Other Formations
Round Dancing and Mixers
Round Dancing is couple dancing, around the hall. Our
English equivalent would be Sequencing Dancing but all the figures in Rounds are all cued.
Two-step, Waltz, Cha-cha, Rumba, Foxtrot, Tango and Jive are some of the rhythms
danced. We can show you how they are done, but we don't actually
teach these. A local Round Dancing club is Scarlet Ribbons, in Kennington. I have wondered why
Round Dancing was so named. Maybe because you dance
'round' the hall and it's the opposite of 'square', so it fits quite well.
Mixers are simple Round dances. These we do, which are easy to
teach and dance. During the dances everyone will change partners. The
caller will walk you through the dance then cue you through with the
music. These can also be called circle dances.
A few other Formations
There are others, such as two couple facing two couples around the hall or
threes facing threes or even fours (two couples side by side) facing another
four. You are either facing clockwise or anti-clockwise and at the end of the
routine/figure you progress forward in the same direction as you started.
These need a little more room so can only be done in a larger hall.
Mescolanza, is another formation, fours facing fours, not round the hall but
facing down the hall (away from the caller), with the other four facing up the
hall.
Quadrille, another one, is the usual square formation. These dances are always kept simple and are danced to the
phrase of the music.
Community Dance Programme
"What's that", I hear you say. "Never heard of it"
The Community Dance Programme (CDP for short) contains some of the first,
basic, square dance movements which everyone dances when they first start
dancing. Add to that some easy Contras and Mixers (all quick-teach ones) and you
have the CDP.
The CDP was kept to those basic movements for people/clubs who didn't get
together very often i.e.
say , once a month, so not too much to remember!
Line Dancing
I've mentioned this because the line dancing which is popular now emerged in
the Square Dancing world in the 1970's, then faded away. It always existed under
the name of Solo Dancing and the routines (still available) were always Quick
Teach (non-complicated) ones. When we watch Line Dancing we can see many of the
steps which are in Round Dancing. So it proves there is nothing new in dancing,
its just the way it's presented.
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last updated - 12th Sept 2016
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