A guide to general dancing skills accompanies sequential photographs and foot-pattern diagrams illustrating the fundamentals of the fox-trot, waltz, cha-cha, tango, polka, and other popular ballroom dances.
With this one-of-a-kind book, dance instructors will develop the confidence and professionalism to quickly and easily go from being a good teacher to a great one, and gain the skills needed to skyrocket their careers.
Ballroom dancing has become an increasingly popular pastime for all ages, inspired in recent years by reality TV dance programmes throughout the world. As one of the most inclusive dance genres, it offers both a social and competitive outlet for every ability. The Essential Guide to Ballroom Dance offers a comprehensive study of the main ballroom dance styles, including the Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep and Tango. Topics covered include a brief history and development of ballroom dancing; a beginner's guide to partnerships, positioning and footwork; dance-specific techniques, steps and routines; the mechanics, application and fundamentals of movement; musicality and choreography and, finally, exercises, diet and nutrition. With clear step-by-step instructions, 150 colour photographs, and a foreword by Anton Du Beke, this is an ideal companion for the beginner ballroom dancer. Janet Cunningham-Clayton is a former Senior British Ballroom Champion and has over twenty-five years of dancing experience, and Malcolm Fernandes has over thirty years experience in the ballroom dance industry with a particular specialism in music.
Whether your style is Strictly Ballroom or you have just started to Come Dancing, discover how to master the six most popular ballroom dances with this fantastic guide. Step-by-step instructions will take you through the modern classics as well as the sexy Latin moves of the Rumba and Tango. With a specially recorded accompanying CD to ensure you keep in tempo and detachable dance step cards to help guide you round the dancefloor, you'll be certain to waltz your way to dancing perfection.
As the continued success of Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing reveals, the appetite for ballroom remains insatiable around the world. Ballroom Dance and Glamour offers a fascinating window into the global phenomenon of competitive dance. Including vibrant photographs and commentary, this book showcases the extraordinary costumes, glamorous dancers and elegance of the sport. Based on years of research at international competitions, esteemed anthropologist, photographer and ballroom dancer Jonathan S. Marion provides a unique insight into this performance art, outlining the history and basics of ballroom and explaining its huge appeal today. Offering a visual journey into the world of dance, Ballroom Dance and Glamour illuminates the beauty, skill, intensity and passion of this sport. Written in a lively and accessible manner, Ballroom Dance and Glamour will delight all dancers, dance and fashion enthusiasts and anyone captivated by the skill and glamour of ballroom dance.
Describes the history of ballroom dancing; presents photo-illustrated instructions for the waltz, foxtrot, tango, Viennese waltz, rumba, merengue, samba, cha-cha, mambo, East Coast swing, and hustle; discusses such topics as timing, rhythm, practice, and expectations; and includes an eleven-track audio CD.
Dreams are made and broken every year in the dazzling Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. Fierce competition, brutal politics, and stunning artistry are all on the program at the world's most prestigious competition, known to ballroom dance enthusiasts simply as "Blackpool." Sharon Savoy's lifelong love affair with dance manifested itself early on. At the tender age of 16 she left home to train under George Balanchine at the School of American Ballet in New York. An accomplished ballerina, her desire to dance more expressively and with a partner led her on the path that culminated on the competition ballroom circuit. There, her passion and artistry led her to become a four-time champion in exhibition style. But, as with all obsessions, her success came with a cost. In this spellbinding book, Savoy offers a backstage pass to a world where rhinestones and high heels accompany explosive athleticism and staggering talent. With emotionally absorbing and energy-packed prose, she provides an insider's close-up view of all the players who compose this glamorous world that is part dance, part sport, and part art.