Its the music !!!... it was at one time on the A/M list

I agree with belle about the polka. You just don't see it advertised in the studios at all. We ask our instructor to break it out once in awhile just to have something different on a night at the studio, and everyone seems to enjoy it. I would venture to guess that it's still a common part of most wedding parties. Years ago, I went to a wedding in Wisconsin, so you know where I am going with this. It was ALL polka, ALL night! Now that was a bit odd, and in a case like that, I would agree with terence ... it's the music!!

The 3 odd ball dances that are( to my mind ) of little social value in most areas of the world.. P.D.. V.W and Polka..
Ethnic dances seldom translate to the " market place " .

ME-

-The Peabody music tempo 60-62 BPM.

belleofyourball-

-I can understand your dislike of the Peabody because of how limited it currently is, however, if the dance had not been cut off so quickly I feel that the technique would have been better developed and it would become a more graceful, sweeping dance. At one point the Peabody was all the rage, and I think it could have a comeback if redeveloped. Now, as far as the Polka is concerned, the Country Western Professionals (Masters) already use that dance as one of their "Big 8" for open competition, and the music is much more interesting (considering it is now danced to the country style of Polka music). I really think if Peabody took the same trek and was danced with a frame similar to Foxtrot in a more traditional position and some of the figures were slightly revamped, the dance could be a success again. The Peabody could have very low & quick gliding movements and little to no hopping/skipping actions (like Quickstep) keeping it distinct, interesting, and fun to dance. I actually am very for Peabody to be developed and I encourage my students who lean to enjoy Smooth more to give it a try. They love the feeling of flying across the floor and having another Smooth dance to do.

I agree about the music...but it really could be revamped...think of how the Argentine Tango music has changed and warped into a lovely sound that is as good to listen to as it is to dance to....The Gotan Project, Narcotango...etc.

They surely could do that with Polka and pull it out of the Lawrence Welk era...they could...right????

If there were a Quickstep introduced into American Smooth it doesn't have to have Scatter Chasses or Woodpeckers..I think many of us will know that English Old Time dance. That very, very old dance the Mayfair Quickstep, which when it first came into being was like the Modern Quickstep was at that time. It does have a seperation in it , only one bar of music, which isn't of course in the Quickstep proper. Incidently the Scatter Chasses in the Modern Quickstep only came into being just after the war and was introduced by Wally Fryer along with that Charleston Step.

As you say, the 'Mayfair Quickstep' (1956) is an old time dance, but it isn't a Quickstep, at all, but a Swing.

Telemark. Tell me if I am wrong. The Quickstep is classed as a Swing Dance which is played at a Tempo of 48 Bars Per Minute. Which is the same as the Mayfair Quickstep.
You might be interested to know that there was a time when the Mayfair was going to be used as part of Australian NEW Vogue untill they realized it belonged to English Old Time. We still, like you, do not have a Quickstep styled dance. As well we have no Modern Waltz style dance. We have V. Waltz. Foxtrot and Tango with several different dances in each of those Tempos which are used in a competition. But I believe it is only a matter of time before that changes.

You are wrong.

BTW, I don't know why this topic popped up again, but hey ...

Wrong in the sense that Waltz Foxtrot & Quickstep are all 'swing' dances (related to the basic walking action having a swing from the hip), in contrast to Tango which uses a different walking principle. The Mayfair Quickstep is a 'Swing', that is, a member of the Old Time (Classical Sequence) family, rather than a modern Quickstep. The differences are the usual ones that separate Old Time from their Modern equivalents (where they exist): use of open and shadow positions (rather than being in hold throughout), solo turns, twinkles & rondes. The particular feature of the 'Swing' Style is the swinging of one foot into a low aerial position, but this does not occur in the Mayfair Quickstep. FWIW, there is a good example of that characteristic step in the relatively recent Madison Swing.

So Swing is not swing, and Swing is not Quickstep.

Also the tempo is incorrect for medal/ Comp. styles .

I actually like that speed for beginners .