Follows. Not following but Follows. – by Chris Bruce
DK Ballroom Instructor Chris Bruce explains what Follows are in regards to Ballroom dancing (in Standard & Latin).
Generally, when we think of follow in dancing we think of “lead and follow”. In ballroom dancing one partner (traditionally, the man) is the leader and the other (traditionally, the lady) is the follower.
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 5, Time Signature – by Chris Bruce
In the previous article in this series we looked at how music is divided into groups of beats called bars or measures. But how do we know how many beats are in each bar. To determine this, we need to look at the Time Signature. The Time Signature describes the number of beats in each bar (or measure) of a piece of music, and the type of beat.
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 4, Bars or Measures – by Chris Bruce
DK Ballroom Instructor Chris Bruce
In this series to date we’ve looked at Beat (the rhythmical pulse in music) and Tempo (the speed at which music is played, focusing on measuring Tempo in Beats per minute). We listened to some soundbites in the last post which demonstrated the range of Tempos used in Standard ballroom, but those soundbites consisted of a monotonous series of drumbeats. We could march to this. Possibly we could dance to it.
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 3, Tempo – by Chris Bruce
DK Ballroom Instructor Chris Bruce
Tempo defines the speed at which the music is played. In Ballroom Dancing Tempo is typically measured in bars (or measures) per minute. Musicians, on the other hand, will often refer to Tempo in beats per minute. Both are commonly abbreviated to bpm (though bars per minute may also be abbreviated to mpm for measures per minute).
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 2, Beat – by Chris Bruce
DK Ballroom Instructor Chris Bruce
We can define Beat as the steady pulse in a piece of music. It’s that pulse that you’d naturally clap along to or tap your foot to. A Beat is a pulse of time. A ticking clock is a good example. Every minute, the second hand ticks 60 times, and each one of those ticks is a beat.
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 1, Introduction – by Chris Bruce
Let me start with a quote from George Balanchine, Artistic Director of the New York Ballet for more than 35 years:
I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.
I love this quote. I have it on an old T-shirt that I can’t bear to throw away, even though it’s way past its use-by date.
What’s the deal with Swivels? – by Cassie Tucker
Swivels; one of the most common and challenging actions we face while dancing! Swivels make an appearance in so many New Vogue dances (Merrilyn, Gypsy Tap, Evening Three Step, Lucille Waltz, Excelsior Schottische, Carousel, Tango Carnaval, Barclay Blues, Charmaine, La Bomba, Parma Waltz, Tangoette, Tango Terrific, Tracie-Leigh Waltz, Twilight Waltz just to name a few!),…
Is there a difference between Ballroom and Latin shoes? – by Cassie Tucker
I often get asked by beginners if there is a difference between Latin and ballroom shoes. In fact, I remember asking this very question myself when I first started ballroom dancing! The one thing all ballroom and latin shoes have in common is that they have a suede sole.
The Buddy System – Practice made fun! – by Cassie Tucker
Finding the motivation to practice alone can be tricky. Like with most things, activities done together are more enjoyable, more rewarding, and much easier to commit to when you know you have someone else relying on you. Finding a buddy to practice with can sometimes be that inspiration needed to get you through the studio door!
Fear of Falling (Part 2) – by Cassie Tucker
I think that everyone at some time has felt anxious about falling on the dance floor; whether it be fear of being injured or fear of embarrassment. Everyone has had at least one “slip” or near miss that has made us wary of falling. This fear can prevent us from dancing our best as we often restrict our stride to maintain control.