SPANISH DANCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 September 1926, Page 11

SPANISH DANCES.

Spanish inCuenco is increasingly felt in British ballrooms, said a wellknown West End: teacher of dancing, when interviewed, and she thinks it is all to the good. “English dances, ” she told a Daily Chronicle representative recently, “always take the long flowing steps, and so much space is needed for them that a ballroom soon becomes crowded, which ■is fatal to good dancing. The waltz, of course, may be an exception to the long' step English dances, but the old English waltz has almost ceased to exist.

Personally, '1 am glad to see the vogue for Spanish dances. Their quiet, graceful and smooth movements are a perfect delight, and they have the further advantage of requiring the minimum space. The paso doble, for instance, could be danced on In. tea table for' two, with , almost endless variety in the steps. ’ 1 An ideal programme in any ballroom was sketched: as follows:

(1) Foxtrot; (2) Yalse; (3) Foxtrot; (4) Tango: (5) Foxtorot; (6) Schotis Espagnol; (7) Yalse; (8) Paso Doble; (9) Foxtrot; (10) Tango.. She disagrees with critics of the Charleston, although she does not think it should be allowed among other dances.

“Dancing is too often degraded by exuberant youth', who add ail sorts of trappings to good dances, and thus ruin them,” she said. “-The tango suffered in this way, but it- is returning to favour in the best circles, and now holds the place, once held by the waltz. Like other Spanish dances, it teaches deportment and poise, as well as graceful movement.”