without any training would break on any beat.
It first appeared in the United States in New York's Park Plaza Ballroom - a favorite
hangout of enthusiastic dancers from Harlem. The Mambo gained its excitement
in 1947 at the Palladium and other renowned places such as The China Doll,
Havana Madrid and Birdland.

A modified version of the "Mambo" (the original dance had to be toned down
due to the violent acrobatics) was presented to the public at dance studios, resort
hotels, and at night-clubs in New York and Miami. Success was on the agenda.
Mambo happy dancers soon became known affectionately as "Mambonicks".

The Mambo craze did not last long and today the Mambo is much limited to
advanced dancers. Teachers agreed that this is one of the most difficult of dances.
One of the greatest contributions of the Mambo is that it led to the development
of the Cha-Cha.

The Mambo is enjoying a renewed popularity due to a number of films featuring

the dance as well as a man named Eddie Torres. Eddie is a New York dance pro
and Mambo fanatic who has launched a crusade to make sure the dance reigns in
the ballroom once again. Torres has become the leading exponent of the style,
steadily building a reputation as a dancer, instructor, and choreographer. He has
become known as the "Mambo King of Latin Dance". Torres is determined to
reintroduce dancers to what he believes is the authentic night-club style of
mambo dancing, which in the 1990's is increasingly known as Salsa.

"It's a great time for Latin American dances," says Torres. "The Mambo is hot now,
like it was in the '50's. It is a dance with many influences -- African, Cuban, Jazz,
Hip-Hop, even some ballet. You'll never run out of steps."

Popular Mambo songs include "Mambo Italiano", "Papa Loves Mambo", "Mambo
#5", "I Saw Mommy Do The Mambo", and "They Were Doin' The Mambo". 'Dance
City', the superb CD album featuring Hernandez and the Mambo Kings Orchestra,
stands on its own as one of the best recordings of its kind in years, an energetic
big band-style session that recalls the glory days of Tito Puente and Tito
Rodriguez.

Most people treat Mambo as a very fast dance. In essence, it is a slow and precise
dance that doesn't move very much.
Jazz Oral Interview of ISRAEL LÓPEZ "CACHAO"

Highlights by FRANK M. FIGUEROA

When the interviewer brought up the controversy about Pérez Prado and the
creation of the mambo, Cachao very graciously played it down. He agreed that
Pérez Prado should have the title of "King of the Mambo." Israel brought up the
analogy of Paul Whiteman being called "The King of Jazz" while he was not the
"creator" of jazz. This "Gentleman of the Bass" expressed his gratitude to Pérez
Prado for making the mambo known throughout the world. This is very refreshing
in this day of petty jealousies and rivalries among musicians.

Merengue Dance History

The Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some
extent, of Haiti, the neighbor sharing the island.

There are two popular versions of the of the origin of the Dominican national
dance, the Merengue. One story alleges the dance originated with slaves who
were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut
sugar to the beat of drums.

The second story alleges that a great hero was wounded in the leg during one of
the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed
him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt
obliged to limp and drag one foot.

Merengue has existed since the early years of the Dominican Republic (in Haiti, a
similar dance is called the Meringue or Mereng). It is possible the dance took its
name from the confection made of sugar and egg whites because of the light and
frothy character of the dance or because of its short, precise rhythms.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Merengue was very popular in the
Dominican Republic. Not only is it used on every dancing occasion in the
Republic, but it is very popular throughout the Caribbean and South America, and
is one of the standard Latin American dances.
There is a lot of variety in Merengue music. Tempos vary a great deal and the
Dominicans enjoy a sharp quickening in pace towards the latter part of the dance.
The most favored routine at the clubs and restaurants that run a dance floor is a
slow Bolero, breaking into a Merengue, which becomes akin to a bright, fast Jive
in its closing stages. The ballroom Merengue is slower and has a modified hip
action.

The Merengue was introduced in the United States in the New York area.
However, it did not become well known until several years later.

Ideally suited to the small, crowded dance floors, it is a dance that is easy to learn
and essentially a "fun" dance.

Origins of Merengue
by Carmen Vazquez
The origin of this dance, according to the Dominicans themselves, from a
program shown on TV "SANTO DOMINGO INVITA".

Merengue is a combination of two dances, the African and the French Minuet,
from the late 1700's - early 1800's. The black slaves saw the ballroom dances in
the Big Houses and when they had their own festivities started mimicking the
"masters' dances". But the Europeans dances were not fun, they were very boring
and staid, so over time, the slaves added a special upbeat (provided by the
drums), this was a slight skip or a hop.

The original Merengue was not danced by individual couples, but was a circle
dance, each man and woman faced each other and holding hands - at arm's
length. They did not hold each other closely and the original movements of this
dance were only the shaking of the shoulders and swift movement of the feet.

There was no blatant movement of the hips like there is today, as native African
dances do not move the hips. In fact, African dances, as well as other Indigenous
dances throughout the world, consist of complicated steps and arm movements.

Tribal dancing does not have "primitive" sexual shaking of the hips, this is only
done in Hollywood movies.
So, the origin of the Merengue is very similar to that of the "Cake Walk" dance of
the American South.

History of Polka Dance and Music

Polka is defined as a vivacious couple dance of

Bohemian origin in duple time; was a basic pattern of hop-step-close-step; a lively
Bohemian dance tune in 2/4 time.

The polka was originally a Czech peasant dance, developed in Eastern Bohemia
(now part of the Czech Republic). Bohemian historians believe that the polka was
invented by a peasant girl (Anna Slezak, in Labska Tynice in 1834) one Sunday for
her amusement. It was composed to a folk song "Strycek Nimra Koupil Simla
(Uncle Nimra brought a white horse)." Anna called the step "Madera" because of
its quickness and liveliness.

The dance was first introduced into the ballrooms of Prague in 1835. The name of
the dance (pulka) is Czech for "half-step", referring to the rapid shift from one
foot to the other.

In 1840, Raab, a dancing teach of Prague, danced the polka at the Odeon Theatre
in Paris where it was a tremendous success. Parisian dancing teachers seized on
the new dance and refined it for their salons and ballrooms. According to
Cellarius, the famous French dancing master of the mid-nineteenth century:
"What young man is there, although formerly most opposed to dancing, whom
the polka has not snatched from his apathy to acquire, willy-nilly, a talent
suddenly become indispensable?"

Polkamania resulted. Dance academies were swamped and in desperation

recruited ballet girls from the Paris Opera as dancing partners to help teach the
polka. This naturally attracted many young men who were interested in things
other than dancing, and manners and morals in the dance pavilions deteriorated.
Dancing developed a bad name and many parents forbade their daughters
dancing with any but close friends of the family.

The polka was introduced in England by the middle of the nineteenth century.
However, it did not achieve the popularity it had achieved on the Continent. By
this time, it had also reached the United States. Thomas Balch, in his
book Philadelphia Assemblies, reports that Breiter's band composed a new polka
for the occasion of the 1849 Assembly. It was evident the waltz and polka were
gradually replacing the contredanse and cotillion.

The popularity of the polka led to the introduction of several other dances from
central Europe. The simplest was the galop or galoppade which was introduced
into England and France in 1829. Dance position was the same as for the waltz or
polka, with couples doing a series of fast chassés about the room with occasional
turns. Music was in 2/4 time, often merely a fast polka. The galop was particularly
popular as the final dance of the evening.

The polonaise, named for its country of origin, was a stately processional march in
slow ¾ time, often used for the opening of a fancy dress ball. However, it never
achieved great popularity as a ballroom dance. The Bohemian redowa consisted
of three successive movements: a "pursuit" step, an ordinary waltz step, and
a valse à deux temps step. It was danced to a slow waltz. The Polish mazurka, a
fairly complicated dance to waltz music, included hops, sliding steps, and kicking
the heels together. The schottische was a German folk dance that consisted of a
series of chassés and hops done to 2/4 and 4/4 music. There were also
combination dances such as the polka-redowa and polka-mazurka.
Of all the dances originating in the nineteenth-century, the only one that has
survived is the polka. After the initial enthusiasm, the polka gradually declined in
popularity and reached a low point with the introduction of ragtime, jazz, and the
newer dances of the early twentieth century. After the second world war, however,
Polish immigrants to the United States adopted the polka as their "national"
dance. It is also extremely popular with many other Americans who have
succumbed to the new polka craze popularized by Lawrence Welk and other
post-war bands.

For years to come, the polka will remain popular, with its variance in style from
robust to smooth short, glide steps and ever happy music. One of the most
popular versions of the polka is the "heel and toe and away we go" due to its ease
to execute.

Polka Music
Beer Barrel Polka, also known as Roll Out the Barrel (German version Rosamunde)
is a popular polka song. It is played at many weddings and social dance evenings.

André Rieu & Heino performing 'Rosamunde' live in his hometown Maastricht.

Beer Barrel Polka - Walter Ostanek - Canada's Polka King

Polka is a popular dance in the country western sector. Polkas and schottische are
competitive Country Western dances.

Rumba
The word Rumba is a generic term, covering a variety of names (i.e., Son, Danzon,
Guagira, Guaracha, Naningo), for a type of West Indian music or dancing. The
exact meaning varies from island to island. The word "rumba" comes from the
verb "rumbear" which means going to parties, dancing, and having a good time.

There are two sources of the dances: one Spanish and the other African. Although
the main growth was in Cuba, there were similar dance developments which took
place in other Caribbean islands and in Latin America generally.
The "rumba influence" came in the 16th century with the black slaves imported
from Africa. The native Rumba folk dance is essentially a sex pantomime danced
extremely fast with exaggerated hip movements and with a sensually aggressive
attitude on the part of the man and a defensive attitude on the part of the
woman. The music is played with a staccato beat in keeping with the vigorous
expressive movements of the dancers. Accompanying instruments include the
maracas, the claves, the marimbola, and the drums.

As recently as the second world war, the "Son" was the popular dance of middle
class Cuba. It is a modified slower and more refined version of the native Rumba.
Still slower is the "Danzon", the dance of wealthy Cuban society. Very small steps
are taken, with the women producing a very subtle tilting of the hips by
alternately bending and straightening the knees.

The American Rumba is a modified version of the "Son". The first serious attempt
to introduce the rumba to the United States was by Lew Quinn and Joan Sawyer
in 1913. Ten years later band leader Emil Coleman imported some rumba
musicians and a pair of rumba dancers to New York. In 1925 Benito Collada
opened the Club El Chico in Greenwich Village and found that New Yorkers did
not know what Rumba was all about.

Real interest in Latin music began about 1929. In the late 1920's, Xavier Cugat
formed an orchestra that specialized in Latin American music. He opened at the
Coconut Grove in Los Angeles and appeared in early sound movies such as "In
Gay Madrid". Later in the 1930's, Cugat played at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in
New York. By the end of the decade he was recognized as having the outstanding
Latin orchestra of the day.

In 1935, George Raft played the part of a suave dancer in the movie "Rumba", a
rather superficial musical in which the hero finally won the heiress (Carol
Lombard) through the mutual love of dancing.

In Europe, the introduction of Latin American dancing (Rumba in particular) owed

much to the enthusiasm and interpretive ability of Monsieur Pierre (London's
leading teacher in this dance form). In the 1930's with his partner, Doris Lavelle, he
demonstrated and popularized Latin American dancing in London.
Pierre and Lavelle introduced the true "Cuban Rumba" which was finally
established after much argument, as the official recognized version in 1955.

Rumba is the spirit and soul of Latin American music and dance. The fascinating
rhythms and bodily expressions make the Rumba one of the most popular
ballroom dances.

Read a Basque translation (Euskarian) of this article by Jennifer Indurayne, Web

Geek Science

Salsa
History of Dance
History of Salsa Dancing and Music
Salsa is not easily defined. What is Salsa? A sauce, a recipe, a dance? Who
invented salsa? The Cubans, Puerto Ricans?

Salsa is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Each played a

large part in its evolution.

Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over
eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves.
In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are
quite different form those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and
backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.

A look at the origin of Salsa

Written by: Jaime Andrés Pretell

It is not only Cuban; nevertheless we must give credit to Cuba for the origin and
ancestry of creation. It is here where Contra-Danze (Country Dance) of
England/France, later called Danzón, which was brought by the French who fled
from Haiti, begins to mix itself with Rhumbas of African origin (Guaguanco,
Colombia, Yambú).

Add Són of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour
(sonero) and the African drumbeats and flavora and a partner dance flowered to
the beat of the clave.

This syncretism also occurred in smaller degrees and with variations in other
countries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico, among others.
Bands of these countries took their music to Mexico City in the era of the famous
films of that country (Perez Prado, most famous).

Shortly after, a similar movement to New York occurred. In these two cities, more
promotion and syncretism occurred and more commercial music was generated
because there was more investment.

New York created the term "Salsa", but it did not create the dance. The term
became popular as nickname to refer to a variety of different music, from several
countries of Hispanic influence: Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha
cha cha, Danzón, Són, Guguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena,
Bomba, Festejo, Merengue, among others.

Many of these have maintained their individuality and many were mixed creating
"Salsa".
If you are listening to today's Salsa, you are going to find the base of són, and you
are going to hear Cumbia, and you are going to hear Guaracha. You will also hear
some old Merengue, built-in the rhythm of different songs. You will hear many of
the old styles somewhere within the modern beats. Salsa varies from site to site.

In New York, for example, new instrumentalization and extra percussion were
added to some Colombian songs so that New Yorkers - that dance mambo "on
the two" - can feel comfortable dancing to the rhythm and beat of the song,
because the original arrangement is not one they easily recognize.

This is called "finishing", to enter the local market. This "finish" does not occur
because the Colombian does not play Salsa, but it does not play to the rhythm of
the Puerto Rican/Post-Cuban Salsa.

I say Post-Cuban, because the music of Cuba has evolved towards another new
and equally flavorful sound.

Then, as a tree, Salsa has many roots and many branches, but one trunk that
unites us all. The important thing is that Salsa is played throughout the Hispanic
world and has received influences of many places within it. It is of all of us and it is
a sample of our flexibility and evolution.

If you think that a single place can take the credit for the existence of Salsa, you
are wrong.

And if you think that one style of dance is better, imagine that the best dancer of
a style, without his partner, goes to dance with whomever he can find, in a club
where a different style predominates. He wouldn't look as good as the locals.
Each dancer is accustomed to dance his/her own style.

None is better, only different. Viva la variedad, Viva la Salsa!

Oral Interview of ISRAEL LÓPEZ "CACHAO"

Highlights by FRANK M. FIGUEROA

The interviewer asked Cachao what he thought about salsa music and performers
who called themselves salseros. His answer, which is typical of most of the "old
guard" musicians, was a total repudiation of the term.
As far as he is concerned it is all Cuban music and salsa is a term that has more
relation to the kitchen than to music. He jokingly said that there should be a law
against anybody calling himself a salsero.

Samba History
The Samba originated in Brazil. It was and is danced as a festival dance during the
street festivals and celebrations.

First introduced in the U.S. in a Broadway play called "Street Carnival" in the late
twenties. The festive style and mood of the dance has kept it alive and popular to
this day.

Samba is a fun dance that fits most of today's popular music.

History of Swing Dancing

The history of swing dates back to the 1920's, where the black community, while
dancing to contemporary Jazz music, discovered the Charleston and the Lindy
Hop.

On March 26, 1926, the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors in New York. The Savoy
was an immediate success with its block-long dance floor and a raised double
bandstand. Nightly dancing attracted most of the best dancers in the New York
area. Stimulated by the presence of great dancers and the best black bands,
music at the Savoy was largely Swinging Jazz.

One evening in 1927, following Lindbergh's flight to Paris, a local dance

enthusiast named "Shorty George" Snowden was watching some of the dancing
couples. A newspaper reporter asked him what dance they were doing, and it just
so happened that there was a newspaper with an article about Lindbergh's flight
sitting on the bench next to them. The title of the article read, "Lindy Hops The
Atlantic," and George just sort of read that and said, "Lindy Hop" and the name
stuck.

In the mid 1930's, a bouncy six beat variant was named the Jitterbug by the band
leader Cab Calloway when he introduced a tune in 1934 entitled "Jitterbug".
With the discovery of the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug, the communities began
dancing to the contemporary Jazz and Swing music as it was evolving at the time,
with Benny Goodman leading the action. Dancers soon incorporated tap and jazz
steps into their dancing.

In the mid 1930's, Herbert White, head bouncer in the New York City Savoy
Ballroom, formed a Lindy Hop dance troupe called Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. One
of the most important members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was Frankie Manning.
The "Hoppers" were showcased in the following films: "A Day at the Races" (1937),
"Hellzapoppin" (1941), "Sugar Hill Masquerade" (1942), and "Killer Diller" (1948).

In 1938, the Harvest Moon Ball included Lindy Hop and Jitterbug competition for
the first time. It was captured on film and presented for everyone to see in the
Paramount, Pathe, and Universal movie newsreels between 1938 and 1951.

In early 1938, Dean Collins arrived in Hollywood. He learned to dance the Lindy
Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy and Swing in New York City and spent a lot of time in
Harlem and the Savoy Ballroom. Between 1941 and 1960, Collins danced in, or
helped choreograph over 100 movies which provided at least a 30 second clip of
some of the best California white dancers performing Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy
and Swing.

In the late 1930's and through the 1940's, the terms Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy,
and Swing were used interchangeably by the news media to describe the same
style of dancing taking place on the streets, in the night clubs, in contests, and in
the movies.

By the end of 1936, the Lindy was sweeping the United States. As might be
expected, the first reaction of most dancing teachers to the Lindy was a chilly
negative. In 1936 Philip Nutl, president of the American Society of Teachers of
Dancing, expressed the opinion that swing would not last beyond the winter. In
1938 Donald Grant, president of the Dance Teachers' Business Association, said
that swing music "is a degenerated form of jazz, whose devotees are the
unfortunate victims of economic instability." In 1942 members of the New York
Society of Teachers of Dancing were told that the jitterbug (a direct descendent of
the Lindy Hop), could no longer be ignored. Its "cavortings" could be refined to
suit a crowded dance floor.
The dance schools such as The New York Society of Teachers and Arthur Murray,
did not formally begin documenting or teaching the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy,
and Swing until the early 1940's. The ballroom dance community was more
interested in teaching the foreign dances such as the Argentine Tango, Spanish
Paso Doblé, Brazilian Samba, Puerto Rican Merengue, Cuban Mambo and Cha
Cha, English Quickstep, Austrian Waltz, with an occasional American Fox-trot and
Peabody.

In the early 1940's the Arthur Murray studios looked at what was being done on
the dance floors in each city and directed their teachers to teach what was being
danced in their respective cities. As a result, the Arthur Murray Studios taught
different styles of undocumented Swing in each city.

In the early 1940's, Lauré Haile, as a swing dancer and competitor, documented
what she saw being danced by the white community. At that time, Dean Collins
was leading the action with Lenny Smith and Lou Southern in the night clubs and
competitions in Southern California. Lauré Haile gave it the name of "Western
Swing". She began teaching for Arthur Murray in 1945. Dean Collins taught Arthur
Murray teachers in Hollywood and San Francisco in the late 1940's and early
1950's.

After the late 1940's, the soldiers and sailors returned from overseas and
continued to dance in and around their military bases. Jitterbug was danced to
Country-Western music in Country Western bars, and popularized in the 1980's.

As the music changed between the 1920's and 1990's, (Jazz, Swing, Bop, Rock 'n'
Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Disco, Country), the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy, and Swing
evolved across the U.S. with many regional styles. The late 1940's brought forth
many dances that evolved from Rhythm & Blues music: the Houston Push and
Dallas whip (Texas), the Imperial Swing (St. Louis), the D.C. Hand Dancing
(Washington), and the Carolina Shag (Carolinas and Norfolk) were just a few.

In 1951 Lauré Haile first published her dance notes as a syllabus, which included
Western Swing for the Santa Monica Arthur Murray Dance Studio. In the 50's she
presented her syllabus in workshops across the U.S. for the Arthur Murray Studios.
The original Lauré Haile Arthur Murray Western Swing Syllabus has been taught
by Arthur Murray studios with only minor revisions for the past 44 years.
From the mid 1940's to today, the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy, and Swing, were
stripped down and distilled by the ballroom dance studio teachers in order to
adapt what they were teaching to the less nimble-footed general public who paid
for dance lessons. As a result, the ballroom dance studios bred and developed a
ballroom East Coast Swing and ballroom West Coast Swing.

In the late 1950's, television brought "American Bandstand", "The Buddy Dean
Show" and other programs to the teenage audiences. The teenagers were rocking
with Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry leading the fray. In 1959, some
of the California dance organizations, with Skippy Blair setting the pace, changed
the name of Western Swing to West Coast Swing so it would not be confused
with country and western dancing.

Today, dancers over 60 years of age are still moving their Lindy Hoppin',
Jitterbuggin', Swingin', and Shaggin' feet.

Swing Styles
Savoy Swing: a style of Swing popular in the New York Savoy Ballroom in the
30's and 40's originally danced to Swing music. The Savoy style of swing is a very
fast, jumpy, casual-looking style of dancing

Lindy style is a smoother-looking dance.

West Coast Swing: a style of Swing emphasizing nimble feet popular in California
night clubs in the 30's and 40's and voted the California State Dance in 1989.

Whip: a style of Swing popular in Houston, Texas, emphasizing moves spinning

the follower between dance positions with a wave rhythm break.

Push: a style of swing popular in Dallas, Texas, emphasizing moves spinning the
follower between dance positions with a rock rhythm break.

Supreme Swing: a style of Swing popular in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Imperial Swing: a style of Swing popular in St. Louis, Missouri.

Carolina Shag: a style of Swing popular in the Carolinas emphasizing the leader's
nimble feet.

DC Hand Dancing: a Washington, DC synthesis of Lindy and Swing.

East Coast Swing: a 6 count style of Lindy popular in the ballroom dance school
organizations.

Ballroom West Coast Swing: a style of swing popular in the ballroom dance
school organizations and different from the style performed in the California night
clubs and Swing dance clubs.

Country-Western Swing: a style of Jitterbug popularized during the 1980's and

danced to Country Western music.

Cajun Swing: a Louisiana Bayou style of Lindy danced to Cajun music.

Pony Swing: a Country Western style of Cajun Swing.

Jive: the International Style version of the dance is called Jive, and it is danced
competitively in the US and all over the world.

Viennese Waltz History

The Viennese Waltz is a dance performed to music with three beats to the bar.
This means that if a step is taken on each beat, then each bar starts with the
opposite foot to that of the previous bar. This can be a source of great difficulty
for the beginner, but when mastered gives the dance a delightful romantic lilt.

The first record of a dance to 3/4 rhythm is a peasant dance of the Provence area
of France in 1559, as a piece of folk music called the Volta, although the Volta has
also been claimed to be an Italian folk dance at this time. The word "volta" means
"the turn" in Italian. Thus, even in its earliest days, the dance appears to have
involved the couple turning as they danced.

During the 16th Century, the Volta became popular in the royal courts of Western
Europe. Arbeau describes it as like a Galliard (done to 3/2 music) but done to slow
6/4 music. Actually both it and the Galliard had 5 steps to 6 beats (and hence also
alternated feet in alternate measures).

The Volta required the partners to dance in a closed position but with the lady to
the left of the man! The man held the lady about the waist, and the lady put her
right arm on the man's shoulders, and held her skirt with her left. This was
necessary to stop it flying up, because the dance involved the man lifting the lady
using his left thigh under the lady's right thigh.

Glynis Johns playing the part of Mary Tudor performs this dance in the movie
"The Sword and the Rose".

A famous illustration of this dance is a contemporary painting said to be of

"Queen Elizabeth I doing a leaping turn of the 'Volta', assisted by Earl of Leicester"
(at Penshurst Place, Kent). This ascription is probably facetious, as the painting
appears to be from the French Valois court.

The Volta appears to be similar to a present day Norwegian Waltz folkdance. As in

any turning dance, as the couple perform their step around their partner, they
have to take a larger than usual step to get from one side of their partner to the
other. In this Norwegian Waltz, the man assists the lady to do this by lifting her
into the air as she takes this step (thus neatly accommodating the general
difference in leg length of the partners).

In order to do this in the Volta, the partners had to hold each other in such a close
embrace that many declared it immoral. Louis XIII (1601-1643) had it banned
from court on this account.

Therefore, although the Volta may have originally been in 3 time, it evolved to be
in 5 time. One of the first published dances in 3 time was "Hole in the Wall"
published by Playford in 1695.

In 1754 the first music for the actual "Waltzen" appeared in Germany. Any
connection between the Waltzen and the Volta remains obscure, except that the
word "waltzen" in German also means "to revolve".
In 1799 Arndt wrote that: "the dancers grasped the long dresses so that it would
not drag or be trodden upon, and lifted it high holding them like a cloak which
brought both bodies under one cover, as closely as possible against them".

Thus the Waltzen also attracted moral criticism, with Wolf publishing a pamphlet
in 1797 entitled "Proof that Waltzing is a main source of weakness of the body
and mind of our generation".

Nevertheless, the dance became very popular in Vienna, with large dance halls
being opened to accommodate the craze: Zum Sperl in 1807, and the Apollo in
1808 (said to be able to accommodate 6,000 dancers).

In 1812 the dance was introduced into England under the name of the German
Waltz. It caused a great sensation, and Lord Byron when he first saw it, found his
lady friend clasped closely by "a huge hussar-looking gentleman, turning round
and round to a confounded see-saw, up-down sort of turn like two cockchafers
spitted on the same bodkin".

Through the 19th Century, the dance stabilized, and was further popularised by
the music of Josef and Johann Strauss.

The Viennese Waltz is danced at a tempo of about 180 beats per minute, with a
limited range of figures: Change Steps, Hesitations, Hovers, Passing Changes,
Natural and Reverse Turns, Fleckerls, Pivots, and the Contracheck.