Posts Tagged ‘waltz’
October 8th, 2009 | 
Author: Over 300 years old and a dance that is loved around the world, the waltz is a very popular dance at ballroom dance competitions and in ballroom lessons. The waltz actually emerged from a folk dance in Bavaria in the 17th century, and then in the 1800s it began to become popular across Europe, although it faced a great deal of controversy as well. The waltz is probably one of the easiest out of all the ballroom lessons; however becoming a master of this dance could never be labeled with the term easy. While the steps are simple, beginners may have the appropriate steps while literally “bouncing” around the floor; however, the signs of a true master of this dance are smooth, sweeping steps that appear to glide across the floor. Therefore, the scope and depth of ballroom lessons for the Waltz is extremely great.
Waltz Characteristics
The most evident characteristics of this beautiful dance include the way swaying, rising, and falling are used throughout the dance. There should be a smoothness to the rising and falling and the steps should be reaching, confident, and sweeping. This dance should feel romantic and gentle, and its’ turning figures, elegant poses, and sweeping movements should command attention. While the music this dance is usually danced to is quite dreamy, the dance itself should have a light yet purposeful movement across the floor. When taking ballroom lessons, you will begin to notice how these attributes relate to the steps and music.
Waltz Techniques
In ballroom lessons across the world, the basic technique of the waltz is described as a three step that includes one step forward or backward, one step to the side, and one step that puts the feet back together. Every step uses the same timing and they are danced to music that is written in ¾ time, which means there are three beats in every measure of the music. This is an easy pattern to dance and is counted as 1,2,3; 1,2,3. When dancing the waltz, it is the first beat of every measure that gets the accent. This dance should use very soft, round patterns that will move you all around the dance floor.
Waltz Dance Competitions
Usually the first dance that is danced at ballroom competitions is the waltz. Remember, dancing the waltz may be giving the audience and the judge the first impression of your dancing. This is an essential part of ballroom competitions and being excellent at the waltz is a great way to get judges looking your way. Competitions are more than just performing and being judged though. Competitions are times when you can enjoy dance and learn more about dancing as well. No matter how great you are, you can always learn more about dancing, and competitions are great places to do so. When you choose to compete, you open the doors to challenge yourself as a dancer and to reach new and higher levels of dancing as well. Going to ballroom competitions is a great way to enhance your dancing career, no matter what your level of dancing is.
What Judges are Looking for in Your Waltz
When you are dancing the waltz in a ballroom dance competition there are many things that the judges are going to be looking for and you need to understand what they are so you can excel. There are many different general criteria that judges look for when judging a dance competition. Most judges take into account the way you present yourself and your dancing posture. They also tend to look at how you move to the music and whether you are dancing on time with the music. Usually, the look at how the man leads and the woman follows and whether or not partners are in sync together. Footwork, shape, line, and correct holds are also important things that judges look for as well.
Specific to the waltz, judges look for natural turns, reverse turns, closed changes, basic weaves, reverse pivots, closed impetus, and back whisks. Achieving a silver medal will require that you show outside spins, turning locks, drag hesitation, open impetus and wing, and open telemark and cross hesitation. To win a gold medal, you will have to be even more technical and memorable and have techniques like the contra check, fall away reverse and slip pivot, hover corte, closed wing, and left whisk will be the defining factors in your dance. For this, ballroom lessons are not always enough. It take’s dedication and an adept spirited resourcefulness to capture an audiance.
Preparing to Compete in the Waltz
Preparation for competing in the waltz is imperative if you want to be the best in this dance. While the basic steps may be easy for you to master and will quickly come as second nature, you will have to go beyond the basics in your presentation. You will need to spend hours practicing the advanced techniques that take you from a social waltz dancer to an excellent competitive dancer. Connecting well with your partner is imperative as well and you must master the connection before you compete in the waltz. Ballroom lessons will take you far, but you will need to practice passionately and dance with vitality in order to reach a level of competition.
When the day of your competition arrives no doubt you will be dealing with nerves; however, it will be an exciting time as well. Make sure that you arrive well prepared with your costume, needed makeup supplies, hair supplies, and anything else you may need to get ready for your big dance. Also be sure that you bring along your music for your dance as well. Take time to stretch and warm up before you go out on the dance floor and be sure that you arrive early so you will not miss your performance. Once you are out there dancing in the competition, let the smooth, flowing steps of the waltz carry you away and dance your way to being a winner.
Learn the secrets of ballroom dancing, with tips on waltz steps for men, in this free video dance lesson for beginners.
Duration : 0:2:10
Norm and Fran of DanceMates Educational Arts, NFP has been teaching Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Tango, East-Coast Swing, American-Style Waltz, American-Style Foxtrot, Polka, Samba, and numerous popular party, modern, and classic line dances since August of 1993!
Norm and Fran of DanceMates Educational Arts, NFP taught over 100,000 group and private dance lesson students since 1993. Some students became social dance instructor themselves, some students became performers, and some students became dance club performers. What an inspiration they continue instilling to their dance students!
To join Fran and/or Norm in their fun-filled family-friendly dance classes, please visit the webpage: http://www.dancemates.org/web1.html and enroll in any of the schools listed.
To hire Fran and/or Norm for your individual, group, and couples dance lessons including line dancing, please call (773) 286-6879.
Duration : 0:10:0
Posted in ballroom lessons | 
Tags: Bachata, Cha-Cha, classes, cumbia, dance lessons, Dancing, foxtrot, line illinois, merengue, polka, rumba, salsa, samba, swing, tango, waltz | 
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we came up with this idea back in 2005. our dance was also featured on good morning america: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2NOXFdi7Z4 (song names: johann strauss/blue danube; afrika bambaataa/looking for the perfect beat.) we don’t know how to waltz. we don’t know how to poplock. but we do know how to have fun. we came up with the choreography ourselves. married: july 3, 2005 in oakland, california. please do not ask me for the mix, i no longer have it. wedding video filmed by www.iphilms.net by phillip velasco
Duration : 0:2:19
社交ダンスの競技会中部チャンピョンのオナーダンス
Two Oriental dolls seem to dance happily.
Waltz,Honor Dance Pro Standard Ballroom Dancing Competition Championship in Nagoya of Japan .
This beautiful love song’s name is “Suddenly there’s a valley” .
By Chuck Meyer and Biff Jones and published in 1956.
When you’ve climbed the highest mountain
When a cloud holds the sunshine in
Suddenly there’s a valley
Where the earth knows peace with man
When a storm hides the distant rainbow
And you think you can’t find a friend
Suddenly there’s a valley
Where friendships never end
Touched only by the seasons
Swept clean by the waving grain
Surveyed by a happy bluebird
And kissed by the falling rain
When you think there’s no bright tomorrow
And you feel you can’t try again
Suddenly there’s a valley
Where hope and love begin
Suddenly there’s a valley
Where hope and love begin
CD – Dancelife DCD 048/2 Masters Of Modern One
社交ダンスの競技会中部日本ダンス選手権大会プロフェッショナルスタンダード選手権で優勝した中部チャンピョンのオナーダンスのワルツを名古屋市公会堂で見ました。
Duration : 0:1:42
Posted in ballroom dancing classes |
Tags: ballando, Ballroom, Campionato, competition, Competizione, dance, dancesport, Danze, langsamer, lente, lento, lesson, modern, music, musik, party, pro, Professionisti, Slow, social, Standard, valse, valzer, waltz, walzer, wiener, yt:quality=high, yt:stretch=16:9, ウリナリ, オナーダンス, サルサ, スタンダード, タンゴ, ダンススポーツ, パーティー, プロ, ラテン, ルンバ, ワルツ, 社交ダンス, 競技ダンス, 音楽 |
5 Comments »
Wow, these guys are sharp performing a very Classy Foxtrot Swing combo on their special day. Their teacher Felicia Lee Banks from the Continental Dance Club in Bloomfield, NJ does it again. Every choreogrphy is different to reflect each couples personalities and also taking into account the style of gown the bride is wearing.
Duration : 0:3:23
Posted in ballroom lessons |
Tags: Ballroom, classes, dance, foxtrot, NJ, salsa, tango, waltz |
1 Comment »
cumpulsory group waltz in Great American Ballroom Competition on PBS
BYU Ballroom Dance Team
Duration : 0:3:33
Video clip title:
Ballroom Dance Video- Bronze I Waltz
About this video: DVD available at www.grandballroom.com.
This Bronze 1 Standard DVD collection is the series which follows our Beginners series. It consists of four discs showing the International style of Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, and Quickstep, plus a separate DVD showing complete routines to dance around the room for each dance. The Waltz and Tango are a continuation of the Beginners videos while the other two dances are taught right from the basic steps. Each DVD features Andy & Wendy Wong, owners and instructors of the largest dance studio in North America, teaching and demonstrating the steps exactly the way they do it in their hugely popular classes. Learn from these professionals who have taught over 15,000 students in their world-renowned dance studio, The Grand Ballroom. See their whole catalogue of instructional DVDs by visiting their online store at www.grandballroom.com.
Duration : 0:5:0
Posted in ballroom dance instruction |
Tags: Ballroom, basic, Bronze, dance, Dancing, grand, instruction, international, level, Standard, style, waltz |
6 Comments »
Norm and Fran of DanceMates Educational Arts, NFP has been teaching Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Tango, East-Coast Swing, American-Style Waltz, American-Style Foxtrot, Polka, Samba, and numerous popular party, modern, and classic line dances since August of 1993!
Norm and Fran of DanceMates Educational Arts, NFP taught over 100,000 group and private dance lesson students since 1993. Some students became social dance instructor themselves, some students became performers, and some students became dance club performers. What an inspiration they continue instilling to their dance students!
To join Fran and/or Norm in their fun-filled family-friendly dance classes, please visit the webpage: http://www.dancemates.org/web1.html and enroll in any of the schools listed.
To hire Fran and/or Norm for your individual, group, and couples dance lessons including line dancing, please call (773) 286-6879.
Duration : 0:9:37
Posted in ballroom lessons |
Tags: Bachata, Cha-Cha, classes, cumbia, dance lessons, Dancing, foxtrot, line illinois, merengue, polka, rumba, salsa, samba, swing, tango, waltz |
No Comments »
Video clip title:
Ballroom Dance Video- Beginners Waltz
About this video: DVD available at www.grandballroom.com.
This DVD collection is the perfect step-by-step guide for the absolute beginners who secretly wish that they can dance gracefully and effortlessly across the dance floor. It is part of a complete series of six DVDs Salsa, Waltz, Cha Cha, Tango, Jive, Foxtrot. Each DVD features Andy & Wendy Wong, owners and instructors of the largest dance studio in North America, teaching and demonstrating the steps exactly the way they do it in their hugely popular classes. Learn from these professionals who have taught over 15,000 students in their world-renowned dance studio, The Grand Ballroom. See their whole catalogue of instructional DVDs by visiting their online store at www.grandballroom.com.
Duration : 0:4:46
Posted in ballroom dance instruction |
Tags: Ballroom, basic, beginners, dance, Dancing, grand, instruction, international, level, Standard, style, waltz |
11 Comments »
Here's your chance to literally waltz your way to grace, style and confidence on the dance floor! You will learn the essential components of this great ballroom dance, including Rise and Fall, Sway, and Footwork, as well as exploring steps that will showcase your waltz dancing and help you gain the poise to shine on the dance floor! 