Foxtrot
Foxtrot
Beat: 4/4
Temp: 30-32 bpm
Count: "1 - 2 - 3 - 4" ("slow - quick")
Developed in 1913
In the early days of the Twentieth Century, during the Ragtime Era, a whole flock of "animal dances" were briefly popular, formed out of the earlier Two Step. There was the Squirrel, in which dancers took small, mincing steps, a Duck Waddle involving quick walks and sways of the upper body to the left and right, a Snake, where dancers walked sinuously to banjo with a dip and then to sidecar. There was the Lame Duck, Chicken Scratch, Kangaroo Hop, a Horse Canter, and a Horse Trot. And of course, there was the Fox Trot.
The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of "Fox" after his grandfather.
Harry was thrown on his own resources at the age of fifteen. He joined a circus for a brief tour and he also played professional baseball for a short while.
A music publisher liked his voice and hired him to sing songs from the boxes of vaudeville theaters in San Francisco.
In 1904 he appeared in a Belvedere Theatre in a comedy entitled "Mr. Frisky of Frisco." After the San Francisco earthquake and the fire of 1906, Harry Fox migrated East and finally stopped in New York.
In early 1914, Fox was appearing in various vaudeville shows in the New York area. In April he teamed up with Yansci Dolly of the famous Dolly Sisters in an act of Hammerstein's. At the same time, the New York Theatre, one of the largest in the World, was being converted into a movie house. As an extra attraction, the theater's management decided to try vaudeville acts between the shows. They selected Harry Fox and his company of "American Beauties" to put on a dancing act. An article in Variety Magazine stated "Harry Fox will appear for a month or longer at a large salary with billing that will occupy the front of the theatre in electrics".
At the same time, the roof of the theatre was converted to a Jardin de Danse, and the Dolly sisters were featured in a nightly revue.
The May 29, 1914 issue of Variety Magazine reported
"The debut of Harry Fox as a lone star and act amidst the films of the daily change at the New York Theatre started off with every mark of success. The Dolly Sisters are dancing nightly on the New York Roof. Gold cups will be given away next week to the winners of dance contests on the New York Roof."
The Foxtrot originated in the Jardin de Danse on the roof of the New York Theatre. As part of his act downstairs, Harry Fox was doing trotting steps to ragtime music, and people referred to his dance as "Fox's Trot."
The Foxtrot might not actually have started as an "animal dance." One story tells of Harry Fox who scattered with scantily clad women in static poses. His act involved a fast, comical dance to 4/4 ragtime music from one woman to the next where he would deliver his jokes. The act was popular, the music was widely marketed, and Fox's "Trot" became popular in dance halls and dance studios. It was introduced to members of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in London in 1915.
The elite of the dancing world were soon trying to capture the unusual style of movement and when a very talented American, G.K. Anderson came over to London, and with Josephine Bradley won many competitions, he set the seal on the style of the foxtrot
In its earliest days, the Foxtrot was not the smooth: slow, quick, quick, of today (which if you think about it, is nothing like a "trot"). Back then dancers might have taken four slow steps down line and then eight quicks with just a little bit of a prance. They walked in a circle. There was a lunge, close, lunge, close; producing a full turn. There were hops and kicks. There was a definite strutting or trotting look. One of the first "definitions" of the rhythm came from an American teacher who said, "There are but two things to remember; first a slow walk, two counts to a step; second a trot or run, one count to each step."
As a result of the great popularity which ballroom dancing was enjoying, it was necessary to evolve a form of dance that could express the slow syncopated 4/4 rhythm and yet could remain "on the spot."
This did not mean that the "traveling" fox-trot was dropped, but the "on the spot" dance did provide a means of enjoying the music in a background which large numbers of people could afford and enjoy, and where various bands were all producing excellent and individual musicians and experimenting with and perfect all of the new sounds and beats from America.
The "on the spot" dancing was known appropriately as crush, then rhythm dancing. It is now called "social" dancing and possibly this conveys its purpose and limitations. It would be anti-social to attempt to stride around a ballroom crowded with dancers, to dance with only one partner when out with a party, or to be so engrossed with the performance of figures that any conversation is taboo.
The Foxtrot was the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing. The combination of quick and slow steps permits more flexibility and gives much greater dancing pleasure than the one-step and two-step which it has replaced. There is more variety in the fox-trot than in any other dance, and in some ways it is the hardest dance to learn!
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.
There is such a great variety of steps and figures in this dance like there is in no other balroom dance. This surely makes the Foxtrot one of the hardest ones to perform.
Contemporary Foxtrot has steps from dances such as Peabody, Quickstep и Roseland Foxtrot.
Foxtrot is fourth in the Standard program of all competitions - it is performed after the Viennese Waltz.
It should be said that the complicated charachter of the dance requires a lot of experience from the competitors and thus it is not performed by dancers in the "E" and "D" competitive classes.
Quickstep
Quickstep
Beat: 4/4
Temp: 48-52 bpm
Count: "1 - 2 - 3 - 4" (or "slow - quick" in different variations)
Developed around 1923
The Quickstep evolved in the 1920s from a combination of the Foxtrot, Charleston, Shag, Peabody and One Step. This dance is English in origin and was standardized in 1927. The Quickstep now is quite separate from the Foxtrot. Unlike the modern Foxtrot, the man often closes his feet, and syncopated steps are regular occurrences as was the case in early Foxtrot.
There was a debate as to why this dance became so popular in Britain. It has been thought that the Quickstep was Brit's answer to keeping warm indoors during the winter.
In the twenties many bands played the slow-Foxtrot too fast. Eventually they developed into two different dances. The slow-Foxtrot tempo was slowed down and Quickstep became the fast version of the Foxtrot.
1925 began the Charleston fever, it had a lot of influence on the development of the Quickstep. The English developed the Quickstep from the original Charleston as a progressive dance without kicks and mixed in the fast Foxtrot. They called this dance "the QuickTime Foxtrot and Charleston".
At the 'Star' Championships of 1927, the English couple Frank Ford and Molly Spain danced a version of the QuickTime Foxtrot and Charleston without the characteristic Charleston knee actions and made it a dance for two instead of a solo.
It has been in the group of the Standard dances since 1927
By the end of the 20th century the speed of Quickstep as done by advanced dancers has increased even more, due to the extensive use of steps with eighth note durations. While in older times quickstep patterns were counted with "quick" (one beat) and "slow" (two beats) steps, many advanced patterns today are cued with split beats, such as "quick-and-quick-and-quick-quick-slow".
Main difference between Foxtrot and Quickstep is that in the second one the use of sincopated steps is almost compulsory. In some figures the dance may also look like English Waltz (danced in 3/4 time while the Foxtrot is done in 4/4).
Note that there was a 19th century Quickstep, which was a march-like dance and has no relation to the modern ballroom step.
Competitions in America do not include the Quickstep but there are social groups who dance it regularly in bars and clubs.
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.
Rich with variations, the Quickstep is considered The Pocket Grammar of standard dances. Main reasons for that are:
- while the basic figures are quite simple, the tempo of the music and the whole character of the dance seem to invite a carefree interpretation of its bright rhythm;
- it is a proven fact that the energy exerted while dancing a 60 second Quickstep is equivalent to running a mile in record time;
- experienced dancers' level of performing and interpretating the Foxtrot is often considered impossable by beginners.
* Latino - American dances
Samba
Beat: 2/4
Temp: 48-52 bpm
Count: "1 - (a) - 2"
Danced competitively since 1956
Before I go into any further explanations I must say that the information presented on this page is as compact as possible. This comes from the impossibility to put the entire history of a dance which kept on developing for over 170 years.
In addition - and from historical point of view - there are many different periods that could be traced in the evolution of the dance. This makes the choice of facts, suitable for presenting here, even harder.
I apologize in advance for any information in the text that you may find difficult to understand, disorderly presented, or in short - too comlicated or bulky.
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and is the birth place of the Samba. Much of the music in the heavily populated coastal areas shows a remarkable combination of African, Native Indian, and Iberian influences.
Modern Samba was developed from an earlier Brazilian musical style called Choro. Both Samba the dance and music can take many forms, from the vivacious call response of samba de enredo, the music of Carnaval to samba-cancon or song samba, a more relaxed guitar and rhythm variant. Bossa Nova, which translates to New Wave, hit America big time in the Sixties with "The Girl From Ipanema". This song by the legendary composer Antonio Carlos Jobim became a classic in jazz and elevator music.
In the 16th century, the portuguese discovered on the east coast of South America, a place they called the January River (Rio de Janeiro). Colonists soon settled and as the colony prospered, slaves were brought from south-west Africa to work in the plantations of Bahia, in the north-east of what became Brazil.
To adherents of the Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomble, Samba means to pray, to invoke your personal orixa (god/saint).
The African rhythms enveloped in Latino music came from the Yoruba, Congo and other West African people, who were transported to the New World as slaves. In their homeland the rthythms were used to call forth various gods.
Candomble preserves these rhythms to this day! It is these rhythms that has heavily influenced Brazilian music making Samba a unique genre of music.
The native dances were considered sinful by the Europeans and at different times the authorities tried to suppress their popularity.
Still, many in the colony became popular amongst both blacks and whites.
The Batuque described as a circle dance with steps like the Charleston done to hand clapping and percussion, became so popular that the prtuguese emperor Manuel I who fled to Brazil during the Napoleanic Wars, passed a law forbidding it!
A composite dance was developed in the 1830's which combined the plait figures from these Negro dances and the body rolls and sways of the indigenous Lundu.
Later, carnival steps were included. This dance was modified and began to be performed with the dancers holding each other in the European way (closed dance position).
Around 1885, it was adopted by high society in Rio, and popularised as the Zemba Queca. It was modified again and called the Mesemba.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mesemba was combined with another Brazilian dance, the Maxixe and was popularised in the U.S.A and Europe.
It has been described as having the steps of the Polka done to the music of the Cuban Habanera (from Havanna). The present day Samba still contains a step called the Maxixe, consisting of a chasse and point.
(On the picture - basic steps of the Maxixe for the man and the lady)
1928 was a special year for Samba. A French dance book published by Paul Boucher in 1928 included Samba instructions, this helped popularise the dance in Europe but more importantly, on August 12, 1928 the first samba school was established at Estacio.
In the 1930s, a form of the Samba called the Carioca was revived in U.K and spread to the USA. Movies helped popularise it, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing it in their first film together.
In 1941, its popularity was boosted by performances by Carmen Miranda in her many films.
Under the name Samba the dance was introduced in the U.S. in a Broadway play called "Street Carnival" in the late twenties. In the 1950s Brazilian musicians heard the "cool jazz" of the US and adapted it to a gentler samba rhythm syncopated on the guitar. The result was the reflective, romantic music called Bossa Nova(with its hit single "Girl From Ipanema").
The Ballroom Samba, while maintaining elements of what the Brazilians consider the true Samba, was formalised in 1956 by Pierre Lavelle. Since then, various forms of Samba have been developed to fit the mood of modern music.
A typical dance history of Samba will always mention the dancers Manuel Diniz ("Duque" - the duke) and Gaby, two Maxixe dancers resident in Paris, who are credited with creating the ballroom version of Samba (the dance) and introducing it to Europe.
New forms of Samba (more or less lasting in time) developed in time always trying to adapt to the contemporary style(s) of music.
In general the Samba is a progressive dance. As many of the other dances, Samba has also lost its close realtion with its predecessors. Partially this happened because of the need to give the dance a more competitve character
Cha-cha-cha
Beat: 4/4
Temp: 30-32 bpm
Count: "2-3-cha-cha-cha" или "1-2-3-cha-cha"
Danced competitively since: 1952
The name could have been derived from the Spanish 'Chacha' meaning 'nursemaid', or 'chachar' meaning 'to chew coca leaves', or from 'char' meaning "tea', or most likely from the fast and cheerful Cuban dance: the Guaracha. This dance has been popular in Europe from before the turn of the century. For example it is listed on the program of the Finishing Assembly in 1898 of Dancie Neill at Coupar Angus in Scotland.
The Mambo originated in Haiti.
In the late 1940s, Havana, Cuba, was one of the most popular resorts for North Americans, especially those residing along the east coast. The most famous American dance bands as well as the many outstanding latin bands native to Cuba played at the city's casinos. Some of these orchestras tried combining the American JAZZ beat with the Cuban RUMBA rhythm; The result was a new rhythm called the MAMBO. (The word "Mambo" is the name of a Voodoo priestess in the religion brought by the Negroes from Africa. Thus the Cha Cha had its origins in the religious ritual dances of West Africa. There are three forms of Mambo: single, double, and triple. The triple has five (!) steps to a bar, and this is the version that evolved into the Cha Cha). In fact, Cha-cha-cha (or Triple Mambo) is danced to the tripled rhythm of Mambo.
A dance was developed to the new mambo rhythm, danced to the off beat rather than the traditional downbeat. For this reason, the dance was popular mainly with dancers thoroughly familiar with complex Afro-Cuban music.
However, among the many figures of the mambo was one called the "chatch", which involved three quick changes of weight preceded by two slow steps.
By the early 1950s, this figure had developed into a new dance comprised of many simple variations on the basic footwork. The dance acquired the name CHA-CHA ; its characteristic three-step change of weight carried the identifying verbal definition, "cha-cha-cha".
The Mambo was intoduced to the West in 1948.
] When the English dance teacher Pierre Lavelle visited Cuba in 1952, he realised that sometimes the Rumba was danced with extra beats.
When he returned to Britain, he started teaching these steps as a separate dance.
(Lavelle, 1975, 2). The name could have been derived from the Spanish 'Chacha' meaning 'nursemaid', or 'chachar' meaning 'to chew coca leaves' (Smith, 1971, 161), or from 'char' meaning "tea' (Taylor, 1958, 150), or most likely from the fast and cheerful'Cuban dance: the Guaracha (Ellfeldt, 1974,59). This dance has been popular in Europe from before the turn of the century. For example it is listed on the program of the Finishing Assembly in 1898 of Dancie Neill at Coupar Angus in Scotland (Hood, 1980, 102).
In 1954, the dance was described as a "Mambo with a guiro rhythm". A Guiro is a musical instrument consisting of a dried gourd rubbed by a serrated stick.
The cha-cha inherited much of its styling from its parent dances, the rumba and the mambo. Like most latin dances, it is done with the feet remaining close to the floor. The dancers' hips are relaxed to allow free movement in the pelvic section. The upper body shifts over the supporting foot, as steps are taken.
There are three flavors of Cha-cha-cha dance, differing by the place of the chachacha chasse with respect to the musical bar. Ballroom Cha-cha and street Cha-cha-cha in Cuba count "two-three-chachacha". Country/western Cha-cha-cha and Latin street Cha-cha-cha in many places other than Cuba count "one-two-chachacha" or "chachacha-three-four".
Guajira, a product of triple Mambo via Danzon predates all the "social" versions.
The Guajira rhythm, is still used as the basis by Cubans and Puerto Ricans, who are of the belief, that the other versions were " anglicised " , to suit the American market. As is usual with the more authentic forms of dance, a very limited variety of steps, is used. It can still be seen danced in many South Florida night clubs.
The music for the ballroom Cha-cha-cha is energetic and with a steady beat. The "Latin" cha-cha-cha is slower, more sensual and may involve complicated rhythms. "Cowboy" Cha-Cha-Cha is danced basically to any "four to the floor" music.
Rumba
Beat: 4/4
Temp: 25-27 bpm
Count: "(1 -) 2 - 3 - 4" or "slow - quick"
Developed around 1913
The word Rumba is a generic term, covering a variety of names (Son, Danzon, Guagira, Guaracha, Naningo).
There are two sources of the dances: one Spanish and the other African. Although the main growth was in Cuba, there were similar dance developments which took place in other Caribbean islands and in Latin America generally.
The "rumba influence" came in the 16th century with the black slaves imported from Africa. The native Rumba folk dance is essentially a sex pantomime danced extremely fast with exaggerated hip movements and with a sensually aggressive attitude on the part of the man and a defensive attitude on the part of the woman.
The music is played with a staccato beat in keeping with the vigorous expressive movements of the dancers. Accompanying instruments include the maracas, the claves, the marimbola, and the drums.
As recently as the second world war, the "Son" was the popular dance of middle class Cuba. It is a modified slower and more refined version of the native Rumba.
Still slower is the "Danzon", the dance of wealthy Cuban society. Very small steps are taken, with the women producing a very subtle tilting of the hips by alternately bending and straightening the knees.
The American Rumba is a modified version of the "Son"..
The first serious attempt to introduce the rumba to the United States was by Lew Quinn and Joan Sawyer in 1913. Ten years later band leader Emil Coleman imported some rumba musicians and a pair of rumba dancers to New York.
In 1925 Benito Collada opened the Club El Chico in Greenwich Village and found that New Yorkers did not know what Rumba was all about.
Real interest in Latin music began about 1929. In the late 1920's, Xavier Cugat formed an orchestra that specialized in Latin American music.
He opened at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles and appeared in early sound movies such as "In Gay Madrid".
Later in the 1930's, Cugat played at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. By the end of the decade he was recognized as having the outstanding Latin orchestra of the day.
In 1935, George Raft played the part of a suave dancer in the movie "Rumba", a rather superficial musical in which the hero finally won the heiress (Carol Lombard) through the mutual love of dancing.
In Europe, the introduction of Latin American dancing (Rumba in particular) owed much to the enthusiasm and interpretive ability of Monsieur Pierre (London's leading teacher in this dance form). In the 1930's with his partner, Doris Lavelle, he demonstrated and popularized Latin-American dancing in London.
Pierre and Lavelle introduced the true "Cuban Rumba" which was finally established after much argument, as the official recognized version in 1955.
Some dancers consider rumba the most erotic and sensual Latin dance, for its relatively slow rhythm and the hip movement. Rumba is actually the second slowest Latin dance: the spectrum runs Bolero, Rumba, Cha-cha-cha, Mamboin order of the speed of the beat.
More about Cuban Rumba you can find out in Wikipedia.
Ballroom Rumba inherited much of its movements from the Son (Mambo is also considered to have inherited a lot from this dance).
In addition it should be said that Rumba has played a great role in the creating of the Cha-cha-cha. In fact much of the figures of Rumba (if not all) can be performed in Cha-cha cha.
Paso Doble
Beat: 2/4
Temp: 62 bpm
Count: "1 - 2" ("left (leg) - right (leg)"); three highlights
Developed around 1920
Paso Doble or Pasodoble is a lively style of dance to the duple meter march-like pasodoble music.
It actually originated in southern France, but is modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. Paso doble means "two step" in Spanish.
The name 'Paso Doble' in Spanish means 'Two Step', and may be distinguished from 'Paso a Dos' which means 'Dance for two'. "Two Step" refers to the marching nature of the steps, which may be counted '1, 2' for 'Left, Right'.
The dance itself became popular amongst the upper classes of Paris in the 1930's (thanks to Pierre Lavelle), and acquired a set of French names for many of the steps.
It has still only limited popularity amongst English speaking society. There are places in Spain, France, Vietnam, Australia and Germany where it is played regularly as social dance.
The competition version of the Paso Doble is danced with a high chest, the shoulders wide and down, and with the head kept back but inclined slightly forward and down (the bullfight nature of the dance).
Pasodoble is based on music played at bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance (paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. The leader of this dance plays the part of the matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador's cape, but can also represent the bull or a Flamenco dancer in some figures.
Often it is choregraphed to the tune 'Espana Cani' (the Spanish Gypsy Dance), which has three crescendos in the music. These highlights are usually matched in the choreography by dramatic poses, adding to the spectacular nature of the dance.
Paso Doble (just like Samba) is a progressive Latin-American dance. Interesting part of its performing is that most forward steps have heel leads.
A bit more information about the Paso Doble music (more about Espana Cani). It has breaks in fixed positions in the song (two breaks at syllabus levels, three breaks and a longer song at Open levels). Traditionally Paso Doble routines are choreographed to match these breaks, as well as the musical phrases. Accordingly, most other ballroom Paso Doble tunes are written with similar breaks (those without are simply avoided in most competitions).
Jive
Beat: 4/4
Temp: 32-44 bpm
Count: "1-2, 3-a-4, 3-a-4"
Developed around 1927
The origins of the word "jive" are unknown. It may refers to "jive talk" or badmouthing. This word reflects the character of the dance. It is sassy and loud. The first hints of Jive came from African-American slaves.
Jive's correct name is Jitterbug Jive.
It is named after a 30's Mickey Mouse cartoon where Mickey and Minnie danced a country style Jitterbug. The name came from Jitterbugs being the dancers and Jive meaning "fake" or "not right".
Earlier we mentioned Afrcan-American slaves. These slaves danced several native dances that had triple and single steps. Their music had a continuous drum bass, and several hints of jive rhythms. Jive itself has now split into two parts, one based on this original African beat and the other based upon its evolved style.
Nowadays Jive can be separated in two groups: a dance with an authentical African sound or a more contemporary variant.
Jive can be known by many different names. It is sometimes called Swing, the Jitterbug, Lindy hop or the Charleston , although it is a completely different dance. These dances are all similar, and their steps are interconnected.
In the 1880's, the dance was performed competitively amongst the Negroes in the South, and the prize was frequently a cake, so the dance became known as the Cake Walk.
Jive is most directly related to Swing. This is because it evolved from many of the competitions that were held in America and several parts of Europe during the early 1900's. Jive's music eventually developed its own flavor in the 1950's and 60's.
Even back then the dance had the kicks (also specific for today), flicks and interesting gestures.
The turns and overhead moves are a direct descendant of some very old English country dances where couples cross over in a diagonal.
In the 30's jive dancing was very smooth and with sliding footwork whereas later the footwork was not as smooth due to the dancers lifting their feet so as not to trip on rough floor boards or the local rough country entertainment establishments.
American soldiers brought these dances to Europe around 1940, where they swiftly found a following among the young.
After the war, the Boogie became the dominant form for popular music. However, it was never far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance.
The famous ballroom dancing guru, Alex Moore, said that he had "never seen anything uglier".
English instructors developed the elegant and lively Jive, danced to slightly slower music.
In Britain the closed position was considered by many to be indecent, and sometimes the lady wore "bumpers" to preclude body contact.
In 1968 it was adopted as the fifth Latin dance in International competitions.
It is considered that Jive is not to be further developed into another dances or styles even though there are some steps that could be seen in Rock'n'Roll performances and which are typical for Jive.
The basic step (Jive Basic) is an 8-step pattern. Man:
Counts "1 - 2" - Rock step: left foot step back, right foot replace;
Counts "3-a-4" - Chasse to the left;
Counts "3-a-4" (or "5-a-6") - Chasse to the right;
The follower's steps are mirrored.
A famous song with Jive-rhythm is Elvis Presley's "Jail House Rock".
Jive is the last dance in a competition, and is also one of the hardest dances to perform. For this reason, many dancers save their energy for one last burst at the end of a night of competing.
