Comments on: Dance-off

By: Eszter

Eszter — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:10:45 +0000

Redwolf – I agree that especially shows like Dancing with the Stars don’t do very well in representing the high quality of dance that’s out there. On occasion – although rarely on American English-language channels – one might come across a show that has quality ballroom dancing, but it’s quite rare.

Jenny Jo and Tendancer – Thanks for the Bay area recommendations! I’ll have to check out these options when I’m out there next year.

By: tendancer

tendancer — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 23:36:59 +0000

Stanford also has a large and active (non-vintage) ballroom club, which has weekly lessons and practices, as well as sponsoring a competitive team, and the Cardinal Classic, a really nice competition, held usually in April.

Lots of good studios in the area, too, and quite a few competitions each year.

Plus, Charlotte Jorgensen from DWTS comes up to Imperial Dance Club in Redwood City to teach on a regular basis. :-)

By: Jenny Jo

Jenny Jo — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 14:45:37 +0000

Hi Eszter—
A friend pointed me this way to advise you :-). Stanford has a really active scene in vintage social ballroom, due in large part to a teacher named Richard Powers. He teaches classes at Stanford, and also frequently at an almost-weekly event called Friday Night Waltz (Http://www.fridaynightwaltz.com). The FNW events are fun and casual, and we dance mostly rotary waltz, but also polka, a little swing, and a few latin and “other” tunes. Also Schottish and cross-step waltz, which are probably a bit obscure if you’re not from around here—as far as I know, cross-step is a vintage dance that has been popularized almost exclusively by Powers. (But his dance partner went to Beijing last month and saw them doing it there!) The other major event is the Gaskells Ball (http://www.gaskellball.com/), which happens in Oakland every two months or so and is an absolute blast! It sounds like you’re more into competition style ballroom, but these are really fun things if you just want to get out and dance for your own enjoyment.

In other news, I saw some international ballroom dance finals on TV the other day, and it was sooo beautiful.

By: barry

barry — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 11:09:42 +0000

Eszter:

“I find it problematic that the Dancing with the Stars show has participants competing with each other doing different dances. Some dances are much harder than others so it doesn’t make sense to compare them. For example, Cha-Cha and Quickstep are sufficiently different that a comparison is nearly impossible. ”

For a purely judged competition, it wouldn’t be that bad. For example, the rumba is much slower than other dances, but you’re expected to use latin motion to the max, which makes it hard.

For an audience-judged show, it’s a major problem.

By: barry

barry — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 11:00:12 +0000

Redwolf, that’s because most of the ballroom dancers you’re seeing on TV aren’t trained up to that level. Professional dancers are (AFAIK) on a six-hour/day schedule since high school. Maybe junior high.

Meanwhile, I’d like to put in a tasteful plug for the Ballroom Dance Club at the University of Michigan (www.umich.edu/~umbdc) for anybody in SE Michigan (we have people coming in from up to 50 miles away).

By: RedWolf

RedWolf — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 09:41:59 +0000

As a lifelong watcher of dance (modern dance, musicals dancers, ice skating dance, etc.), I find ballroom dancing on TV somewhat disappointing. Many of the couples are mediocre and most men lack grace.

It is nice, however, to read Eszter’s enthusiasm.

By: Kenny Easwaran

Kenny Easwaran — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:20:15 +0000

I’ve got a bunch of friends in the Bay Area who are into dance – a couple from college, but one from high school who seems to have come with half of the Harvard ballroom dance team out to Berkeley. I’ll look up what things they normally go to.