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Monday, August 10, 2020

Waltzing?

By Robert Reyes, Makaha:
Yes, we got time to rehash. The ancient three count dance in England evolved into the waltz after the War of 1812, and its modern hold took root. In 1819 Carl Maria von Weber wrote "Invitation to the Dance," which marked the adoption of the waltz form into the sphere of absolute music. The dance was initially met with tremendous opposition due to the semblance of impropriety associated with the closed hold. Though the stance gradually softened, it was accepted for the lower classes but not for the "ballroom dancers."

"Social dancers know that all of us have to do more
to contain this virus, hope is not a strategy.”


In the 1840s several new dances made their appearance in the ballroom, including the Polka, Mazurka, and the Schottische. Most came in as fad dances but many remained as a fun dance even a century later. In the meantime a strong tendency emerged to drop all "decorative" steps such as entrechats and ronds de jambes that had found a place in the Quadrilles and other dances. And that brings us to the entire 19th century. Over great parts of the world people were finding the joy of partner dancing and many were realizing that they did not dance the same or even to the same music.

"Molokai Waltz" by Amy Hanaialii Gilliom


The Blacks, who had been in the Americas for 3 centuries, were now getting their freedom and in the Americas they began to develop their own versions of the local Indian dances. And more than that they developed their own versions of the European and Indian music in general. At the beginning of the 20th century, the US specially was ready for its revolution in music and dance. Some guy named Harry Fox, invented the Fox Trot in 1912. And the entire shebang began a good start at the beginning of WWI.

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