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Modern Ballroom Dancing

No. M The Quickstep

by

W. E.

Priestly

(A synopsis of a talk broadcast from 2YA.)

PHE quickstep, or as it is sometimes called the fast foxtrot, is the most popular of our standard dances. A very common mistake is to regard dancing te musie with a syncopated beat jazz. Nothing is further from the truth or more liable to give a wrong impression. The term "jazz" is taken from one of the African negro dialects, meaning drunkenness or frenzy, and was first given to the attempts of some of the early American bands on account of their method of interpreting 4-4 or foxcd

trot time. This "noise," for it was little else, mainly consisted of sobbing saxophones, laughing trombones, jangling bells, and any weird noise that the fertile brain of a negro instrumentalist could devise. This jazz was thrust upon the world when it was least able to resist it-in the post-war period up to and including 1922, The world accepted the superficial gaiety and brightness of this form of entertainment as a palliative. It was definitely a reaction, and as such it served its purpose. The allied arts, music and dancing, were, however, not content, and though the uplifting or evolution has been slow. it has, nevertheless, been sure. The successful dance bands of today are those which have realised that rhythm and melody are the essentials of modern dance music. Irrespective of its size numerically, a band to-day must be perfectly balanced. By that I mean eertain instruments concentrate on the rhythm, or "time" of the music, while the others provide the melody. For instance, in a well balanced band the piano, drums, banjo, or guitar provide the rhythm, while the saxophones, violins, and brass instruments provide the melody. It is only by the successful blending of these essentials that a dance band can be successful, . This combination is not, however, the ideal one fer tango. Quickstep is danced to foxtrot time, played about 54 bars per minute. The timing should be well marked with the emphasis on the first and third beats The foundation of this dance is a natural walking movement, stepping well out from the hips, the knees may be slightly relaxed, but not obviously bent I will now describe the walk and several of the basic turns and variations. In each case the movements I am de-

seribing are the gentleman’s, the lady’s movements are the exact counterpart, except where specially mentioned. The Walk. TEP forward with a gliding movement fromthe hip, pushing your foot along the floor on to the heel first, then to the flat of the foot as the step is completed. Now the same with the other foot.

To avoid too many technicalities, if you make this a natural walking movement, with the exception of, instead of lifting and placing the feet, slide them smoothly and easily over the floor, heel first, you will have mastered the walk. In doing this you take two beats of mysie to each walking step. Next in importance to being able to walk correctly is your ability to turn, In turning we have two basic turns, the natural and the reverse, the natural. always commencing from a forward right foot and the reverse froma forward left. The natural turn is always used for turning a corner.

Natural Turn, TEP forward on the R. (S.), com--mencing to turn to the R. (S.) Step to the side with the L. on the ball of the foot, still turning (Q.), close R. to L. (Q.). Step back on the L. on the ball of the foot, commencing to turn R..(S8.). Very short step to side with R. (S8.). Draw L. to R. and brush straight forward into the walk (S8.). Reverse Turn. QTEP forward on the L., commencing to turn to the L. (8.). Step to side with R. on the ball of the foot and complete the half turn (8.). A long step back on the ball of the L. (8.). A long

‘step back on the ball of the R., commencing to turn to the L. (8.). Close L. to R., pivoting to L. on the R, heel (8.). Forward on the L. into walk (S.). Note that while the gentleman is pivoting on the R. heel the lady steps to ‘the side in front of the gentleman on the R., then closes left to R. Quarter Turn, TEP forward on the R, taking a quarter turn to the RR. (8). By saying a. quar-

-_ ter turn I mean 90 degrees. Step to the side with the L, on the ball of the foot (Q). Close right to left, still on the balls of the feet (Q.). Step back on the L. on the ball of the foot (S.). Step back on the ball of the R., commencing to turn to the L. (8.). Close L. to R., pivoting to L. on the R. heel (S.). Forward on L. into walk (S.), As the last part of this step is exactly the same ag the latter part of the reverse turn, namely, a heel spin, the lady steps to the side with the K. and closes L. to R. as her partner spins on his heel,

Flat Charleston. A DECIDED asset in dancing quickstep on a crowded ballroom floor is being able to mix a little flat ballroom Charleston with your longer walking movements. This Charleston is & hesitating or marking time step. Forward on the R., taking two beats. Close L. to R. two beats. All the movements in Charleston are taken to the same time. Step to side with the L. and close R. to L. Forward R. and repeat. When you find you have plenty of room again step

forward on the R. into the ordinary walk, The next in the series will be the waltz,

Abbreviations (THE following abbreviations are used in the text:-j-left foot. r-right foot. s-slow. q-quick,

The Tango N error occurred in the "back corte’ of the tango description. This should be: The back corte is taken when back to your line of dance. Step back on the ball of the J. (s.). Step back on the ball of the r (q.). Step to side with the 1, (q.).: Close r. to Ll. (s.).

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.I whakaputaina aunoatia ēnei kuputuhi tuhinga, e kitea ai pea ētahi hapa i roto. Tirohia te whārangi katoa kia kitea te āhuatanga taketake o te tuhinga.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/RADREC19320708.2.32

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 52, 8 July 1932, Page 13

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,049

Modern Ballroom Dancing Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 52, 8 July 1932, Page 13

Modern Ballroom Dancing Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 52, 8 July 1932, Page 13

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