Valentine Rounds
NEWS FROM VALENTINE ROUNDS
We started our year off with our Clubs 10th Birthday dance on the 13th February.
With members & visitors we certainly filled our hall and had a very good afternoon & evening of dancing.
In past years we have had a 5TH Sunday dance for all our groups to get together & socialize. (Any month that has five Sundays we use the fifth Sunday as a social get together). Last year because of commitments we were unable to have these sessions.
Thankfully this year we have begun these again. These dances give the members a chance to get together and meet others from the different groups. It also shows the newer dancers what can be achieved. The next 5th Sunday was the 31st of July. .
Our latest Valentine event was the Masquerade Ball held on the 25th June. This was a very successful evening with about fifty dancers in attendance dancing all levels during the night. Many thanks to those dancers who helped prepare and decorate the hall with masks. A “Pinata” was ( belted and destroyed ) by the winners of the Monte Carlo. The chocolates hidden in the pinata were greatly enjoyed.
It was wonderful to see the dancers entering into the theme of the night with everyone wearing masks, many men wearing suits and the ladies dressed in their finery and sparkling Bling.
Valentine Rounds big venture is our annual “Charity fund raising dance” on the 29th October. It was held in the Whites Hill State College Samuel Street Camp Hill, and because of the support and enthusiasm of all the dancers ,was a great night .
The Halloween dance held in November produced all types of outfits and masks to help the dancers enter into the spirit of the night. It was our big fund raising event of the year and the dancers gave generously to the cause. Thanks to all for making it a great night.
Val & Ken
2012
Dancing Calender.
In 3rd FEBRUARY 2012 we re-commenced dancing for the year in the
MURRARIE PROGRESS ASSOCIATION HALL located at
10 QUEENSPORT ROAD MURRARIE. ( the Hall we moved to in 2010)
DANCE TIMES are below (as circulated in the January Newsletter.)
ALL SUNDAY SESSIONS
4.00PM – 6.00PM CLUB LEVEL - Ph III, IV, V.
6.30PM – 8.00PM Phase II, III & IV.
NO BOLERO SESSION 2.00-4.00
note { BOLERO RHYTHM WILL BE TAUGHT DURING ALL DANCE SESSIONS ON SUNDAYS, FRIDAYS & TUESDAYS. }
FRIDAY EVENING
6.30 pm - 8pm :2012 beginners.
8pm - 9.30 pm : TEACHING PHASE IV & V
ALL TUESDAY SESSIONS
7.30PM-9.30PM
PHASE3 to 5 +
Contact Ken or Val on 3275 1558 for details :
Bolero Notes from Val and Ken
History and Characteristics:
Bolero was a Spanish dance in three/four timing during the 1700's,but it was danced to two/four music and then to four/four music in Cuba during the 1800's.It became popular in the United States in the 1930's but it was not until the 1990's that it became one of the Round Dance rhythms. Bolero has been called the "Cuban dance of Love" as it is smooth, powerful, and romantic. Bolero is characterised by a closer hold, by the side step that begins most figures, by the rise during the first step, and by one of the slowest tempos in Round Dancing.The rise and fall of Bolero constitute one crucial feature of the rhythm. The rise and fall is in the body not in the feet and ankles.
Dom and Joan Filardo (Round Dance teachers in America) thinking they needed something to help their dancers relate to Bolero steps, came up with the acronym Three "S's" as described below. Sweep, Slip, and Step.
From closed position with lead feet free we will execute the two measures of a Bolero Basic.
Step 1- Sweep -from a lower position with flexed knees we push off with our trailing foot allowing our lead foot to "sweep" across floor staying low until our weight is over the lead foot. We will then rise slowly to full extension without raising any part of the lead foot off the floor. As we rise the trailing foot will come along for the ride and slide toward the lead foot.
Step 2 - Slip -Slip the trail foot slightly back and behind (Lady slightly forward and in front) of the lead foot while lowering on to the trailing foot taking full weight.
Step 3 - step- Staying low with flexed knees, step forward (Ladies back) with the lead foot stepping slightly further than step 2. Stay down until you repeat the basic footwork for the second measure of the basic.
Note: The third step in not a recover step.
If we can master the basic in Bolero we can then incorporate the basic "foot mechanics" in almost all of the Bolero figures.
A comment from a ballroom teacher that I found interesting is to Emphasize "Fast feet/Slow Body" , meaning that during the slow step in Bolero we should get our feet out there but let the body lag behind and slowly flow over the whole two beats.
Ken and Val acknowledge some of this material is from the "Sears" website - other material from Dom and Joan Filardo.
Ken and Val Bolton hold Bolero classes on the fourth Sundays of each month between 2 and 4 pm.
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If you wish to learn this interesting rhythm , ring Ken or Val on (07) 3275 1558 and find out when the next beginners class is due to commence.