Sequence dancing on QM2 transatlantic?

[Marisawrite]

Evidently UK Old Time dancing has even more technique and discipline than did New Vogue in the 1980s and what we Australians used to call Old Time....

 

My question, then, is about current New Vogue in Australia. Is it as strict as UK Old Time, or is it more what it used to be when I learnt?

 

From what you describe, no it's not as strict as Old Time. The steps are basically the same as the ones used in standard ballroom dancing. When it gets more advanced, there's a lot of sweeping torso and arm movements, but in social dancing it's not practical as there's not enough space!

 

It was started in the 1930's as an updated alternative to Old Time (old time/new vogue, get it?).

 

Here's Natalie Lowe (from Strictly/Dancing with the Stars), she and her partner were the New Vogue champions for a while:

Edited June 17, 2016 by Marisawrite

[fantasy51]

Thank you Vic and Dorothy. I was very interested to watch the footwork in the circular waltz part. It is more what I learnt as a teenager, rather than what I have to do now in the UK. It looks so simple compared with worrying about 3rd and 5th positions!

[Dancer Bob]

Looking back at Cassandra's original question, and with the restriction competent male partner, it looks to me like the answer is, not likely.

Lauretta Blake sold to Compass Speakers in Ft Lauderdale years ago. As far as I know Compass still has the QV/QE contract. I don't know how Danceafloat fits into this, but I suspect hosts who sequence dance are not a priority.

I must agree with fantasy, floorcraft, which involves actually leading and following, is fiendishly difficult and much different from performimg routines like trained seals.

[fantasy51]

I must agree with fantasy, floorcraft, which involves actually leading and following, is fiendishly difficult and much different from performimg routines like trained seals.

 

I know this is off topic, but I would be interested to hear from others, especially the Australian dancers.

 

When I learnt to dance as a teenager in the 60s, our first year was a basic year and we were taught steps with a little idea of how to combine them, e.g. do any combination that gets you to the corner and then perform a natural turn or a spin turn to get you on the new angle. At social dances the man did his best. In our second year we went on and did medal tests with set routines (ballroom was my main area) but I was never conscious of people trying to dance their medal routines at a social night. Perhaps that was because I was single and therefore dancing with a variety of men? Perhaps couples did dance their routines? I don't know. Now I am in the UK and back dancing (just private lessons with a great teacher who understands that I want to learn to follow and throws in any steps in any order). I went to a social dance on Friday and it was obvious that they were all dancing their routines. In fact, my teacher looked surprised when I expressed that and said I could not remember it happening in Australia when I was growing up.

 

So here's my question. What is the normal practice at social dances in various countries? (Has Australia changed since my days of going to Danse Court in Melbourne?) Do people dance routines or are they encouraged in floorcraft?

Edited June 19, 2016 by fantasy51
to correct a typo

[Marisawrite]

When I learnt to dance as a teenager in the 60s, our first year was a basic year ... In our second year we went on and did medal tests with set routines ...but I was never conscious of people trying to dance their medal routines at a social night. ..Now I am in the UK...I went to a social dance on Friday and it was obvious that they were all dancing their routines....

 

So here's my question. What is the normal practice at social dances in various countries?

 

That is an excellent question. I suspect that in Australia, most couples at social dances are dancing routines (the telltale is that they appear to repeat exactly the same moves).

 

Australian dance teachers do talk about leading and floorcraft, BUT they teach choreographed routines. It seems to me that as a student, you're not going to have confidence to make up your own combos if the teacher never gets you to do so in class.

 

I think my husband must have learned with the same attitude as you. He's very good at leading the Latin dances "on the fly" and making up his own combinations. He struggles to do the same with ballroom though, but feels he's a failure if he just dances a routine!

[fantasy51]

Thank you, Dorothy.

[Slow Foxtrot]

So here's my question. What is the normal practice at social dances in various countries? (Has Australia changed since my days of going to Danse Court in Melbourne?) Do people dance routines or are they encouraged in floorcraft?

 

The simple answer is that dancers who do not have floorcraft skills HAVE to dance routines because they have no option. In the UK the dance teachers have to teach routines to get their pupils smoothly around their private dance-floor. As the medal grades progress they add a few more amalgamations but they are still routines, albeit more complicated. Dancers normally have to go through all this before even thinking of good floorcraft.

To dance smoothly and elegantly around a busy social ballroom (without interruption) both partners need to be very competent dancers. Usually they are long-term partners and probably practise privately. The big problem, of course, about learning routines is that when you are blocked or obstructed on a busy floor your routine goes out of the window!

As in all things the answer to learning floorcraft is regular practise with a regular partner. The know-how can come from private lessons with a good teacher or videos if you have the facilities to practise privately.

Good floorcraft does not come easily but is well worth the many years of practice.

Like everywhere else, I imagine, at good UK social dances many couples have to dance routines while the best dancers have a repertoire of numerous movements that they can interchange as the floor conditions dictate.

[mummsie]

Hi all, I am the dancer from Brisbane that Foxy was mentioning. I have done all of the abovenamed styles - old time - New Vogue - English Sequence and English Old Time. They are all very different in their techniques. For example old time - the waltzes at the end of the sequence are very different to that in New Vogue which are ballroom based - Natural Viennese for the most part. A few of the dances actually cross over for example Mayfair Quickstep and Sally Ann Chacha. They are sequence dances that are both danced in Australia and UK. We have danced competition New Vogue and I have also done medal exams in English Old Time including the Gaynesborough Glide that I love. You are right those ballet feet positions at the end of the sequences are a bitch to get right with the correct rise and fall. There are actually one or two competitions in Australia that have a couple of English Old Time events. They are normally not taken too seriously here but I know of people who have danced in them. Mummsie

[Marisawrite]

Hi all, I am the dancer from Brisbane that Foxy was mentioning. I have done all of the abovenamed styles - old time - New Vogue - English Sequence and English Old Time. They are all very different in their techniques.

 

Thanks Mummsie and I'm glad to hear you backing me up when I say New Vogue is a separate style of dance, and does not deserve to be dismissed as Sequence dancing that just happens to be choreographed in Australia!

[fantasy51]

Thank you Mummsie. It's always good to hear of the experience of others, especially when it covers such a wide field. What differences in styles!

 

Slow Foxtrot, my memory of learning to dance as a teenager in Melbourne is that we had a whole basic year when we learnt all styles. We did not learn routines; we learnt steps. We were told which steps could be danced to turn you around at corners and which ones were danced straight down the room. We had a few short 'routines' like '4 walks, quarter turn, 2 walks lock, 2 walks natural turn' but we knew that was just for practice and would not work in a social situation because the floor would be too long for us to reach the corner in time for the natural turn. Therefore we knew to add in extra steps until we reached the corner. Looking back, that was a good way to learn. In our second year we went in for medals and had set routines, but I was never aware of people dancing their routines in social situations. I still think of dancing in terms of separate steps that are strung together in what should be a pleasing way. I am aware of this as we freestyle all the dances in my private lesson, where my focus is on following a partner. I think routines are great for learning new steps, but somewhere along the line I think we should teach beginner dancers which steps are useful for which situations (e.g. corners, on the spot when boxed in, moving along the floor, etc.).

 

Of course, this is the primary teacher in me coming out. :D

[Slow Foxtrot]

Reference the comments about the different techniques needed for Ballroom dancing, Sequence, New Vogue and Old Time:

 

Although we are long-time ballroom dancers we try the occasional Old Time dance and find that they are far from easy! To dance them properly requires a great deal of practice and very good balance- as much of the dances are danced apart so there is often no support for either partner. The link below shows two dance teachers dancing the Wedgewood Blue Gavotte. It's a very graceful dance and is ocasionally featured at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool - although not many dancers can do it this kind of justice!