Modern Dance Movement - For Beginners and Experienced Teachers - How to Learn to Dance and Teach the Modern Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot and Waltz

By William Loiter

This vintage book is a detailed guide to learning a variety of dances ranging from the waltz to the foxtrot. This volume will be of considerable utility to anyone with an interest in learning ballroom dances and includes simple instructions, useful diagrams, helpful hints and tips, information on common problems, and more. “Modern Dance Movement” would make for a fantastic addition to collections of related literature and is not to be missed by the discerning dance enthusiast. Contents Include: “A Study of Basic Principles and Technique”, “Abbreviations”, “Definitions, Etc.”, “The Waltz”, “The Quickstep”, “The Slow Foxtrot”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on dance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Press
• Release date: Mar 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528762588

Book preview

MODERN DANCE

MOVEMENT

FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS

HOW TO LEARN TO DANCE AND

TEACH THE MODERN QUICKSTEP,

SLOW FOXTROT, AND WALTZ.

By

WILLIAM LOITER

Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the

British Library

A Short Introduction to Dance

Dance is a type of art that generally involves movement of the body, often in a rhythmic fashion and to music. It is performed in almost all cultures around the globe as a form of emotional expression, social interaction or exercise, in a spiritual or performance setting, and is sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. Definitions of what constitutes dance are extremely difficult to form – and can depend on social and cultural norms, as well as aesthetic, artistic and moral sensibilities. Definitions may range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Martial arts Kata (choreographed patterns of movements) are often compared to dances and sports such as gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are generally thought to incorporate dance.

There are many styles and genre of dance; African dance is generally ‘interpretative’, ballet, ballroom and tango are examples of ‘classical dance styles’, square dance and electric slide are forms of step dance and break-dancing is a type of street dance. Any of these dances can be either participatory, social or performed for an audience. Due to the nature of dancing itself however, it is very difficult to trace a history of the genre. Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artefacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is thus simply not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Archaeological evidence (in the forms of statues and decorations on vases) indicates that dance has been an important part of ceremony, ritual, celebration and entertainment since the earliest civilisations though.

Examples of the evidence we do have includes 9,000-year-old paintings in India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (Raisen District, Madhya Pradesh) and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures, dated c. 3300 BC. One of the earliest structured uses of dances may have been the telling of myths. Before the invention of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing stories down from generation to generation. Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals – and it is still used for this purpose today by many cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert. Most contemporary dance forms can actually be traced to such traditional, ceremonial or ethnic dances. For example, some Sri Lankan dances are related to aboriginal, mythical devils known as ‘yakkas’ and according to local legend, Kandyah dance (originating in a hilly region of Sri Lanka) began as a ritual that broke the magic spell on a bewitched king.

Concert or performance dance is primarily related to Europe and North America. One of its most famous forms – ballet – originated first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined music, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. During the reign of Louis XIV, himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the Academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was an explosion of innovation in dance style characterised by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as modern dance include Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman and Ruth St. Denis. Other more ‘modern’ dances, including tap dance, disco, jazz dance, swing dance, hip hop and break-dance developed in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. Most of these forms of movement originated with African American communities, often living under considerable hardship and racial prejudice – left with little alternative other than to ‘create’ dance for themselves.

Today, dancing has become fully professionalized and there are many occupations surrounding its performance, including dancers, dance teachers, costume designers, producers and choreographers. Dance competitions are frequent, especially in classical as well as street styles and there are many schools specifically dedicated to educating people in the academic discipline of dance. It is hoped that the current reader is inspired by this book to try some dancing of their own! Enjoy.

THE WING

An action picture taken during a demonstration by Stan Wright and Lorna Evans. The picture shows the dancers at the end of the first step.

This book is written in the belief that it will help people to acquire more easily a sound knowledge of Modern Dance Movement.

Originating in England and now being taught in practically every country in the world, this style of ballroom dancing stands pre-eminent because its technique is in accordance with the natural movement of the human body, and the natural laws that govern that movement.

W.L.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY SECTION

HINTS ON HOW TO LEARN

TEN EXERCISES (For Quicker Learning and Better Movement)

SECTION I

A STUDY OF BASIC PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUE

THE MAN’S HOLD AND POISE

THE LADY’S HOLD AND POISE

THE FORWARD WALK

THE BACKWARD WALK

CONTRARY BODY MOVEMENT

SWAY

RISE AND FALL

LEADING AND FOLLOWING

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COUNTING

HEIGHT OF HEELS OF SHOES

A SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING TURNING

POINTS TO REMEMBER

SECTION II

ABBREVIATIONS, DEFINITIONS, ETC.

ABBREVIATIONS

DEFINITIONS OF TECHNICAL TERMS

AN EXPLANATION

DIRECTION OF STEPS IN RELATION TO THE BODY

DIRECTION OF STEPS IN RELATION TO THE BALLROOM

SECTION III

THE WALTZ

INTRODUCTORY NOTES

THE NATURAL TURN

THE REVERSE TURN

THE FORWARD CHANGE (as used after the Natural Turn)

THE FORWARD CHANGE (as used after the Reverse Turn)

THE BACKWARD (PASSING) CHANGE (as used after the first three steps of the Natural Turn)

THE BACKWARD (PASSING) CHANGE (as used after the first three steps of the Reverse Turn)

THE NATURAL SPIN TURN

THE TELEMARK

THE OPEN TELEMARK

THE WING

THE DOUBLE REVERSE SPIN

THE DRAG HESITATION

THE BACKWARD LOCK

HOW TO CONSTRUCT THE WALTZ

SECTION IV

THE QUICKSTEP

INTRODUCTORY NOTES

THE NATURAL TURN

THE CHASSE REVERSE TURN

THE QUARTER TURNS

THE ZIG-ZAG

THE PROGRESSIVE CHASSE

THE FORWARD LOCK

THE BACKWARD LOCK

THE CROSS CHASSE

THE NATURAL PIVOT TURN

THE NATURAL SPIN TURN

THE REVERSE PIVOT TURN

THE DRAG

THE CHANGE OF DIRECTION

THE TELEMARK

THE OPEN TELEMARK

THE WING

THE DOUBLE REVERSE SPIN

THE FISH TAIL

HOW TO CONSTRUCT THE QUICKSTEP

SECTION V

THE SLOW FOXTROT

INTRODUCTORY NOTES

THE FEATHER-STEP

THE THREE-STEP

THE NATURAL TURN

THE REVERSE TURN

THE REVERSE WAVE

THE CHANGE OF DIRECTION

THE TELEMARK

THE OPEN TELEMARK

THE WING

HOW TO CONSTRUCT THE SLOW FOXTROT

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE WING

THE HOLD

A BASIC WALKING STEP

THE FEATHER-STEP

MODERN DANCE MOVEMENT

INTRODUCTORY SECTION

HINTS ON HOW TO LEARN

YOUR ability to learn to dance, depends to a very great extent, upon your ability to store memory impressions of dance movements and your ability to draw again on those memory impressions and transfer them back again into dance movements. Aim to do this not only with single movements and steps, but with complete sets of steps.

To store memory impressions of dance movements, practise without a partner, and keep on practising the same thing over and over again until you are satisfied you are doing it correctly and with ease.

Master single steps first, breaking them up into their component parts if need be; then add other steps until you have mastered complete figures.

Practise without music first, and then with music. If you wish you may play the music slower than normal for a while.

Next, attempt to dance what you have been practising, first without a partner, and then with a partner.

Here is stressed the difference that is meant between practising and dancing. When practising you are doing so with the idea of storing memory impressions, but when dancing the idea is to draw on your memory impressions, and your dance should flow out in much the same way as a melody you have learned will flow out again. With your melody you do not have to think very much about its rise and fall, timing, and so forth; it comes to you naturally and easily, and so will your dance figures if you have made strong memory impressions of them by sufficient practise.

Perhaps the best way of explaining the difference that is meant between practising and dancing would be to say that the difference is much the same as the difference between making a gramophone record and playing a gramophone record!

By assuming this