Ballroom
(Please click on the dance name for description of steps and variations)
The waltz can be traced back to the
1770's. It originated from the dances of several different peoples in Europe
but its main predecessors were the "Matenick" and a variation called the
"Furiant" that were performed during rural festivals in the Czech Republic. The
French dance, the "Walt", and the Austrian "Lindler" are the most similar to
the waltz among its predecessors. The waltz became popular at the beginning of
the 19th century in Vienna, from where it spread all over the world. The king
of dances acquired different national traits in different countries. Thus there
appeared the English Waltz, the Hungarian Waltz, and the Waltz-Mazurka. The
waltz cannot be rivalled in its long-lasting popularity. During the 1920's the
musical form of the waltz was further developed and new dances appeared: the
Boston Waltz and the Slow Waltz. These dances were the forerunners of the
modern waltz that is now performed in dance competitions.
The Foxtrot appeared in Europe at
the beginning of the 20th century and reached its peak of popularity in the
20's. The rapid growth in its popularity was due to the talented American
dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. Over the years several variations of the
Foxtrot have appeared, the most popular ones being the Slow Fox and the
Quickstep. The Slow Foxtrot is characterised by long lines, uninterrupted and
fluent progressive movements. It implies reserved strength and flight. The
dance is complicated since it requires balance and constant control during
every movement. To perform it graciously, the dancers, but most especially the
lady, need constant training. The Slow Foxtrot requires considerable space and
cannot be danced if the ballroom is crowded.
The Quickstep is a light,
lively, cheerful dance, crammed with jumps, hops, right, left and back turns.
Apparently there are several levels of interpretation: a sparkling dance for
youthful dancers, a more refined nobility for middle-aged dancers, and a more
reserved, choice choreography for older dancers. English in origin, it replaced
the Foxtrot which was a quick dance popular in the 1930's. The lively rhythm of
the Quickstep requires lightness and mobility from the dancers. Rich with
variations, the Quickstep is considered The Pocket Grammar of standard dances.
The choreographic sources of the
Tango are Argentine and Spanish folk dances. In the 19th century, the Tango
became wide-spread in South America, and it first appeared in Europe at the
beginning of the 20th century. The well-known French choreographer and composer
Camil de Rinal revamped the dance making it more simple and thereby created the
Tango as we know it today. It was not a popular dance around the world,
however, since the Pope banned it as an obscene dance. After its initial
success in Paris in 1909, the Tango impetuously spread all over Europe and
enjoyed immense popularity in the period between 1910-1915. It went out of
fashion in the 1930's-60's but is currently enjoying a revival. Boldness and
resolution, sudden pauses and unexpected poses, and changes of directions are
The "Flecker" is one of the moves of
the Viennese waltz that is performed at dancing competitions. It is a very
ancient move that originated from the primitive folk dances of Austria and
Germany. For several centuries pairs have danced, spinning round on the same
spot while holding each other very closely. At the end of the 18th and the
beginning of the 19th centuries these dances shifted to towns and cities.
Instead of being performed in country yards and taverns they were now danced in
the great dancing halls of Vienna. Hopping and stamping was transformed into
smooth gliding over spacious and polished floors. The tempo of the music was
increased to 60-70 beats per minute (nowadays 60 beats per minute is usual).
The music of the Viennese Waltz is elegant and full of passion. The dance is
beautiful and it is a real pleasure to watch the dancing pairs. The creators of
these fascinating melodies were Strauss, father and son, Legar, Waldteifel and
other great composers including: Schubert, Chopin, Berlios, Tchaikovsky,
Sibelius, Weber, Ravel.
