Bolero

[TangoDancer]

One of my fav dances, and in my opinion, essential to learning good dance. Probleme...rarely danced really well. Kudos on the highly recommended.

[Rugby]

Thanks.  Like to have done it with my DP but we have enough ito do working on our comp routines in International, especially when we only see each other on the weekends.  The fellow I did the exam with is not my DP but rather a friend who lost his partner a few months back.  I agreed to take it with him so he would not lose out on the opportunity of being able to do the exams.

[QPO]

It is not done in Australia and I have do idea why....interesting to find out why...it may be because of our own style of NV and there is not eough time...But I love the music and the dance

[cornutt]

It is not done in Australia and I have do idea why....interesting to find out why...

Because it's not in the International syllabus?

[QPO]

It is not done in Australia and I have do idea why....interesting to find out why...

Because it's not in the International syllabus?

Well I am sure that may be part of it. But we do New Vogue and I dont think that is International syllabus.. I could be wrong there...

[QPO]

started another thread about social dancing while looking for international syllabus...and New Vogue is not there.. So still does not explain why we dont do bolero...I will invesitage further.

[MusicChica]

Bolero's part of the American Rhythm syllabus, QPO.  You don't do it in Australia because you don't do either of the American styles there, if I'm not mistaken.

[QPO]

Bolero's part of the American Rhythm syllabus, QPO.  You don't do it in Australia because you don't do either of the American styles there, if I'm not mistaken.

Yes that is correct no American styles here we have our own...New Vogue which has its similariteis ie. that you dancie apart from your partner, but we do it over a pattern of up to 32 bars.

there are 15 competition dances, which are

Waltz: Palma, Twilight, Swing, Tracie Lea, Lucille
March: Gipsy Tap, Evening Three
Foxtrot: Merrilyn,Carousel, Charmiane, Barclay Blues, Excellsior Schotte
Tango: Tangoette, Tango Terrific,  La bomba

[QPO]

Obviously  from the lack of discussion on this thread. Bolero is not done much in the US either?

[TangoDancer]

Actually, it is done quite a lot, albeit, often badly... either flatly aka int'l rumba, or with a flopping hover and huge ugly rock step.

[QPO]

that is a shame.. bit like socially here with the Paso Doble...it is done pretty badly..we try to spruce it up. What are the strong points to it?

[cornutt]

that is a shame.. bit like socially here with the Paso Doble...it is done pretty badly..we try to spruce it up. What are the strong points to it?

It's sort of a smooth dance in the guise of a rhythm dance, and in some ways it combines the best parts of both.  It's a sensuous dance like waltz, but it doesn't travel so you don't need as much floor space. 

[TangoDancer]

that is a shame.. bit like socially here with the Paso Doble...it is done pretty badly..we try to spruce it up. What are the strong points to it?

Do you mean... the strong points of bolero? If so.....

1. The dance doesn't really exist. It is actually the int'l rumba. However, the american version, created a waltz-like glide and rise to distinguish it from int'l rumba. IMO, against my usual beliefs, this was the greatest thing to happen to the dance.

2. The glide needs to be danced with a lateral body roll (rightward rotation), and with more of a pulling action than a push acorss the floor and into the rise.

3. The piece de resistance - the so-called rock should be danced in whisks. This is best. If one wishes to dance a hover (rock step), the technique is to dance toe toe-heel... supporting the rise over both toes before lowering instead of lowering immediately (causing a dropping action). When dancing this tech, it is paramount to not take the rock too largely. The current trend of big loping rocks is incredibly unattractive.

[MusicChica]

Yep, back when I did Rhythm, I was always taught to make the back step VERY small, nearly placing it directly behind the front foot instead of farther back the way a "traditional" rock step would.

[cornutt]

Yep, back when I did Rhythm, I was always taught to make the back step VERY small, nearly placing it directly behind the front foot instead of farther back the way a "traditional" rock step would.

That's something that I have struggled with, actually.  I still don't do it very consistently.  And since it rotates on the lead's back step, if I take too large a step there, it creates major balance problems for both of us.