Promenade Vs. Promenade

What is this?  How can a thing be different from itself?

Let me clear up this confusion.

Despite what one may think, Promenade and Promenade are not the same thing.

Still confused?  If you are, then this is rightly so.  If you already know what I am talking about, then good for you!  You're a step ahead of me!

Now, on to the actual difference.

There are two kinds of Promenade.  The first kind of Promenade is a dance position.  Essentially it is when the man "opens" the lady.  The man turns about 1/8 of a turn to his left, and the lady turns about 1/8 of a turn to her right.  This means there is a 1/4 angle between them, or 90 degrees.  Less turn would be ideal, but for the purposes of this blog, 1/4 is a good amount.

Then there is Promenade in American Foxtrot.  Promenade in American Foxtrot is simply a dance figure in which we use the Promenade POSITION as I outlined above.

Confusing huh?  Don't ask me why someone thought it would be a good idea to name a step after the position, as it can cause some confusion.

This confusion could be overcome by calling Promenade Position another name, which is Open Position.

In the end, it is simple just to remember one refers to a step, and the other to a position.

Hopefully I helped clear up some confusion!

-Aaron Mullen

Alignment (Part 2)

(If you aren't sure what is going on here, refer to the previous post)

So, alignments change in relation to where you are in the room.  Remember how I talked about Line of Dance before in this post?  Line of Dance is very important in defining alignment.

The official definition tells us that Alignment is "In relation to the room" which is accurate, but it is not the entire truth.

Alignment is more in relation to what Line of Dance you are moving along, and Line of Dance is indeed relative to the room.

So to figure out your alignment, all you would have to do is take the chart here and place it on the floor with the arrow pointing down the line of dance of your choice.  Remember, there are only four lines of dance in a room, one going along each wall.  Here is a little graphic of how the above chart could be used:

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Dance Floor

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Notice how the arrow points in the direction you want to be moving down the floor at your current position.

Don't worry, it isn't entirely necessary that you be able to read it.  This is just a guide on how to use the alignment chart.

Basically, all you must remember is that the line with the word "center" must be pointing towards the center of the floor, and the line with the word "wall" must be pointing towards the nearest wall, or the outside of the floor.  Once again, remember there are only four possible lines of dance.

This is very important as it helps a teacher efficiently and quickly convey the direction he wants the couple to face.  Memorizing these will help you spend less time talking, and more time dancing!

So get to it!

-Aaron Mullen

Alignments (Part 1)

Hello!  I finally have time to write blogs again!

Now, on to alignment!

What is alignment?  And why is it important?  Well, the official definition of alignment is, "The direction the feet and body are facing in relation to the room."

Now, what exactly does this mean?  There are eight alignments in total.  Here is a graphic of the eight alignments in Ballroom:

(Click to enlarge)
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You should memorize these alignments, and in my next post I will demonstrate how to use them and understand what they refer to.

-Aaron Mullen

Christmas Time is Coming

Hello readers!

So, Christmas time is nearing.  Here I am, busy as ever, wishing I had a few minutes to make a nice post, but I rarely get that chance anymore.

Do not fear though!  I have not forgotten you!  During Christmas break when I have more time I will definitely make more frequent posts.  I have learnt so many interesting things in the last few months, it will be wonderful to finally share them with you!

See you around Christmas time!

-Aaron Mullen

Offset Dance Position(Standard/Smooth)

Here is a relatively simple thing to do while dancing your Standard or Smooth.  Never stand directly in front of your partner.  You always want to be slightly offset.  This always holds true, regardless of whether you are a man or lady.

Now why is this?  And what exactly does it mean?  Think about it for a second.  If you stand directly in front of your partner, and you take a really long step forward, you're going to step on him or her!  To fix this little dilemma, we change our position slightly so that our right leg and right hip line up with the center of our partner's body.  Because of this little adjustment, our right leg will tend to go between our partner's legs, and the left leg will  tend to step to the left of our partners legs, instead of on top of them!  How absolutely convenient!  No longer is there the need to look down to check where your partner's feet are!

Couple this with a close dance hold as I mentioned in a previous post about body contact, and you will most probably avoid stepping on your partner 99% of the time!

-Aaron Mullen

Take Your First Steps

So, you want to dance but you've never danced before?  No problem!  I have the perfect place to start!

There is this little dance called Foxtrot.  American Smooth Foxtrot to be exact, but we won't delve too deep into those details right now.

All you need to start are your own two feet!

Okay, but in all seriousness, here are the two basic figures you will be using in the very beginning.  I get other maneuvering steps for you later.
                                                                              
Forward basic:  

Men:  Step Forward on Left foot, forward on right, then to the side on your left, and close the right to your left.

Ladies:  Step Back on Right foot, Back on Left, then step to the side on your right, and close the left foot to the left.

As you can see, the term "Forward Basic" is referring to the direction in which the man is moving.  We always refer to the direction in which the man is moving when talking about ballroom.  This is mainly because he is leading.

Back Basic:

Men:  Step Back on the left foot, back on the right, then side on the left, and close the right foot to the left.

Ladies:  Step Forward on the right foot, forward on the left, then side on the right, and close the left foot to the right.
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So, as we might be able to tell, both these figures move us to our left the tiniest bit, which brings us to the very important fact of line of dance which I discussed in an earlier post.

Practice these two figures until you have them down, and you should have a decent foxtrot.

What dance did you take your first steps in?

Leave a comment below!

-Aaron Mullen

New Poll!

I haven't been keeping up with polls lately, but a new poll is up.

The results of the last poll are in.  Only two people voted in the last poll, but to my surprise, both of them enjoyed International style more than American style.

I personally enjoy International more than Smooth, but I was convinced I was in the minority.  I guess perhaps not.

Please vote in the new poll!  It will make the results somewhat more interesting to look at!

Thanks,

-Aaron Mullen