BALLROOM DANCING

Evening Star, Issue 25956, 22 November 1946, Page 6

BALLROOM DANCING

STRONG LATIN INFLUENCE VIEWS OF LONDON EXPERT Latin dances such as the rhumba, the samba (which is of Brazilian origin), and the paso d’ohle (based on the Spanish bull fight), had become the rage in American and English ballrooms, said Margaret Michael, fellow and examiner of the National Association of Teachers of Ballroom Dancing, London, in an interview this morning. Mrs Michael is the first examiner of ballroom dancing to come to Dunedin, and her visit has awakened new interest among dancing enthusiasts in the technique of ballroom dancing. New Zealand, said Mrs Michael, was ready for something new in ballroom dances and the Latin dances were the answer. She had introduced the standardised _ Cuban rhumba < in the north and it had become instantly popular. In London Princess Elizabeth had been seen enjoying these new dances and that had helped to make them fashionable. Ballroom dancing was now recognised as an important part in the life of a community, especially among young people, and it had even been included in this year’s

Lord Mayor’s Show, at the request of the Central Council of Physical Recreation. During the occupation of Holland the Nazis had recognised that dancing was good for morale and dancing schools had been allowed to continue. Before the war, too. Germans had always been to the fore in international dancing competitions. British ballroom dancing had always been second to none in the world. Dancing was not just a matter of walking round the room in time with the music, said Mrs Michael. There was a definite technique and style which had been formulated by experts in the dancing world working in collaboration with musicians, and there was a recognised syllabus of basic steps. The waltz, quickstep, foxtrot, and tango were the basic modern dances which would always have more than a fleeting popularity. The Charleston, Lambeth Walk, Palai9 Glide, Black Bottom and many others were fashions of a moment which, however, left a certain rhythmic influence after they themselves were no longer danced. .* Competitions did much to improve the standard of ballroom dancing in any country ? said Mrs Michael, and she thought it would be a step forward if New Zealand teachers combined to work out a uniform standard of technique. She jhad been most interested to hear of an interprovincial team contest which was to take place between Otago and Canterbury.