Hi fawkes. LOD = Line of dance. In ballroom if one of the couple is facing LOD they are dancing with feet pointing in a direction that is parallel to the wall and in an anticlockwise direction. Their partner will be backing LOD. Some steps may go DC (Diagonally to Centre) or DW (Diagonally to Wall), but as a general rule you should never travel against LOD (i.e. never travel clockwise) as it is not good etiquette.
Note that direction of body and direction of feet do not necessarily match, but steps in technique book are described in terms of feet direction.
Peter_s you are around the same level as me exam wise.
Same in Argentine Tango. I attended a new milonga on Monday and people were dancing all over the place in random directions. Quite stressful watching out for traffic.
Fawkes, as Henry says the rooms are too large to get giddy and direction of travel is not the same as direction of rotation. In viennese waltz you see couples rotate in both directions so that they don't get giddy.
Henry, there are different examination boards and I only know ISTD. Medals are aimed more at dancers who dance for a hobby, rather than a career. There are other exams for professionals. But ISTD levels are:
Social Dance Test
Pre Bronze
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Gold Star 1 and 2
Awards (such as Josephine Bradley)
You do more dances as you go up the levels and you have to include steps appropriate for the level. I've just completed Gold Star 1 Ballroom where I had to do 5 dances, but apart from the normal waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep this bizarrely includes social foxtrot. Gold star 1 latin which I hope to do at the end of the year is as expected (rumba, cha cha, jive, samba and paso).
Could we please have a primer on these ballroom medals - star, bar, medal, gold, silver ...
I would add that not everyone takes medal tests. It is a good way to start dancing, starting off by learning good technique etc of course,, but its not mandatory as I know many dancers that have never taken any.
Hi fawkes. LOD = Line of dance. In ballroom if one of the couple is facing LOD they are dancing with feet pointing in a direction that is parallel to the wall and in an anticlockwise direction. Their partner will be backing LOD. Some steps may go DC (Diagonally to Centre) or DW (Diagonally to Wall), but as a general rule you should never travel against LOD (i.e. never travel clockwise) as it is not good etiquette.
Note that direction of body and direction of feet do not necessarily match, but steps in technique book are described in terms of feet direction.
Peter_s you are around the same level as me exam wise.
BIB: Poor etiquette and also somewhat terrifying. I competed ballroom and Latin a little on the uni circuit and the first time my partner and I (as beginners in an intermediate round) ever danced samba in competition we entirely forgot samba was rotational and set off in completely the wrong direction. Only noticed when we started doing promenade runs and realised everyone else was coming at top speed towards us. Seriously, do not ever travel the wrong way around the floor. You're in the way for everyone else and it's completely terrifying for you! (Amusingly we actually got enough judges marking us through that round to proceed to the next, just as a thought for when we wonder what the Strictly judges will and won't overlook - real life judges either didn't spot us going the wrong way at the beginning of the round or were willing to overlook it in round 1.)
Commenting largely to mark the thread so I can read it later I'm no teacher but I've done various types of dance over the years (ballroom, Latin, ballet, modern, tap and salsa mainly) and generally love it.
ETA: If anyone knows where I can find a picture of the actual medals/ badges/ statuettes you get from the various ballroom and Latin exams I'd be grateful. It's a long shot, I know, but it seemed worth asking on here just in case! My mum did ballroom and Latin and I have all her ISTD medals/ badges/ 1 mini statuette thing but because I don't have the certificates, I don't know what each one is actually for - they're not very well labelled.
BIB: Poor etiquette and also somewhat terrifying. I competed ballroom and Latin a little on the uni circuit and the first time my partner and I (as beginners in an intermediate round) ever danced samba in competition we entirely forgot samba was rotational and set off in completely the wrong direction. Only noticed when we started doing promenade runs and realised everyone else was coming at top speed towards us. Seriously, do not ever travel the wrong way around the floor. You're in the way for everyone else and it's completely terrifying for you! (Amusingly we actually got enough judges marking us through that round to proceed to the next, just as a thought for when we wonder what the Strictly judges will and won't overlook - real life judges either didn't spot us going the wrong way at the beginning of the round or were willing to overlook it in round 1.)
Commenting largely to mark the thread so I can read it later I'm no teacher but I've done various types of dance over the years (ballroom, Latin, ballet, modern, tap and salsa mainly) and generally love it.
Thanks for this post, it made me smile. Re the Strictly judges, from what I see, they overlook quite a few things. Dances that should be in hold, are not always. Lifts that should not be allowed. Couples often travel across the centre of the floor but I suspect as its a show for TV, normal comp rules/etiquette go out the window.
Hi franglemand, promenade runs would be the worst so fast! Mind you, recent fashion seems to be not to travel in samba much, although noticed at Internationals Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis stood out because they DID travel ( lovely cruzado walks).
Anyway, would be happy to email you photos of my medals, but ISTD have recently redesigned them and so may not help. As a general rule nowadays the full medals are statuettes in the colour of the level and mine do have the level written on them with either a latin or ballroom dancing pair. Only the gold star has my name on it. The single dance medals are not statuettes but round medals but again labelled. Medallist comp awards are less easy to identify. Mine have no label on them and you wouldn't be able to tell where I was placed.
BIB: Poor etiquette and also somewhat terrifying. I competed ballroom and Latin a little on the uni circuit and the first time my partner and I (as beginners in an intermediate round) ever danced samba in competition we entirely forgot samba was rotational and set off in completely the wrong direction. Only noticed when we started doing promenade runs and realised everyone else was coming at top speed towards us. Seriously, do not ever travel the wrong way around the floor. You're in the way for everyone else and it's completely terrifying for you! (Amusingly we actually got enough judges marking us through that round to proceed to the next, just as a thought for when we wonder what the Strictly judges will and won't overlook - real life judges either didn't spot us going the wrong way at the beginning of the round or were willing to overlook it in round 1.)
Commenting largely to mark the thread so I can read it later I'm no teacher but I've done various types of dance over the years (ballroom, Latin, ballet, modern, tap and salsa mainly) and generally love it.
ETA: If anyone knows where I can find a picture of the actual medals/ badges/ statuettes you get from the various ballroom and Latin exams I'd be grateful. It's a long shot, I know, but it seemed worth asking on here just in case! My mum did ballroom and Latin and I have all her ISTD medals/ badges/ 1 mini statuette thing but because I don't have the certificates, I don't know what each one is actually for - they're not very well labelled.
Franglemand, I was the lead organiser of the IVDA championship one year and from what I remember of round 1, the volume of competitors was very high and the standard ranged from very bad to exceptional. I'm sure in round 1 with that kind of mix, so long as the dancing itself was half way decent going round the floor the wrong way whilst it might have looked a bit silly would not have been a significant concern for the judges.
Thanks for this post, it made me smile. Re the Strictly judges, from what I see, they overlook quite a few things. Dances that should be in hold, are not always. Lifts that should not be allowed. Couples often travel across the centre of the floor but I suspect as its a show for TV, normal comp rules/etiquette go out the window.
In Strictly it also helps that you only have one couple on the floor at the time so there is nobody else to collide with.
Hi fawkes. LOD = Line of dance. In ballroom if one of the couple is facing LOD they are dancing with feet pointing in a direction that is parallel to the wall and in an anticlockwise direction. Their partner will be backing LOD. Some steps may go DC (Diagonally to Centre) or DW (Diagonally to Wall), but as a general rule you should never travel against LOD (i.e. never travel clockwise) as it is not good etiquette.
Note that direction of body and direction of feet do not necessarily match, but steps in technique book are described in terms of feet direction.
Peter_s you are around the same level as me exam wise.
Though if I see an empty centre of the floor and there are not many couples on it and there is a nice fast milonga style tango song on and I am with my comfort blanket follower, I am not averse to cutting in half way down a short end and flying down the centre ...
In Strictly it also helps that you only have one couple on the floor at the time so there is nobody else to collide with.
Yes indeed. In real competitions, there can be many couples on the floor , as many as 24 in my experience, but we all apply floorcraft, which is a skill in itself. There are very few collisions at a more advanced level as your floorcraft skills will keep you out of trouble.
Hi there - yes these are pivots too, the same that a few of us were discussing earlier. Danced badly by Artem I'm sorry to say, but look effective for the majority of viewers.
QUOTE]
I knew of this phrase but for me it may encourage men to pitch their weight forward in the wrong way, which we don't want as they will not be in balance. But the BOTB phrase was told to my partner many years ago and I never forgot it - will encourage the weight to come forward over the centre of the foot, in the correct way. Flexing through the knees and bringing the hips forward ( with lovely straight back of course). Keeping those knees soft, you're ready to take hold, and totally in balance ready to move powerfully from standing leg.
Hi fawkes. LOD = Line of dance. In ballroom if one of the couple is facing LOD they are dancing with feet pointing in a direction that is parallel to the wall and in an anticlockwise direction. Their partner will be backing LOD. Some steps may go DC (Diagonally to Centre) or DW (Diagonally to Wall), but as a general rule you should never travel against LOD (i.e. never travel clockwise) as it is not good etiquette.
Note that direction of body and direction of feet do not necessarily match, but steps in technique book are described in terms of feet direction.
Peter_s you are around the same level as me exam wise.
Well said Spin Turn, but I will add to that, for those non dancers, that when dancing diag to centre ( from the edge of the floor to the centre of the floor) you must not cross the centre as you will get in the way of those couples coming the other way. This is really frowned upon.
Yes, remember being told off for starting a routine too far up the short side and crossing centre!
I was thinking about the pivots. I think that the repeated pivots that they do on Strictly, whilst not easy, are possibly simpler to do than pivots in other contexts (and probably more showy). I haven't done them, but they are in closed hold with just a repetition of stepping forward to pivot and then backwards. There is the complication of dizziness I suppose. But although there is some ibody alignment to worry about, it is easy to explain. Whereas if someone does a slip pivot from fallaway reverse, then they have to go from fallway position and also pivot both as they step backwards and forwards again. I think this is more difficult. Another step I am currently doing starts as if I am going to do a wing but has a swivel ( rather than a pivot) from the promenade position into a pivot which is really a tumble turn. I think these are more difficult for body alignment.
So my conclusion is that on Strictly they have, not surprisingly, selected one of the most flashy steps but not necessarily one of the most difficult to do.
Yes, remember being told off for starting a routine too far up the short side and crossing centre!
I was thinking about the pivots. I think that the repeated pivots that they do on Strictly, whilst not easy, are possibly simpler to do than pivots in other contexts (and probably more showy). I haven't done them, but they are in closed hold with just a repetition of stepping forward to pivot and then backwards. There is the complication of dizziness I suppose. But although there is some ibody alignment to worry about, it is easy to explain. Whereas if someone does a slip pivot from fallaway reverse, then they have to go from fallway position and also pivot both as they step backwards and forwards again. I think this is more difficult. Another step I am currently doing starts as if I am going to do a wing but has a swivel ( rather than a pivot) from the promenade position into a pivot which is really a tumble turn. I think these are more difficult for body alignment.
So my conclusion is that on Strictly they have, not surprisingly, selected one of the most flashy steps but not necessarily one of the most difficult to do.
I feel that correct technique applied to any pivots, no dizziness will occur. Same with VW - so many on SCD talk about dizziness ....thats because they are not danced correctly. All linear swing here, down the room, just turning to the diagonal to lock, in naturals.
Reverse fallaway into slip pivot, can be hard to learn, and for me its all about the timing, not just the timing itself, but timing between you and partner.This is how I was taught. On 3rd step of fallaway ( on right foot) just think of (quickly) closing to partner on the slip, then you will be in closed position to slide your left foot forward to pivot.
If you keep your head in closed position through the fallaway, you only then need to close the body and then you are in a beautiful closed position to pivot.
Yes, I get asked to put my head in promenade position in the fallaway, and that does cause me a problem
Re the head position, of course you have to guided by your teacher but I have been told by more ladies, than not, to leave head to left in fallaway, especially as the head weight there will aid the man. KB ( UK Pro Champion), amongst others, told me that she will leave her head left for as much as possible in dances to keep the look of volume between the heads.
Thanks Spin turn - think I get that... Learned one thing today! Doesn't it make you rather dizzy though, always travelling anti-clockwise?
And Henry, thanks for those videos you posted on the thread about camera work, they are gorgeous.
Travelling anti-clockwise doesn't mean that every step is turning anti-clockwise, it just means that anti-clockwise is the direction the dance goes around a room. Included in that may be steps that travel from the "wall" towards the centre of the room, and back, sort of a zig-zag pattern. But they should never (though it happens) travel back on themselves or in a clockwise direction or you risk crashing into the couple following you along the room.
Comments
And Henry, thanks for those videos you posted on the thread about camera work, they are gorgeous.
Same in Argentine Tango. I attended a new milonga on Monday and people were dancing all over the place in random directions. Quite stressful watching out for traffic.
They's nice. With those videos I can focus on the dance rather than the cameraman.
On giddiness, the rooms are reasonably large not to get giddy - not quite as large as The Olympic stadium but large enough not to get giddy.
Giros in AT can make you giddy.
http://youtu.be/qUfzbHbOjrU?t=35s
http://youtu.be/cvMevoEdCsY?t=11s
Henry, there are different examination boards and I only know ISTD. Medals are aimed more at dancers who dance for a hobby, rather than a career. There are other exams for professionals. But ISTD levels are:
Social Dance Test
Pre Bronze
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Gold Star 1 and 2
Awards (such as Josephine Bradley)
You do more dances as you go up the levels and you have to include steps appropriate for the level. I've just completed Gold Star 1 Ballroom where I had to do 5 dances, but apart from the normal waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep this bizarrely includes social foxtrot. Gold star 1 latin which I hope to do at the end of the year is as expected (rumba, cha cha, jive, samba and paso).
LOD is Line of dance.
Hi there - and welcome. Hope to see you again soon !
I would add that not everyone takes medal tests. It is a good way to start dancing, starting off by learning good technique etc of course,, but its not mandatory as I know many dancers that have never taken any.
BIB: Poor etiquette and also somewhat terrifying.
Commenting largely to mark the thread so I can read it later
ETA: If anyone knows where I can find a picture of the actual medals/ badges/ statuettes you get from the various ballroom and Latin exams I'd be grateful. It's a long shot, I know, but it seemed worth asking on here just in case! My mum did ballroom and Latin and I have all her ISTD medals/ badges/ 1 mini statuette thing but because I don't have the certificates, I don't know what each one is actually for - they're not very well labelled.
Thanks for this post, it made me smile. Re the Strictly judges, from what I see, they overlook quite a few things. Dances that should be in hold, are not always. Lifts that should not be allowed. Couples often travel across the centre of the floor but I suspect as its a show for TV, normal comp rules/etiquette go out the window.
Anyway, would be happy to email you photos of my medals, but ISTD have recently redesigned them and so may not help. As a general rule nowadays the full medals are statuettes in the colour of the level and mine do have the level written on them with either a latin or ballroom dancing pair. Only the gold star has my name on it. The single dance medals are not statuettes but round medals but again labelled. Medallist comp awards are less easy to identify. Mine have no label on them and you wouldn't be able to tell where I was placed.
Franglemand, I was the lead organiser of the IVDA championship one year and from what I remember of round 1, the volume of competitors was very high and the standard ranged from very bad to exceptional. I'm sure in round 1 with that kind of mix, so long as the dancing itself was half way decent going round the floor the wrong way whilst it might have looked a bit silly would not have been a significant concern for the judges.
In Strictly it also helps that you only have one couple on the floor at the time so there is nobody else to collide with.
I had to go out earlier so I apologise if I am asking the same thing you were discussing on page 1. (In my defence I was out at a dance class)
I am interested in these turns in this clip of Artem on DWTS. I asked when it appeared on another thread but the thread died out.
Its the series of turns that start at 49 seconds that caught my eye. What are these called please?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-4QmiMlcOI
Though if I see an empty centre of the floor and there are not many couples on it and there is a nice fast milonga style tango song on and I am with my comfort blanket follower, I am not averse to cutting in half way down a short end and flying down the centre ...
This is my current favourite song to dance to (milonga-style tango)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRbRGbLOnU
Yes indeed. In real competitions, there can be many couples on the floor , as many as 24 in my experience, but we all apply floorcraft, which is a skill in itself. There are very few collisions at a more advanced level as your floorcraft skills will keep you out of trouble.
Hi there - yes these are pivots too, the same that a few of us were discussing earlier. Danced badly by Artem I'm sorry to say, but look effective for the majority of viewers.
Well said Spin Turn, but I will add to that, for those non dancers, that when dancing diag to centre ( from the edge of the floor to the centre of the floor) you must not cross the centre as you will get in the way of those couples coming the other way. This is really frowned upon.
I was thinking about the pivots. I think that the repeated pivots that they do on Strictly, whilst not easy, are possibly simpler to do than pivots in other contexts (and probably more showy). I haven't done them, but they are in closed hold with just a repetition of stepping forward to pivot and then backwards. There is the complication of dizziness I suppose. But although there is some ibody alignment to worry about, it is easy to explain. Whereas if someone does a slip pivot from fallaway reverse, then they have to go from fallway position and also pivot both as they step backwards and forwards again. I think this is more difficult. Another step I am currently doing starts as if I am going to do a wing but has a swivel ( rather than a pivot) from the promenade position into a pivot which is really a tumble turn. I think these are more difficult for body alignment.
So my conclusion is that on Strictly they have, not surprisingly, selected one of the most flashy steps but not necessarily one of the most difficult to do.
I feel that correct technique applied to any pivots, no dizziness will occur. Same with VW - so many on SCD talk about dizziness ....thats because they are not danced correctly. All linear swing here, down the room, just turning to the diagonal to lock, in naturals.
Reverse fallaway into slip pivot, can be hard to learn, and for me its all about the timing, not just the timing itself, but timing between you and partner.This is how I was taught. On 3rd step of fallaway ( on right foot) just think of (quickly) closing to partner on the slip, then you will be in closed position to slide your left foot forward to pivot.
If you keep your head in closed position through the fallaway, you only then need to close the body and then you are in a beautiful closed position to pivot.
Thats Ok too, I have done both ways, just easier if already head to left. Just a little more work to do from PP.
Re the head position, of course you have to guided by your teacher but I have been told by more ladies, than not, to leave head to left in fallaway, especially as the head weight there will aid the man. KB ( UK Pro Champion), amongst others, told me that she will leave her head left for as much as possible in dances to keep the look of volume between the heads.
Travelling anti-clockwise doesn't mean that every step is turning anti-clockwise, it just means that anti-clockwise is the direction the dance goes around a room. Included in that may be steps that travel from the "wall" towards the centre of the room, and back, sort of a zig-zag pattern. But they should never (though it happens) travel back on themselves or in a clockwise direction or you risk crashing into the couple following you along the room.