"JAZZ" VERY LOOSELY APPLIED TERM

NZ Truth, Issue 1238, 22 August 1929, Page 10

"JAZZ" VERY LOOSELY APPLIED TERM

Modern Dancing Reviewed

(By. Miss Phyllis Bates— Member of Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Ballroom Branch, London.) On many occasions I have received from country dancers requests for descriptions' of such dances as the Two-Step, One-Step and "Jazz." •

MODERN dancing is now m its twelfth season m New Zealand, but . m the country districts modern dances are not yet universal— to the exclusion of "old-time." As a matter of fact, the three examples I have quoted were all included m one request, and will, perhaps, show that what is danced m some parts of the country is really neither modern nor old time, but . something between the two. By modern dances we mean those of the non-sequence type which have made their appearance m the last twelve years, as distinct from the old circular waltz, the square dances, such as the Lancers and dances of the sequence type — the two-step, schottische, veleta, etc. , In these sequence dances certain steps were danced m affixed order to set music — everyone did-the same thing at the same time, and there was no variation. Nowadays, we N perform our steps : . at will, but there is a theory and a technique governing all our modern dances, .the knowledge of which plays a far greater part m making a good dancer to-day than was the case m the old time danced. In fact, the diffei-ence between the technique of the two is as wide as that between ping-pong and tennis. With the greater, latitude for selfexpression, modern dancing, executed badly, can look much less graceful and decorous than the old dances; but, on the other hand, the old time dances, however well they may be done, show nothing to approach m grace and beauty of movement, a well -executed fox-trot or a modern waltz. ; THE NEW TECHNIQUE. Our modern dances, however, have not always been with us m their pres-ent-form, they have developed out of all recognition since their inception. In New Zealand we follow English dancing, and., therefore, m tracing dancing history, it is necessary, to make reference to the activities of London teachers,. The' fox-trot, which made its appearance during war time, was of American. I 'origin. It was not the teachers who introduced the dance, but the public who took it up. ' . It " was this that brought It into favor, but the teachers were soon at work; they eliminated its "shlmmies ,, and twinkles and altered the side-to-side chassee movement to the flowing three-step , which forms the basis of the dance to-day. .;,.. The development of the fox-trot 'led to .the development of the new scientific ballroom technique. 1 . The new ballroom technique,, now permanently established, is. like Greek

dancing, based upon natural movements, the same as those governing our everyday walk. ■ THE WALTZ CHANGES. The advent of the fox-trot and the new technique resulted m the waltz developing on similar lines, and, to-day, we have m the waltz, another standardized dance which has changed little . over the past few seasons. • QUICK- TIME ARRIVES. About five seasons back, quick-time music came along to take the popular fancy, and, m due course, the quickstep or d.uick-time fox-trot was evolved by the teachers to meet the quicker tempo. Close after this came the Charleston, Which, m its original American form, upset all our ballroom traditions. The modification process has been continuous and now the Charleston, which little more than the original name remains, is merely a variation .introduced occasionally into the quick-step. The quick-step has shown the greatest change of any dance over recent seasons. The music is now slower and the steps, originally short and lilting, are now longer and smoother. REVIVAL OF THE BLUES. , The Blues, which had been introduced some seasons ago without making any impression on the majority of the dancing public, was successfully )