2.5. Quickstep

Year of appearance: 1923

Homeland dance: England

The Quick step is a descendent of the Boston and the One Step which appeared on the scene with the arrival of Ragtime and Jazz music in America towards the end of the nineteenth century. These two were the first dances based on the forward step. They used a heel lead followed by two or more steps on the balls of the feet.

It was first performed on stage in New York in 1922 in a black revue by George White, and then in the stage show "Running Wild" in 1923 by the Ziegfeld Follies, which toured U.S.A. It was popularized in Europe by Josephine Baker in Paris in the 1920's. It was danced with wild swinging arms and sidekicks to music at 200 to 240 beats per minute. It subsequently became very popular worldwide, but the wild character of the dance induced many sedate ballrooms either to ban it altogether, or to put up notices saying simply "PCQ", standing for "Please Charleston Quietly".

The Black Bottom and the Shimmy became very popular in the USA between 1910 to 1920, and became a national craze after being performed in the Ziegfeld Follies in 1922. These dances became absorbed into a faster version of Foxtrot after a visit by Paul Whiteman's band to the UK in 1923, becoming known as the Quickstep.

The Quickstep was developed to interpret music with a faster tempo. It is a fast moving dance based on walks and Chasses danced to music of four beats per bar at 50 bars per minute, or 200 beats per minute. It retains the walks, runs, chasses and turns, of the original Foxtrot, with some other fast figures such as locks, hops, and skips added.

Тhe emergence of ballroom dance on the European territory has led to the popularity of this sport and also to the development of the technics of dance.

3. The latin american programm

3.1. Samba

Year of appearance: 1956

Homeland dance: Brazil

Samba, an old Brazilian style of dance with many variations, is African in origin. It has been performed as a street dance at carnival, the pre-Lenten celebration, for almost 100 years. Many versions of the Samba (from Baion to Marcha) are danced at the local carnival in Rio. The ballroom Samba or Carioca Samba is derived from the rural "Rocking Samba" and has been known for many years. (The Carioca is a small river that runs through Rio de Janiero - hence the name Carioca refers to the people of Rio.) Today Samba is still very popular in Rio. During carnival time there are "schools of Samba" involving thousands of elaborately-costumed dancers presenting a national theme based on music typical of Brazil and Rio in particular.

Before 1914 it was known under a Brazilian name "Maxixe". As early as 1923 an international meeting of professors of dancing took note of the rise of the Samba's popularity, particularly in France. A French dance book published by Paul Boucher in 1928 included Samba instructions. The dance was introduced to United States movie audiences in 1933 when Fred Astaire and Dolores Del Rio danced the Carioca in Flying Down to Rio and several years later, Carmen Miranda danced the Samba in That Night in Rio. A Samba exhibition was given at the November 1938 meeting of the New York Society of Teachers of Dancing. General interest in the Samba was stimulated at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, where Samba music was played at the Brazilian Pavilion. A few years later the Brazilian composer Ary Barroso wrote the classic Samba, "Brasil," which quickly became a hit, and in 1944 he went to Hollywood to write the score for the musical Brazil.

Samba has a very specific rhythm, highlighted to its best by characteristic Brazilian musical instruments: originally called tamborim, chocalho, reco-reco and cabaca. Much of Samba music came from daily life in Rio, the first famous example being "Pelo Telefone" composed by Donga. To achieve the true character of the Samba a dancer must give it a happy, flirtatious and exuberant interpretation. Many

figures, used in the Samba today, require a pelvic tilt (Samba tic) action. This action is difficult to accomplish, but without it the dance loses much of its effect. Principal characteristics of the Samba are the rapid steps taken on a quarter of a beat and the pronounced rocking motion and sway of the dancing couple.

The Samba (also known as the Brazilian Waltz) is now a moderately popular ballroom dance, limited pretty much to experienced ballroom dancers because of its speed.

3.2. Cha-cha-cha

Year of appearance: 1952

Homeland dance: Cuba

In the Islands of the West Indies, there are certain plants that produce seedpods known as cha-cha. These are used to make a small rattle also known as cha-cha. In Haiti the typical voodoo band consists of three drums, a bell, and a cha-cha. The cha-cha is used by the leader as a guide instrument or "metronome" to set the time in secular dancing as well as in religious music and singing. Thus the dance Cha Cha had its roots in the religious ritual dances of the West Indies.

Cha Cha is derived from two other dances, it is a derivative of the Mambo (Mambo is the name of a voodoo priestess) through its Latin music and it is also a stepchild of Swing (Lindy, as it is danced with a triple step and a break).

In 1953 the Cuban orchestra "America" started playing the time-honored "Danzon" with a new syncopated beat. This sounded like a slow Mambo, and Cuban dancers used a slight triple hip undulation on the slow count. Gradually this was changed to a triple step on the slow count and the Cha Cha was born. The Cha Cha was introduced to the United States in 1954, and by 1959 Americans were "gaga over Cha Cha", with dance studios reporting it to be their most popular dance. It is such an "on the beat" dance that you can't help inject your own feelings into it. Cha Cha is still the most popular of the Latin dances in the United States today.

It has also been suggested that the name Cha Cha is derived from the vocal imitation of the sound of the feet in the chasse, which included in many of the steps. This would account for it being called the "Cha Cha Cha" by some people

whereas others call it the "Cha Cha". It is danced "Cha Cha" with the accent on the "1" beat. The tempo is fast, sassy and staccato.

Like most Latin dances, it is done with the feet remaining close to the floor (toe steps). The dancers hips are relaxed to allow free movement in the pelvic area as a result of the bending and straightening of the knees. The upper body shifts over the supporting foot as the steps are taken (foot moves, body follows). This hip action is called Latin or Cuban motion.

It is very important to understand the musical timing of Cha Cha to dance it correctly. If you don't, it will always have a "frantic feeling" and fast Cha Cha's will be very difficult to dance. Cha Cha music is usually played in 4/4 time generally at a speed of 28 to 31 mpm (measures per minute). Musically it is counted: 1, 2, 3, 4, & or an easy way to remember it is: 1,2,3, Cha, Cha (a Cha is 1/2 beat).

Cha Cha is a lively, fun, cheeky and playful dance. It is a non-progressive dance that emphasizes Cuban motion, distinguished by the chasses (cha-cha-cha) typically danced during the 4&1 counts of the music. Cuban motion in Cha Cha is more staccato than Rumba to reflect the music with emphasis on count 1. The Cha Cha frame is a typical Rhythm frame.