| Modern Ballroom (Standard) Dances: |
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| Viennese Waltz and English-style Waltz. |
Waltz was born in the suburbs of Vienna and
Alpine region of Austria in 17th century as a folk dance. Introduced in ballrooms
in early 1800's, waltz was denounced for its immorality... It was the first time
society saw a dance where man was holding the lady so close to his body. But what
brought such antagonism also made it appealing, so the Waltz was here to stay!
In 1830's Waltz was given a tremendous boost by two great composers Franz
Lanner and Johann Strauss who wrote some of the most notorious Waltzes of the
era. These Waltzes were quite fast, setting the stage for a dance we now call
Viennese Waltz.
Later, slower dance developed called English-style Waltz - a dance
in 3/4 time with a strong accent on the first beat, characterized primarily by
its rise and fall action, accompanied by leg and body swing.
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| Tango. |
Tango - originated from Buenos Aires. It was then called "Baile
con corte" - dance with a rest.
The dance wasn't successfully introduced in Europe for years. Few Tango enthusiasts
tried to popularize Tango in Paris, but European society wasn't ready for a dance
as exotic as Tango.
Tango's breakthrough happened on the dance floor on French Riviera. From then
on, Tango gained popularity in Paris and later in the rest of the world.
Today, International Tango is characterized by snappy movements, fast,
dynamic actions switching to superb stillness. It's a very popular and attractive
dance.
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| Quickstep and Foxtrot. |
Quickstep and Foxtrot have a common origin. In the twenties many bands
played the Slow-Foxtrot too fast, which gave rise to many complaints. Eventually
they developed into 2 different dances. Slow Foxtrot tempo has been slowed down
and Quickstep became clearly the fast version of Foxtrot. The Charleston
had a lot of influence on the development of Quickstep. Dancing a Quickstep demands
a lot of stamina and it is comparable with running 400 m on the athletic track.
Foxtrot - often associated with the style of
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The dance was introduced in 1913 by Harry Fox,
a musical dancer. The great fascination of Foxtrot is the amazing variety of interpretations
we see today of what is basically such a simple dance. The combination of quick
and fast steps allows more flexibility and gives great dancing pleasure. In some
ways, Foxtrot is the hardest dance to learn.
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| Cha-Cha. |
| Cha-Cha first seen in America in the early fifties,
followed Mambo, from which it developed. The music is slower
than Mambo and the rhythm is less complicated. Many believe
that the name is derived from the sound of the feet in the chasse,
which is included in many of the steps. The interpretation of
Cha-Cha music should produce a gay, cheeky, vibrant, party-like
atmosphere.
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| Samba. |
Samba originates from Brazil where it is the national dance.
To achieve the true character of the Samba a dancer must give it a happy,
flirtatious and exuberant interpretation. Many figures require a pelvic tilt
action - very difficult to achieve, but without it the dance loses much of its
effect.
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| Rumba. |
Rumba originated in Cuba. If Tango is a dance of passion, Rumba
is the unquestionable dance of love.
In Rumba woman attempts to dominate man using her feminine charm. In a well
choreographed dance there is an element of "tease and run", where the man is being
lured and then rejected.
There are only few more profoundly beautiful moments in dancing than when
taking up a hold and feeling the pure intensity of even the basic Rumba,
and moving with the carefully controlled power to the raw rhythm and romantic
melody.
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| Jive. |
Jive originated in Harlem,
New York City. It is a very rhythmical and swinging dance, influenced
by the Rock'n'Roll, Boogie and Swing.
It involves a lot of turns, flicks and kicks. Jive is a fun dance, a "must"
for every dancer.
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| Salsa. |
Salsa an extremely popular
Latin dance in nightclubs all over the world. Many new dancers
are now going out and discovering the fun and enjoyment of Latino
partner dancing. Word "Salsa" also describes the modern
commercial Latin music coming from New York, Cuba, Colombia,
Puerto Rico and many other Latin countries and communities.
As Salsa originates from many different places, there are
many ways that the dance may be expressed. In Salsa we have
Cuban style, Colombian, New York etc. Salsa syllabus,
that we teach, consists of steps and movements that are common
in all styles mentioned above.
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