Valentine Rounds
Valentine News-
Note Sunday Mail article at base of page
Happy faces at the Sunday Social Dance.
Sunday Social Dance.
A suggestion was made & discussed with the Valentine Rounds dancers that a special dance for all levels be held on the 5th Sunday of any month that has 5 Sundays. It would be a social evening, dance and dinner/supper get together.
The second of these events took place on Sunday, 30th August, and proved to be as popular as the first of these dances.
There is only one other such Sunday left this year , the 29th November.The dance commences at 4 pm has a break for tea ( bring something to eat) and goes to about 8.00pm.
Halloween theme for Fund Raising Dance
"What a Magic Night!"A night of dancers, vampires, witches, scarecrows and lots of other scary sights.Everyone entered into the spirit of Halloween for our Annual Fundraising Dance Night.
Friends from Adelaide, our club members, members of Allemander Rounds, and even dancers we had not seen for quite a while helped to make the night a great success.
The costumes voted by our impartial judges as best of the night were Yoki and Graeme from Beaudesert, accompanied by friends, who all arrived in style on their stretch limo (broomstick).
This years recipient of our fundraising ( over $300) was "Prostate Cancer Research", from the Mater Foundation.Without the support and generosity of our many dancers, family and friends, the night would not have been such a success.
2010
Dancing Calender.
Just to let you know that Valentine Rounds have changed venue and will no longer be using the Camp Hill School of Arts Hall for any further dancing activities.
We cease to dance in this location on Valentines Day 14th February 2010. Its ironical isn't it, we started our club in the Camp Hill School of Arts on Valentines day and finish dancing in this location on Valentines Day. It is no longer a viable proposition for us to continue our activity in this hall.
Commencing TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2010 we will be dancing in the
MURRARIE PROGRESS ASSOCIATION HALL located at
10 QUEENSPORT ROAD MURRARIE.
DANCE TIMES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
TUESDAYS - 7.30PM -9.30PM - COMMENCING 16TH FEBRUARY 2010
FRIDAYS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
SUNDAYS - 4.00PM - 6.00PM - CLUB LEVEL COMMENCING 21ST FEBRUARY 2010
SUNDAYS - 6.30PM - 8.00PM - NEWER DANCERS COMMENCING 21ST FEBRUARY 2010
4TH SUNDAY BOLERO - 2.00PM - 4.00PM - COMMENCING 28TH FEBRUARY 2010
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.
This article was published in the Sunday Mail- June 21st 2009
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.