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+ View Older Messages

Re: no subject
Posted by Serendipidy
12/26/2007  9:07:00 PM
Guys. I'm still trying to work out is Round Dancing just an American name for Sequence Dancing. The name is completely foreign to me. Are you all on the floor doing the same dance all using the same timing and alignements.Do the dances, have just to name one , names like Honeysuckle Waltz. In which the partner always stays in contact with their partner. No solo turns or underarm turns. This is Sequence Dancing.
Re: no subject
Posted by SmoothGeezer
12/26/2007  10:09:00 PM
Old Time English Sequence dancing (now called Classical Sequence) is not the same as Round Dancing, but there are some similarities, as there are some similarities between most all kinds of dance. There is also Modern Sequence Dancing. One distinction between these two, is similar to one of the differences between American versus International style. Modern Sequence Dancing is done in closed position, and if you break into an open position you are doing Old Time Sequence dancing (there are some exceptions).

A large difference between round dancing and sequence dancing is that there is no cueing in sequence dancing. The dance is memorized. In round dance's beginnings, the dances were also memorized, but that is no longer done.

Note: In both sequence dancing and in round dancing, a "dance" consists of a particular song with an associated choreography. In round dance a type of dance (waltz, foxtrot, jive, etc) is called a rhythm.

I do not do sequence dancing, so my knowledge of it is not extensive, however as I understand it, a dance consists of a 16 bar pattern of steps. These steps are repeated for the duration of the song. Information about the particular dances is difficult to come by, because each of these dances is copyrighted, and it is prohibited to demonstrate, video, or copy the scripts of most of these dances without the permission of the copyright holder. That doesn't do much for promoting the popularity of this form of dance. There are many types of sequence dances, many of which would not be recognized by a ballroom dancer, such as Blues, Four Step, Gavotte, Glide, Mazurka, Party, Quadrille, Saunter, Stroll, Sway, etc. Some may recognize some of these as predecessors to some of the more modern dances. Sequence dancing also has the dances familiar to ballroom dancers, waltz, foxtrot, tango, jive, rumba, quickstep, etc.

Here is a video of sequence dancing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDnb7Z9qKHk

Another major difference between round dance and sequence dancing is that there are competitions in sequence dancing. Competition does not exist in round dancing. Sequence dance competitions are actually pretty high level in terms of execution compared to social dancing (but you would expect that). Here is a video of a sequence dance competition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13VBQVfrDZw

Round dances (a choreography for a song) are typically split into an introduction, 2 or 3 middle parts , and an ending. The middle parts are usually repeated. All the steps are cued. Here is a page that has a video of a phase 2 dance which is the beginning level of round dance, and a phase 6 dance which is the highest level available in round dance.
http://www.crda.net/CRDAclub.html

A middle level, phase 4 may be seen here:
http://www.crda.net/

Here is a phase 6 rumba (highest level in round dance) demonstrated by a cuer and instructor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvWCGGuMWks
Re: no subject
Posted by Serendipidy
12/27/2007  2:22:00 PM
SmoothGeezer. Thanks for the information. I know now that Round Dancing is not Sequence Dancing. Scrips are available here as well as tapes and books on English Sequence Dancing. Some of the dances are vey cleverly put together and some are useless. I had a discusion with a Sequence adict. I said you only have a certain amount of time at a dance. With forty new dances being introduced each year you must be discarding forty dances from your list. I named one what has happened to the Flo Jo Cha Cha. named after the American sprinter. That one was long gone.
In reality what is happening is that one group on this side of town have their selection of dances. It would be fairly useless to go to the otherside of town where they could be playing the Flo Jo Cha Cha. It is now becoming rather clicky.
I did put my foot in it when this guy said he knows 120 dances off the top of his head. I said speaking as a Ballroom dancer you don't do one correctly , which is true.
Re: no subject
Posted by paul&dot
12/28/2007  11:03:00 AM
SmoothGeezer & Serendipid:
I enjoyed watching the Sequence Dance Demonstration. I agree that some of the footwork is very cleverly put together. From the video the activity looks to be a recreational movement that provides an outlet for seniors, stimulates their minds, and offers a form of bodily exercise, in a casual atmosphere and with neatly clothed acquaintances.
I'm too old to call any of the dances useless.
Re: Ballroom Vs. Round Dancing
Posted by kaiara
3/13/2008  3:15:00 PM
I'm probably not as good at any one dance as many on this board, but l square and round dance and have some solid basic ballroom training.

I love all of it. Like Square, Round Dance is called or cued. That means you follow the caller in addition to your partner, rather like the combination in square dancing. But instead of the square dance steps, you get steps which are similar in footwork to ballroom steps. I find it to be fun.

Ballroom gives you greater scope for technique in your ballroom dances. There is more focus on form, and you absolutely must learn to follow and lead. It is fun when you are with a partner who is good, I find that when the man leads well, waltz is like a dream and challenging because you don't know what is coming up until you feel the lead. That communication between the partners is what makes Ballroom my favorite--but I find getting a partner for round and square is easier for us older dancers.

I also found that when I do Ballroom, it makes my Round Dancing better. And the extra hours of dancing I get in Round Dance seems to speed up my understanding in Ballroom so I can concentrate more on style.

I guess for someone with minimal experience in any one thing I've rather a lot to say! LOL Perhaps it helps?
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