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Re: Waltz and Foxtrot Timing
Posted by jofjonesboro
7/16/2008  1:08:00 PM
40niknar, you would have helped yourself a great deal by providing the information in this latest response in your original post.

Threads on a message board tend to wander off on their own tangents. You could have participated more aggressively and kept the focus where you wanted it.

The feather step is one of the basic figures in International Fox Trot. Most of the more experienced dancers and instructors on this board have an affinity for International Standard (Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Fox Trot, and Quickstep), also known as Modern and Ballroom.

It helps to specify which dance and style you want to discuss. In your case, that's Smooth and many of the folks here are quite conversant in it.

Get yourself some manuals for the style of dance that you're studying. This site has several of them; so does www.usistd.org for all of the four major categories.

While you're at it, do your best to find an amateur partner. You're never going to learn to dance by taking lessons without one. You have no one with whom to practice and, without practice, lessons are virtually useless.

Don't expect an instructor or a studio to help you find a partner; they have no financial incentive to do so. Contact the nearest chapter of USADance for information about dancing in your area (USADance Chapter Locator).

But don't stay away from this board. If you don't understand something then don't hesitate to ask the poster to explain it. I'm giving one particular user on this board hell for repeatedly posting stuff that's so badly written that no one can understand it.

Also, get yourself some ballroom dance CD's and listen to the music over and over. The timings will become more and more clear to you.

Always remember that, as an amateur, you're one of the folks who pays for all of this stuff. You have as much right to be on this forum as anyone.

jj






Re: Waltz and Foxtrot Timing
Posted by 40niknar
7/16/2008  7:13:00 PM
Very well written, jofjonesboro. And very good advice. Thank you. Yes, I should have given more specific info in my original post and will know better next time. This was my first post and not realizing there are so many different categories, I just didn't think of it until I read the responses. I am learning.

You are most correct in that it is helpful/necessary to have a partner to learn and become a better dancer. Actually, I do have an ameateur dance partner, and we are learning together with classes that we attend a couple times weekly. Because of living in a rural area, we have converted the garage into a little ballroom and practice what we have learned. So as you can see, we are very serious and eager to learn.

While I am not a musician and cannot read notes, etc., I do have a good ear for music and am able to very easily find the beginning/ending of each measure, etc. I had just been counting the measures wrong with 12345678 instead of 1234.

There is a USA Dance Chapter in my area, and we have made the effort and attended, however, it seems the attendees are mostly couples, and they are very tight and clickish, mostly dancing with people at their own table. I would like to go to a dance where everyone dances with everyone in order to improve my leading and following ability. Yes, I am learning the lead as well as the follow parts. If I happen to be at a dance without a partner, I want to be able to lead the ladies which are always plentiful. It's just too painful to hear the beautiful music, and just sit and watch other people have fun. Learning the lead also tends to help me follow better.

I live in the Seattle area and to get to the best location for dancing (as far as I know, it's the "Washington Ballroom"), I would have to drive a couple hours from home, catch a ferry, and return home with another couple hours drive late at night. So as you can see, cost can also be a factor.

I am not a bad dancer and my timing is great. I will do more research and see if I can find another chapter location nearby. Maybe another chapter will be different. I'm not giving up yet.

To change the subject, I am getting ready to inquire on this board once again (with a NEW post) about how to dance "the fallaway". An instructor tried to teach it to us (me with a different partner) years ago, but we just never could get it. But I remember how beautiful it was. My partner gave up, so I never had a chance to finish learning the step.

Thank you, JJ, for your encouragement. I need it.
Re: Waltz and Foxtrot Timing
Posted by jofjonesboro
7/16/2008  8:25:00 PM
40niknar, I'm really sorry to hear that the USA Dance crowd there is not more open and supportive. To tell the truth, the situation is pretty much the same here in Atlanta - and we have TWO chapters (two groups of people who don't like each other).

The pros on the board can help you with the Fallaway. It's late and I need to hit the sack. Just keep in mind that a Fallaway is a backwards promenade.

You're welcome to any encouragement that I can give. I remember how tough it is to start out in ballroom dancing. I'm really glad that you have a partner.

Keep in touch.

jj
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