Ballroom Dancing.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 372, 14 March 1932, Page 6

Ballroom Dancing.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —I agree with Mr Leo Bowden that dancing, properly carried out, it a healthy exercise, in fact, second only to swimming. Strangely enough, too, it has never been truly defined. It is in itself a pastime, pleasure, recreation, an expression, exercise, entertainment, an accomplishment, or, perhaps, two of the most important things of all, poise and confidence. The dancing profession, in common with practically every other profession and trade, has. to a large degree, been severely affected by the present depression, this being well substantiated by the reduced prices of admission to dance halls and cabarets and by the dancing teachers’ own fees of tuition. Upon the face of this, it does not seem to matter what the I.S.D.T, London, are. to use a metaphor, doing with their “ melting pot ” as the creation of a new dance just now would share the sad fate of such dances as the Yale Blues, Tile Trot, Baltimore, Heebie-Jeebies, SixEight, Skaters’ Waltz, Midway Rhythm, Diagonal Waltz, etc. Ballroom dancers, to-day, are satisfied with the Foxtrot (slow and fast), the Quickstep or Onestep, and the Waltz (in various forms). The Foxtrot being the most simple in movements and rhythm is the most popular. It is danced to 4-4 time, 46-48 bars per minute. The reason for the Waltz being the least popular is that many of the present generation cannot dance the round Waltz. Some teachers do not teach this dance properly and yet it is simple enough. As for the modern waltzes, the tempo is much slower, being about 42 bars per minute. It is a standard dance, the natural and reverse turns and the pa.<de.valsc still forming its basis. There are three beats to the bar. as in the round Waltz. Often the fault of not dancing properly lies more with the band and not with the dancers, who must dance to time. Christchurch dances, collectively, are as good as any in the Dominion. Contrary to belief the best ballroom dancers (in any part of the world) come from the working arid- middle classes. These great classes, being denied many social accomplishments, pay to be taught, correctly, the art of ballroom dancing, and, coupled with the fact that some of them go to two, three and four dances a week, get the practise that gives them that easy, graceful, natural, English style. In conclusion, kindly let me say in defence of the dancers, especially in Christchurch, that very few dance bands or orchestras can play the correct times and tempos for the various dances, as laid down by the inventors, and that many dance musicians should learn to dance well themselves to appreciate the difficulties they place in the way of dancers -especially beginners. The dances which have been invented in the last few years are not altogether suited to the ballroom. They' are more or less “ exhibition ” dances and cannot be danced properly in a crowded hall. The dancing of to-day must be simple in time, movements and steps. It must be in a progressive movement going round in the line of dance. An undue amount of backward or side movements only lead to confusion. The Foxtrot will probably be the most popular dance of this generation and will, undoubtedly, take iomi superseding.— I am, etc., A. R. CLARK.