The Glamour Machine
Many people are captivated by the glamour that is Ballroom dancing, in particular Dancesport competition, so much so that Julie McMain wrote a whole book about it called Glamour Addiction.
In the book she calls Dancesport, the ‘Glamour Machine’.
Viennese Waltz – The Dance of Fairy Tales
Viennese Waltz, also known as Wiener Walzer or the German Waltz is the oldest of the ballroom dances and is in my opinion, also the most beautiful. Viennese is the type of dance you visualise when you think of Cinderella or Anastasia, a royal ballroom or even a phrase like…
Direction and Alignment, Part 2, Alignment – by Chris Bruce
DW. Bkg LOD. Fcg DC ag LOD. Has the cat been walking across my keyboard again?
No, not on this occasion. Using a combination of ‘dance jargon’ and abbreviations I’ve been documenting a ballroom routine, and these hieroglyphics record the direction and alignment of each step…
Direction and Alignment, Part 1, Direction – by Chris Bruce
Chris and his wife Monika at a Dancesport competition. Direction and Alignment, Part 1, Direction DW. Bkg LOD. Fcg DC ag LOD. Has the cat been walking across my keyboard […]
Aspects of Standard Ballroom Music, Part 6, Tempo (revisited) – by Chris Bruce
Chris and his wife Monika at a Dancesport competition. We have already said that Tempo defines the speed at which the music is played. We looked closely at one way […]
Dancing is a Partnership – by Cassie Tucker
Dancing is a Partnership
DK Instructor Cassie Tucker looks at how dancing is a partnership and getting around the floor is not entirely the man’s responsibility…
The Lead-Follow Relationship – by Cassie Tucker
DK Instructor Cassie Tucker looks at how to improve your social dancing by being a better “listener” on the dance floor…
Expectations vs Reality: The Lead-Follow Relationship
On occasion, I have danced with ladies who are very difficult to dance with…
Practicing Tango Walks – by Cassie Tucker
DK Instructor Cassie Tucker looks at how Tango Walks differ in movement to the other dances in the Standard Ballroom family…
Practicing Tango Walks
Tango is the black sheep of Standard dances as it is the only style in which the feet are picked up off the ground…
To Have Two Left Feet – by Cassie Tucker
DK Instructor Cassie Tucker looks at how people new to dance often lament they have “Two left feet”. Is this true? Is this possible? Let’s delve deeper… To Have Two Left Feet “I can’t dance, I have two left feet,” or more commonly when a new couple arrives at the studio: “HE can’t dance, he has two left feet!” are two of the most common phrases a dance teacher hears from new students.
Leading Underarm Turns – by Cassie Tucker
Today, DK Instructor Cassie Tucker looks at how a gentleman (leader) can indicate to his lady (follower) dance partner when to execute an underarm turn…
I am sure on occasion you would have heard your teacher use the phrase “Left hand up in a Stop Sign,” when instructing a Man to lead a Lady’s underarm turn to Right…