International Waltz

Waltz originated as a country folk dance born in the seventeenth century suburbs of Austria and Bavaria. When first introduced into the English ballrooms in the early 1800s, the Waltz was denounced for its vulgarity and immorality… this was, after all, the first time society had seen this outrageous dance position, with the man holding the lady so close to his body.

Waltz is a smooth dance, traveling around the line of dance. It is characterized primarily by its rise and fall action, accompanied by leg and body swing. Turning movements in both directions are prevalent.

Musical Information

Tempo: 30 measures per min / 90 beats per min
Timing: 3/4
Rhythm: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)

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Syllabus

Newcomer

  • Closed Changes

  • Natural Turn

  • Reverse Turn

  • Natural Spin Turn

  • Whisk

  • Chasse from Promenade Position

Bronze

  • Closed Impetus

  • Hesitation Change

  • Outside Change

  • Reverse Corte

  • Back Whisk

  • Basic Weave

  • Double Reverse Spin

  • Reverse Pivot

  • Back Lock

  • Progressive Chasse to Right

Silver

  • Weave from Promenade Position

  • Closed Telemark

  • Open Telemark and Cross Hesitation

  • Open Telemark and Wing

  • Open Impetus and Cross Hesitation

  • Open Impetus and Wing

  • Outside Spin

  • Turning Lock

Gold

  • Left Whisk

  • Contra Check

  • Closed Wing

  • Turning Lock to Right

  • Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot

  • Hover Corte

 
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international Tango

Tango was born in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century from a variety of musical cltures. Its name possibly comes from the Latin word tangere, “to touch”. Tango dancing began as a lower class pantomime of communication between prostitute and pimp. In the early 1900s, a less vulgar form was exported to France, where it was further refined and quickly gained popularity with the Parisian high society. Classy clothes, ballrooms, lyrics, and a “tango” orchestra, popularized the dance for the rich of Europe and the USA. Throughout the Tango’s evolution, the passionate translation of emotions into dance always remained constant.

Musical Information

Tempo: 32-33 measures per min / 128-132 beats per min
Timing: 4/4
Rhythm: Quick-Quick-Slow

Syllabus

Newcomer

  • Basic Walks

  • Progressive Side Step

  • Progressive Link

  • Closed Promenade

  • Rock Turn

  • Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside

  • Back Corte

Bronze

  • Open Reverse Turn, Lady In-Line

  • Progressive Side Step Reverse Turn

  • Open Promenade

  • Left Foot and Right Foot Rocks

  • Natural Twist Turn

  • Natural Promenade Turn

Silver

  • Promenade Link

  • Four Step

  • Back Open Promenade

  • Outside Swivels

  • Fallaway Promenade

  • Four Step Change

  • Brush Tap

Gold

  • Fallaway Four Step

  • Oversway

  • Basic Reverse Turn

  • The Chase

  • Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot

  • Five Step

  • Contra Check

international Viennese Waltz

The Viennese Waltz is the original form of the waltz. Despite some controversy over the intimacy of the dance’s hold, it became highly popular in — where else? — Romantic-era Vienna, Austria, breaking the trend of European social dances as communal sequence dances. A rotary dance, the Viennese Waltz is characterized by its simplicity and old-world elegance.

Musical Information

Tempo: 58-60 measures per min / 180 beats per min
Timing: 6/8
Rhythm: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)

Syllabus

Bronze

  • Closed Changes

  • Natural Turn

  • Reverse Turn

Silver

  • Closed Changes Backward

Gold

  • Natural Fleckerl

  • Reverse Fleckerl

  • Contra Check

 

International FOXTROT

The Foxtrot was actually introduced into the mainstream by Harry Fox in 1913. The original Foxtrot was moderately fast, simple and unrefined. The popularity of the dance stemmed from its overall versatility and rhythmic variation. In the early 30s, Foxtrot began to take on a smoother and more flowing quality as the more exciting dances began to hit the scene. A modified version called the Slow Foxtrot was evolved by the English, and is the technical basis for the version we now have.

Foxtrot is similar to Waltz (long walking movements, rise and fall action, leg and body swing).

Musical Information

Tempo: 26-30 measures per min / 104-120 beats per min
Timing: 4/4
Rhythm: Slow-Quick-Quick

Syllabus

Newcomer

  • Feather step

  • Natural Turn

  • Reverse Turn and Feather Finish

  • Closed Impetus and Feather Finish

  • Three Step

Bronze

  • Natural Weave

  • Change of Direction

  • Basic Weave

Silver

  • Closed Telemark

  • Open Telemark and Feather Ending

  • Top Spin

  • Hover Feather

  • Hover Telemark

  • Natural Telemark

  • Hover Cross

  • Open Telemark, Natural Turn and Outside Swivel

  • Open Impetus

  • Weave from Promenade Position

  • Reverse Wave

Gold

  • Natural Twist Turn

  • Curved Feather to Back Feather

  • Natural Zig Zag from Promenade Position

  • Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot

  • Natural Hover Telemark

  • Bounce Fallaway with Weave Ending

 
 

International Quickstep

The Quickstep is derived from the Foxtrot. During the twenties, many bands played the Slow Foxtrot too fast for the large open steps to be danced gracefully. By mixing the original Charleston and the fast foxtrot, the English developed the “Quicktime Foxtrot and Charleston”. In the ‘Star’ Championships of 1927, the English couple Frank Ford and Molly Spain danced a version of this “Quicktime Foxtrot and Charleston” without the characteristic Charleston knee actions. The faster foxtrot, influenced by the swing music of the 1920s, developed into the Quickstep with the characteristic chasses steps.

Musical Information

Tempo: 50-52 measures per min / 200-208 beats per min
Timing: 4/4
Rhythm: Slow-Quick-Quick

Syllabus

Newcomer

  • Quarter Turn to Right

  • Progressive Chasse

  • Forward Lock

  • Natural Turn

  • Natural Turn with Hesitation

  • Natural Pivot Turn

  • Natural Spin Turn

  • Chasse Reverse Turn

Bronze

  • Closed Impetus

  • Back Lock

  • Reverse Pivot

  • Progressive Chasse to Right

  • Tipple Chasse to Right

  • Running Finish

  • Natural Turn and Back Lock

  • Double Reverse Spin

  • Additional. Cross Chasse

  • Additional. Change of Direction

Silver

  • Quick Open Reverse

  • Fishtail

  • Running Right Turn

  • Four Quick Run

  • Closed Telemark

Gold

  • Cross Swivel

  • Six Quick Run

  • Rumba Cross

  • Tipsy to Right and Left

  • Hover Corte