Floorcraft is…sanding and re-finishing your hardwoods? Yes, obviously, but for us dancers it is much more. As all of us know, sometimes things can get a little crowded out on the dance floor, whether it’s at a competition or a social occasion. Floor craft is the ability to negotiate the dance floor with a minimum number of incidents; it is also the ability to stay out of trouble, not just to extricate yourself from a squash.

As I started writing this article, knowing that there are many parts to floorcraft, it escalated from general comments to a huge multi-part series! This first installment will deal with some overall concepts and touch on floorcraft for the social dancer. The successive articles will address competition floorcraft, the lady’s role in floorcraft, and conclude with floor etiquette, floorcraft violations and how to deal with them plus a few final tips for everyone.

How do you start to work on floorcraft? First is to remember that if you GIVE respect and space, you GET respect and space. That is a lovely reminder for all of us in real life, too! The best floorcraft analogy is driving. We will refer to this often for examples.

As a general rule, you want to try to give yourself a cushion of space around you of approximately 5 feet. That sounds like a lot, and it is, but if you PLAN for that much space, then you have a little “wiggle” room if you need it. Think of driving in the rain: don’t you need to make sure you have a little more space all around you for safety?

WATCH for traffic. This doesn’t just mean knowing where everyone IS. It means being able to extrapolate other couples’ trajectories so you know where they WILL BE. All fine if someone is in the corner and you cut in front of them. But remember they are moving too, and might be moving faster than you. You’ve just now made yourself into an obstacle, they will crash into you, and it’ll be YOUR fault because you put yourself there. If you happen to know that person, and know he’ll be in the corner for a while, then it’s OK, but that means BEING AWARE!!!!! Don’t just go around the floor running through your routine like the dance police are after you if you don’t do every step as written by your teacher! Share the floor, share the space and you will have more fun.

In watching for traffic, remember that you have a 360-degree view. That does NOT mean you can flip your head around like an owl! That means that when you are in dance position, head up and slightly to the left, you have about 180 degrees of vision, minus a tiny blind spot behind your partner’s head. Two people, 180 x 2 = 360. That means that BOTH partners must be responsible for watching. Ladies (and we will address your responsibilities in greater depth later), you must not blindly follow. Follow, yes, and go where the man leads you, but do be aware of situations that are all around you, just as the man is.

Plan to have some “escape” steps that you use on a regular basis to get out of trouble. Here is where a few private lessons with an experienced teacher can help you tremendously. (My favorite plug: “private lessons are available!” Please ask your teacher for help.) Two or three steps are a lot better than just freestyling whatever strikes your fancy in the moment. Ladies need a little consistency from you (oops, another life lesson!).

Now on to social floorcraft and some specific situations: who is in charge? The man, of course. Gentlemen, make sure you know where you are going….that means LOOK. (Ladies, you too!) Make sure you are comfortable with the abilities of the lady with whom you’ve chosen to dance. Don’t throw a beginning level lady into a situation where she will be needed to help “steer” the partnership. Keep your dancing shenanigans to a minimum (actually, that’s good advice even if you are dancing with an advanced lady….I hate having an entire repertoire thrown at me when I’m just out to social dance and have fun.). And at the risk of repeating myself repeatedly, watch where you are going.

Much of social floorcraft sounds more like etiquette, and it is. How do you get to the dance floor? Letting the lady wind her way through the tables first? No, you are the leader, so lead the way to the floor. It is also appropriate for you to enter the floor first, just as you would enter the street first to “protect” the lady from on coming traffic. And NEVER WALK BACKWARDS ON THE DANCE FLOOR!!!! This leads to grief on the social dance floor, at competitions, in the studio. DON’T DO IT!

What about Sadie Hawkins? What if a lady asks you to dance? Does that mean she’s in charge? NO. As soon s she asks you to dance her responsibility ends and yours begins.

One final note on social dance floorcraft. You are there to dance and have fun. Chatting should be strictly social. Don’t teach (or expect to be taught if you are dancing with a professional….we want some time off, too!). If you have been deliberately asked to teach or ask some to teach you, go off into a corner. Don’t do it out on the floor where you are now an obstacle.

Go out and dance, have fun, and watch where you are going. Look both ways before entering the traffic, share the space, and give respect to get respect (what was that book? Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?).

The scene at any dance event always looks the same. There are more women than men. There are more women on the dance floor and more women sitting down than men. Last time I checked, the 2000 Census showed that there are 96.3 men for every 100 women in this country, but looking at any ballroom scene one would think that men are on the government’s endangered species list.

In an attempt to understand why most men don’t dance, I decided to do some research. I approached two men that I’ve known for years. Since I have never seen either of them dance, I asked the question “why don’t you dance?” The first person replied: “Ballroom dancing, ballroom dancing is for the newlyweds and the ‘nearly deads.’ I danced at my wedding and that is it for me.” Since he is still married and in his mid-30s, I guess it will be a long time before we see him on the dance floor.

The second man is an older gentleman, a widower. He is way past the “over the hill” stage. Like myself, he is in the “tumbling and rolling down the hill” stage. His answer was: “Ballroom dancing, isn’t that where ‘boy meets girl’ and ‘dirty old men’ meet girls? I tried before but it did not work. I don’t have the rhythm. I don’t know the steps. I can’t dance – so I quit”.

AH HAH! It’s that old “two left feet” syndrome and the “rhythmically challenged” excuse! Men, don’t let these perceptions stop you from dancing. After a few months of dance lessons, one of your left feet will pretend to be the right foot and you’ll be dancing in no time– trust me I’ve been there, done that. And about the rhythm thing, dance with your own rhythm. As long as your partner doesn’t mind, then it’s OK. After all, the dance is just for you and your partner anyway and most women don’t care how out of rhythm you are or how ridiculous you look, they just want to dance.

Although the man was honest with his answer, dancing is not really about a man and a woman in sexual sense. It’s about the warm feeling of being held by the opposite sex and at the same time letting the bodies float and blend through space with the rhythm of music. It’s the best medicine for releasing stress and it’s free! Men, by not getting up and dancing, you are denying yourself pleasurable moments!

Generally men are reluctant to get up and dance, except when they are very drunk, of course. The reason can be traced back to their childhood. It’s very easy for boys to pick up a ball running out to the field and having fun with friends. It so simple, it’s doesn’t require instruction; it doesn’t need special shoes. It’s outdoors and it especially doesn’t involve anything to do with girls. Dancing was never an activity boys by nature wanted to participate in because they could not enjoy or compete with friends like other sport activities. So when they grow up, most men don’t have much dancing skill, since they are not used to dancing and they don’t want the world to know how clumsy and uncoordinated they are. They don’t dance in public and especially not in front of the women in their lives. Hey men, listen! If you can do silly, ridiculous things like drinking beer contests in public in front of those women then you can surely dance in public too. The only key difference is that you can actually make some women really happy while doing it.

Lack of dancing skill in men has been known for a long time. Ask any dance instructor and they will tell you: “in dancing, men progress more slowly than women do.” They always advise the women: “don’t expect too much too soon from the man.” So you see men, it’s OK not to be perfect. Dancing is a learned skill. Neither men nor women are born with it. Like walking, everyone has to learn before they can take the first step. It is not so odd that you men don’t dance so well initially. A few dance lessons will fix that problem easily.

Many non-dancing men consider dancing as not masculine – an unmanly thing to do. It’s “ballerina,” or it’s “sissy,” etc. Well, the most famous football coach, Vince Lombardi, considered dancing to be a sport when he said, “dancing is contact sport, football is a hitting sport”. If that doesn’t make you feel dancing is sporty or masculine enough then listen to one of the most intelligent men on earth, Albert Einstein, who said, “dancers are the athletes of God”. These two extraordinary men couldn’t be all wrong. So men, get up and dance showing the world how athletic you are.

Ballroom dancing is not just “for the newly weds or the nearly deads”. Women generally go to the wedding with a serious boy friend, husband in tow or alone looking and dancing. When the music starts, the women with boyfriends or husbands will ask him to dance. His face turns to a state of mortification and he objects by saying: “I don’t know the step” or he starts talking about an old sport related injury that prohibits him from dancing. The woman is morose. After all of the dealings with the toilet seat being up, snoring at night, smelly socks every day, geez doesn’t she deserve at least a dance! So if you’re the husband or the boy friend, then get up and dance with her! The woman who comes alone looking is waiting for someone to ask her to dance – anyone. There are men sitting around nursing their drinks but often no one comes over to ask her to dance. They are either too cool to dance or too shy to ask. She feels ignored and goes home alone that night, depressed and unhappy. If someone would have asked her to dance, the world would seem a much brighter place and she would be a lot happier and who knows what would happen after the dance? A date? A companionship that will last forever? Dancing is a good antidote for loneliness and depression.

Men, next time you are at wedding reception or at dance party go ahead get up and ask a woman to dance. You don’t need to know much to dance to the “slow” music. Just moving your two left feet one at a time so they don’t step on each other then you will be fine. It doesn’t matter whether you are young and good looking, old and wrinkled, geeky or nerdy, women will be happy to dance with you. They come there to dance after all.

Men get up. Take some dance lessons if you need to. Just dance before Japanese scientists invent robots that can dance and can lead their partners then you’re DOOMED. The women will just not need you any more they will trade you in for? the batteries. So men, let get up and dance.

Welcome back to Beth’s Soapbox Derby!

Each competition we attend, whether as spectators or participants, gives us something to ponder, occasionally question, and sometimes even complain about. Indeed while judging, which is supposed to be the most mindless of activities-simply look at what is being presented and either make a couple of helpful comments or rank in order of merit-we constantly question and take issue with certain things.

One of the dilemmas we face constantly, at every competition around the world and not just the small local events, is music. The most difficult job at the competition is that of the DJ’s. They must be in the ballrooms before the event starts to set up the sound system, and are at work long before the judges or emcee or even some of the competitors, for how could we have a competition without music? What would we dance to? The dulcet tones of our teachers? There is a reason most of us teach DANCING. So their hours are long, their job is ignored for the most part (unless they do it badly), they are probably underpaid for the effort, and must perpetually strive to please the masses. This is a difficult, if not impossible, task.

The reason the job of a DJ is difficult is that everyone has different tastes in music. I once worked with someone who thought the Waltz “With Pen in Hand” was the most beautiful song ever written, and he would go out of his way to play it and/or dance to it. Well, I detest that song. Musically it’s OK, except it’s really draggy and slow, but it is about divorce and leaving a family broken! How can that be good? So you see, everyone has a different opinion. While I disagree with my friend for liking that song, it’s his opinion, he’s entitled to that, and I’ll never tell him he’s wrong for feeling that way. See? Different tastes.

Another problem the DJs have is providing variety. There are only so many songs. Some are outdated (and yet we hear them anyway-more on that later) and so others need to be repeated during the course of the event, and some are marginally acceptable for social dancing or practice but aren’t of the caliber needed for competition. So the library of music is by necessity a little limited.

What are the elements that make a good DJ? The job itself demands that the DJ be aware of the schedule of the competition and be available at all times to provide music. In addition to adhering to the sometimes very strict time schedule, the DJ needs to make sure he has the right kinds of music. By that I mean if the competition organizer offers Peabody, he better have a few Peabodys in his collection! Even if no one enters the Peabody, JUST IN CASE he’s got a couple. And what if someone requests one for social dancing? Unlikely, but it could happen, and since we are in a service industry, it’s in the DJ’s best interests to provide the service requested. If there are complaints about him to the organizer, he might be out of a job next time. So awareness of the schedule and dances offered by the organizer is crucial.

Following along with the awareness requirement is the understanding of rules governing music. How long is a song played? Well, international rules are different from domestic rules are different from amateur rules are different from professional rules. So it behooves the DJ to understand the KIND of event for which he plays the music. Is it IDST sanctioned? NDCA? Non-sanctioned?

Another rule the DJ must actually have memorized, and for which he must be prepared to adjust, is that governing tempo. How fast is each dance? At the end of this article will be a listing of the official tempi as set down in the current NDCA rulebook. But a short discussion of tempi is necessary here; not only should the DJ be aware of the official rules, but take into account the levels for which he’s providing the music (awareness again). As an example, the prescribed speed for International Waltz is 28-30 measures per minute (MPM). It is commonly understood that it’s more difficult to dance slowly than quickly, so the better dancers should get the slower speed. Less accomplished dancers should get the faster speed. What about an event such as Pre-Championship (or even Championship in some cases) Junior or Youth Standard? These kids have been dancing a while, been through the entire syllabus and graduated to “fancy open” choreography. I think they should have the faster speed simply because they do not have the maturity of muscle development to control the slows, eke out that elusive 2-3, defy gravity and suspend time balanced on one tippy toe. A Foxtrot played at 24 MPM simply does not work and is not appropriate at the Newcomer level! (That actually happened at a recent competition at which I judged. I timed the song.)

Finally, the most important attribute of a good DJ is a positive, active rapport with the MC, the chairman of judges, the dancers, the audience and the judges–in that order! The MC and chairman are actually the people responsible for running the competition in situ, and the DJ must comply with their decrees. The MC tells the DJ when to start the music, generally when to stop, and gives him the cues for which dances to play (if he doesn’t already know, which he should), as well as preparing the interludes of social dancing. (Sidebar: social dancing is becoming a rarity at larger competitions. Please take advantage of this time to get out on the floor, stretch your legs and maybe dance with someone special.) The chairman of judges is responsible for monitoring the tempi, length and type of music played. His word is law. But above all else, judges, MCs and DJs all need to remember they are there for one reason only: THE DANCERS! Without the competitors, there is no event and no job for the officials. If the DJ provides good, correct music, the dancers (competitors and spectators alike) will return again and again. Good music makes good business.

There are several other qualifications for a DJ who provides music for strictly social dancing. While I will list them here, I won’t go into them in great detail. For the most part, they are self-explanatory. Good variety, willingness to take requests, awareness of appropriate music (more actually on this subject later), sensitivity to popularity of dances (if no one is dancing Tango, don’t play another one!), all of these contribute to the success of a DJ.

Back to competition music.

A further look at tempi must also include a discussion of characterization of the dance. Just because a song is written in 3/4 timing doesn’t make it a Waltz. Oddly, there is a song off the soundtrack for “Strictly Ballroom” that is written in 6/8 time. You might, knowing math as you do, deduce that 6/8 = 3/4, so it’s a Waltz, or maybe a Viennese Waltz. Wrong! It’s actually the Paso Doble that is danced in the climactic dance competition scene (this movie is the clever Australian spoof of competition ballroom dancing?ooh, another sidebar: for those of you who will be attending the City of Roses 2005-that should be all of you-one of the demonstrators is Nick Kosovich. His amateur partner, with whom he was Australian 10-Dance Champion, was in that movie. She played Tina Sparkle. Don’t remember her? Rush right out and rent it.).

So is any song that is written in 4/4 time a Swing or a Foxtrot or a Hustle or a Rumba or a Cha Cha or a Quickstep? No, you say, of course not! Each dance has its own character, as does the music. Correct. But at a recent competition I judged, the DJ played Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me” in the Pro/Am Championship Rhythm competition for the Swing! He simply sped the music up. The chairman of judges (Peter Mant) and I ganged up and made him stop that one and put on a REAL Swing. “Come Fly With Me” is a classic Foxtrot. 4/4 timing, but a different character. Be aware!

Let’s ask ourselves then if the theme song from “Harry Potter” is indeed a Viennese Waltz, or if some of the compelling music from Cirque du Soleil shows is really Paso Doble. Yes, indeed to the first; it is written in 3/4 timing, surprisingly at the correct tempo for American Viennese Waltz, has a nice flow, pulse and swing reminiscent of the finest Strauss Waltzes, yet it is modern and new. No, to the second, although I have seen superior dancers use that music quite effectively to create a different atmosphere. I think you have to be a fantastic dancer to take an unusual, unconventional piece of music and make it work: Don Johnson with Kasia Kozak and James with Janna Kunitz are classic examples of this ability. These songs should never be played in competition, though; they are too esoteric and most competitors’ Paso Dobles are phrased to fit the customary Paso, “Spanish Gypsy Dance” (which has the weirdest phrasing in the world).

We are always on the lookout for new music. Dancing and teaching to the same versions of the same songs for 20 years or more gets old. DJs have to have the latest music, understand it, and make it work. Yet another challenge for them, as there will always be complaints: “THAT’S a terrible version of blah-blah-blah. Don’t ever play that again!” Here is where outdated music comes in. Maybe we are all tired of hearing Ross Mitchell, Gunter Noris and the like. But they are still around for a reason! They are easy to teach to and easy to dance to. The beat hits you over the head with a 2×4, “Hellooooooo! I’m a Foxtrot!!!!!” Especially for Newcomers, children, or some of the older divisions, these might be an excellent choice. But please, don’t choose them for the top divisions of Amateur or Professional competitions. Those guys, the really good ones, deserve really great music. You can even choose some obscure song with a really soft beat. The good ones can make it work.

Again, personal opinion comes into choosing “good music.” I know a DJ who is a professional dancer. While, for the most part, his choice of music is excellent, occasionally he slips up and plays something for a Novice competition that HE would dance to. Well, again, the Novices are novices for a reason. Don’t inflict great music, especially if it’s a little different, on someone who has difficulty counting to 3. Vocal tangos are another pet peeve of mine. I think they should all be banned. But, again, there are only so many acceptable Tangos, and some of them are good dancing ones with good beats. I just can’t stand hearing Nat “King” Cole singing phonetically in Spanish. Yuk. Curls my toes.

Is some of the modern, pop music we hear “good” music? Yes. Is it danceable? Maybe. Please listen to it. Is that great song Tom Jones (hubba hubba) sings, “Sex Bomb,” a Cha Cha, a Swing or a Hustle? I’ve done all three. Is it acceptable for competition? I think not. And that segues us into the next subject:

Acceptability of music. At a recent competition, I was stunned, shocked and appalled (yup. All three.) to hear the Jive from “Burn the Floor” played. It is a good song to dance to: soft, but with a great beat and very Jivey, even if doesn’t have a traditional sound. It’s called “Would You??” and that line is finished-in dead silence, although rhythmically correct-”?go to bed with me?” And this song was played for the Juniors. They were 12 and under. Danceable song? Yes. Correct tempo and timing? Yes. Appropriate? No, emphatically no. I have been at a number of competitions where “Hanky Panky” has been played for the Juniors or Youths. Danceable song? Yes. Correct tempo and timing? Yes. Appropriate? No, emphatically no. DJs, please listen to the content of the song and pay attention to the event for which you are playing it. We as an entire group (especially USABDA) are trying to promote ballroom dancing as a healthy, positive pastime and attract younger participants. Is this the way? No, emphatically no.

One final note about general dancing. We are so fortunate to have general dancing available to us. At a competition, however, we have to remember that general dancing is a filler between events. The focus of the MC, chairman and the on-deck captain is to organize the next heat of competitors. So, DJ, if there is a Latin event coming up and you have been playing lots of Cha Chas and Rumbas and Sambas to get the audience in the mood, then please please PLEASE for the last 2-3 dances play some smooth dances so the on-deck captain can do his job. It’s very difficult to marshal competitors when they are sneaking on to the floor for one last practice run to music. Have pity on the time schedule. You are supposed to help the event run smoothly. Help subtly clear the floor of competitors and the next heat will run on time.

These are just a few (ha!) words and suggestions to help make DJs aware, and to help competitors and spectators alike understand the most over-looked job at an event. As difficult a task as judging is, I wouldn’t trade it for the DJ’s job for all the money in the world. Have sympathy for the DJs, appreciate them-and please TELL them you appreciate them. The judges, demonstrators, MCs hear all the time how they are doing?.if you like the DJ, please tell him. He’s human. He’d like to hear a compliment or two. Probably the chairman and the MC have been ragging on him all weekend. It’s nice to hear a kind word.

So what?s the difference? I am constantly asked this question regarding International and American styles of dancing, with the question coming from beginning dancers, advanced dancers, judges and non-dancers. There are several answers, some easy and some more open to subjective opinion. We?ll start with the easy ones!

First, International Style is the style of dancing that is danced all over the world, with an established syllabus and terminology recognized everywhere, from Sri Lanka to Alaska. American Style is a style invented in and unique to the United States, danced a little bit in Canada, with many syllabi and terminologies.

Second, International Style, particularly Ballroom, has been standardized for nearly one hundred years, with the Ballroom having been written down in nearly its current form for over seventy years. Latin dance has been standardized for nearly sixty years, and with minor updates has been written in its current form for over forty years. The roots of American style are in social dancing and it has only been in existence for about fifty years. The written forms of American style are many; we will discuss the syllabi later!

Third and most obvious, there are different dances in each style. International Style has only ten dances: Standard?Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep and Latin?Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. In the Standard dances the partners stay in closed dance position with body contact 100% of the time. American Style features more dances, but fewer for competition. For American style competition we dance the Smooth dances?Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz and the Rhythm dances?Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero and Mambo. Of the dances that are the same in each style, the speed of music is different, some timings are different, and in the smooth dances we are allowed to separate and dance without hold, a la Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In American Style, we can also add for Pro/am competitions and for social dancing West Coast Swing, Hustle, Samba, Merengue, Night Club Two Step, Salsa and Peabody.

So which is better? That is really a matter of personal preference. Each has its own merits and charms and pitfalls. Because International has been standardized for so long, is danced by many more people, and is the style from which we choose our World Champions, it can be more demanding. Certainly the Standard dances are more exacting and the technique is less forgiving as we have two bodies to deal with. Dance position and body contact are required to be top-notch. Because we have an established syllabus with written technique, everyone at the same level of accomplishment is dancing the same steps, sometimes in the same order. That means that what happens in competitions is that we are judging apples against apples. This is a good thing! Judges are supposed to be looking at the dancing, not at ?flash and trash? choreography. If everyone is doing the same thing, then we are really judging the dancing.

Having said all that, I do believe that American Smooth can be more difficult than International Standard. At the levels of silver and above (more on the levels later), when we dance with our partners in dance position, it has to look and be perfect. Then we go twirling off by ourselves, responsible only for ourselves, and then back into perfect dance position! AAUUGGHH!

The mechanics and basic techniques of the dances don?t change. A Waltz is a Waltz. But the characterizations of the dances certainly are affected by the styles. Besides that, the speeds of the music are different. International Waltz is slower than American, Tango is faster, Viennese Waltz is MUCH faster, and Foxtrot is a little slower. International Cha Cha is faster, Rumba is slower, and Jive is much faster than Swing. These differences in the Rhythm/Latin dances come from the difference in producing Cuban motion, or hip action. In International style, we straighten our legs before the weight transfer, allowing for a faster leg and foot action, and in American we SHOULD BE stepping onto a bent leg, allowing more time for a rhythmical body action and musical interpretation.

With both styles, we have three levels of accomplishment: bronze, silver and gold. Above that is the fancy schmancy stuff you see on TV and in professional and top amateur competitions that we term ?Open.? When we are learning to dance, it makes sense to start from the beginning. That?s why the syllabi are structured the way they are, to build good fundamental mechanics as a support for the fancy open choreography to which we graduate. Wouldn?t you make sure the foundation of your house was strong and solid before you framed it out and put the roof on and painted it pretty colors? So we think the same about dancing. A good box step, a competent link or feather step, a clean Rumba basic are mandatory for us to understand and try to perfect before we go on to more complicated moves. I have been very happy to see that in recent years competitions are providing ?invigilators,? or separate judges to monitor competitors? choreography. The invigilator will watch the competition, issue warnings and/or disqualifications when necessary. Even at small local competitions (one in Seattle, one in Portland, and one in Vancouver BC) there were disqualifications due to couples not dancing within category. If we continue to stress the importance of good, fundamental dancing then we upgrade the quality of dancing in the long run.

OK, back to the differences between International and American. International Standard and Latin are the top styles right now, with the strongest dancers and deepest competition fields. Are they good for social dancing? Yes. No question. Latin dances stay pretty much on the spot, and the music is very popular. Standard dances stay in closed dance position (much safer in a crowded social situation!) and can maneuver easily through a crowd. Except for Quickstep! In Quickstep we should stay with syllabus level material for competent, confident social dancing. Hoppy, skippy, jumpy stuff belongs in showcases and competitions only.

American style dances were invented for social dancing and popular dance music. The patterns are easy to learn and execute, the dances are fun, and especially American social foxtrot is a VERY useful dance. Competitively, American Smooth is an extremely popular and very beautiful style with flowing movements and attractive arm styling, but is suffering growing pains. This style is undergoing a transformation, but without a tangible goal. What we are seeing right now is great athleticism in some couples and great artistic interpretation from others, but most of the time without a balance of both.

The standard of dancing in these three aforementioned styles is currently very high. American Rhythm, unfortunately, is not enjoying the same level of success. To be competitive lately, it seems that the dancers are trying to do International techniques without the fundamental training, and without the musical REASONS to dance that way. The result is what looks like sloppy International style. It?s a real shame, because I think we have some terrific dancers in the professional Rhythm ranks, but few of them have the guts to return to the roots of the style. I hope both Rhythm and Smooth settle into the great styles I think they can be. International style dances have had the opportunity to develop and mature into the exquisite athletic/art forms they are now. American style deserves the same opportunities.

Oof. Got sidetracked again. Back to International vs. American. This time, the subject is syllabus. Not only does International have a defined syllabus, but within that syllabus the technique is very specific, down to the steps that are allowed to precede or follow a specific step or the position you may dance the step in. For example, although both of these steps are allowed at the Bronze level, in Waltz and Quickstep you may not follow the Back Lock with a Hesitation. And in Rumba, although the handhold is allowed elsewhere, you may not dance cucarachas with a double handhold at the Bronze level. Check the technique books or ask a CERTIFIED instructor for more information. International, because of the strict requirements, can feel a little limiting, but there is much freedom within the structure.

What we have with American style is a looser acceptance of what is allowed at each level. Because there are over 50 published and recognized syllabi, and the invigilators cannot memorize everything (we?re only human?hate to break it to you!), we abide by some general but strict rules: no passing of the feet in Bronze?each pattern MUST finish with the feet together, unless specified, like a chasse; no foot fakes in Bronze?partners must remain on the opposite foot at all times; no release of the handholds for more than 2 measures of music; no extended series of quicks; no double syncopations; little to no foot swivel in Swing; no kicks in any dance. At the Silver level, the rules pretty much go out the window, except we like to see shadow positions kept to a minimum (except for Viennese Waltz), and steps that are at the Gold level in International should also be kept to a minimum. Some people like the general rule of thumb that Silver should still be able to be led and followed, and you save the fancy routines for Gold and/or Open.

There is much more to say on the fascinating topic of International versus American. I hope this article helps clarify the subject a little. This may be more information than you think you need! OR it may raise questions about American and International styles that need a deeper discussion. I encourage anyone who has any questions to contact me at any time. I can be reached through ballroomparkrose.com.