The Dance Lesson Sitemap

Foreword - Learning to dance is fun—and it is easy. In a sense it is like learning a new language—a language in which moods and emotions are expressed in movement; a language of rhythm, grace and harmony. It is new—but in a very real sense it is the oldest language in the world, for dancing is the oldest form of art.

01. Dance Terms - The basic movements described in the following paragraphs may be com­pared to the thirteen notes of the musical scale. These movements, in various combinations, make up the steps used in all Ballroom Dances, just as the thirteen notes in the scale, variously combined, make up all musical compositions.

Regard each foot individually, and learn the eleven different directions in which each foot can move.

02. Movement - TO LEARN EACH STEP—WE MUST KNOW:

1. Which direction the foot moves in relation to the other foot.
   
   
2. Which foot takes the action.
   
   
3. Does the toe turn in or out.
   
   
4. How does the movement fit the rhythm of the music.

We describe the movement in one key word which is explained in the Glossary.

We show the designated foot by following each key word with the letters R or L to indicate right or left.

03. Fox Trot - The Fox Trot is by far the most common dance. It goes on and on—year after year. It is best, therefore, that you start with the Fox Trot.

The rhythm of the Fox Trot is what we call a variable rhythm—that is the rhythm pattern constantly changes, as slow steps and quick steps are mixed in various combin­ations. Steps taken to the side are followed by Together Steps which are quick. Forward and backward steps may be either quick or slow, but in most cases they are slow.

04. Lead + Follow - The boy LEADS and the girl follows. The boy must know exactly what he is doing, otherwise he cannot possibly expect the girl to follow him. So the first rule for the boy is:

KNOW YOUR STEPS SO WELL THAT YOU CAN DO THEM WITHOUT THINKING.

Plan ahead what step you are going to do next.

The first rule for the girl is:

KNOW YOUR STEPS SO WELL YOU CAN DO THEM WITHOUT THINKING.

05. The One Step - Quite a few years ago, popular music was often played in a very fast two-four tempo. Such music resembled a march, and in order to follow its rhythm, the dance, now known as the One Step, was created. The One Step means that one step follows the other without a change in rhythm.

06. The Waltz - The Waltz has changed little since the middle of the sixteenth century when it first originated. It was the first dance to employ the closed position now commonly used in all round dances. It originated in France and eventually spread over all of Europe. The Volte, grandfather of our present-day Waltz, was the favorite dance of Queen Elizabeth I, of England.

07. Swing Dances - On the evening of May 21, 1927, word reached New York that Charles Augustus Lindbergh had successfully completed his epoch-making non-stop flight from New York to Paris. On that same evening, in a fashionable hotel ballroom in New York City crowded with dancers, the announcement came that Lindbergh had landed safely in Paris.

08. The Tango - The Tango originated in Argentina, became famous in France, and reached tremendous popularity in the United States in the early twenties, then suddenly it was dropped, possibly because of the fact that it was a difficult and complicated dance. In the past few years it has made a steady comeback, due primarily to the simplification of some of the more intricate steps.

09. The Rhumba - There are two things that distinguish the Rhumba. The first is the style. The second is the rhythm. The style can be mastered if you keep one thing always in mind when practicing. Step with your foot first, without letting it take the body weight. Then, a fraction of a second later, let your body weight follow. This can be mastered if you practice slowly and deliberately.

10. The Mambo - The Mambo is an outgrowth of the Rhumba. In fact, it has been called swinging the Rhumba. The basic Mambo Time Step has a forward and backward movement, whereas in the Rhumba the motion is primarily In place or a side motion. Like the Rhumba it does not travel, but is danced practically in one spot. There are three basic beats and a pause to each measure of the music. The steps are of equal valuation, each one requiring one quarter beat of music.

11. Cha Cha Cha - Actually the Cha Cha Cha is three beats taken with feet close together or In place. It is a quick shift of weight from one foot to the other foot, and then back to the original foot. When used with the Mambo, it fills in the pause. The Cha Cha Cha should not be thought of, or considered, as a dance in itself; it should be re­garded only as a tool one can use to give added zest or sparkle to a Mambo which may be slow-tempoed.

12. The Samba - The Samba comes to us from Brazil. It is exhilarating and showy, also quite sensuous in its original form. The American version of the Samba is consid­erably milder than the original Brazilian dance from which it was adapted.

The Samba rhythm is very similar to that of the Polka, setting a fast pace that never diminishes. In fact the music of the Samba is very similar to Polka music, the difference being primarily one of instrumentation.

13. The Merengue - The Merengue is the latest Latin-American dance to invade the United States. It originated in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is said to have been created by a sailor who had a lame leg. According to the legend, the sailor was at a public dance one evening, dancing in an unusual manner. Others present were fascinated by the unusual pattern of his footwork and the undulation of his left hip and they began to imitate him.

14. The Polka - The Polka is a gay and lively dance, resembling in character the Gypsy Folk Dances. It is believed to have originated in Bohemia where it was known as the pulka. It was introduced into England about 1843 and some twenty years later enjoyed great popularity in the United States.

Polka music is most frequently played in two-fourths time—the first beat in each measure is strongly accented.

15. Folk Dances - The term "Folk Dance" covers a broad field. It includes all national dances such as the Irish Jig, the Highland Fling, Spanish Alemana and the like. However, in the United States the term usually applies to all dances that are performed in a group. The entire group acts as a team which performs various figures and convolu­tions. Our Folk Dances are borrowed from the English Quadrille, and the native folk dances of the European Continent.

16. Square Dancers - The Square Dance starts with the couples all joining hands in a large circle facing the center. Each boy has his girl partner on his right side, thus his right hand is holding her left hand.

The couples are counted and each couple is given a number. There must be an even number of couples on the floor. The important thing for each couple to remem­ber is whether their number is odd or even.

17. Ballroom Manners - Ballroom dancing is a social accomplishment, and because of this social significance good manners are as important as the dance itself. Good manners are predicated mainly on thoughtfulness and consideration for others. When you strive to bring out the best in others—you bring out the best in yourself. Ballroom manners, just like all good manners, are based on making the other person feel comfortable and at ease.

18. Conclusion - After you have mastered the steps in this book and have become a com­petent dancer in all phases of social dancing, keep in mind that the dance reveals a part of your personality that can be revealed in no other manner. Each step that you do reflects you. You should not attempt to dance exactly like anyone else, any more than you should attempt to speak or think exactly like anyone else.

THE END