Post on 15-Jul-2015
⬜ The Irish DanceSport Federation, the
Governing Body for DanceSport in Ireland, was
initially founded in 1937 with the title 'The Irish
Society of Amateur Dancers'. The Hon.
Chairman at its founding was Mr George
Begley recently deceased. George and his wife
Madge later became well known as Exhibition
dancers on the International circuit and
reached the pinnacle of their careers in 1953
by winning both British Exhibition
Championships at Blackpool.The pictures on
the right show George and Madge competing
in Blackpool in 1953.
⬜ In 1958 the Society was re-inaugurated and restyled, as a limited company by guarantee, under the title 'The Society of Amateur Ballroom Dancing Ltd'.In 1974 it was recognised internationally as the Governing Body for Amateur Competitive Ballroom Dancing in Ireland and accepted as the sole Irish member of the International Council of Amateur Dancers, the body which is now known as the International DanceSport Federation. This is the Governing Body for DanceSport world-wide and is recognised by and a member of the International Olympic Council.
⬜ In 1992, in line with the emerging trend of distinguishing between
DanceSport, i.e. competitive Ballroom Dancing, and Social and
Medal-Test dancing, the Society was again re-named, on this
occasion to the 'Irish DanceSport Federation'. A link with the
original title is Mr. Barney Meehan who has served on Council
under all three titles.
⬜ In its earlier years and indeed until the mid 1980's DanceSport
was confined, with a few notable exceptions, to Dublin and the
surrounding areas. Since then, the Federation has made great
efforts to spread the DanceSport Gospel to other areas of the
country, and now has affiliated bodies in each of the four
provinces. The affiliates are known by their titles of the Connaught,
Leinster, Munster and Ulster DanceSport Boards.They each have
the delegated responsibility of looking after the interests of
DanceSport in their respective areas.
⬜In 2006,the Leinster
Board was disbanded
due to lack of members.
Dancers in the Leinster
area may now become
direct members of Irish
Dancesport Federation.
History - Waltz
⬜ The forerunner of the waltz was the Boston,
which had been imported from the USA in
1874. However, only from 1922 onwards did
this dance become as fashionable as the
Tango.
⬜ The strange thing about the Boston was that
couples danced next to each other and not like
we are used to doing now. Immediately after
World War I the Waltz got more shape. In 1921
it was decided that the basic movement should
be: step, step, close.
⬜ When in 1922 Victor Sylvester won his
championship English waltz his programme
consisted of not more than a right turn, a left
turn and change of direction (Less than what is
learnt by a present beginner). In 1926/1927 the
waltz was improved considerably. The basic
movement was changed into step, side, shut.
⬜ As a result of this, many different variations
were now possible to dance, which were
standardised by the Imperial Society of
Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Many of these
variations are still danced.
History - Tango
⬜ This dance comes from South America (mainly
Argentina), where it was first danced in "Barria
de Las Ranas", the ghetto of Buenos Aires.
⬜ It was then known under the name of "Baile
con corte" (dance with a rest). The "dandies" of
Buenos Aires changed the dance in two ways.
First they changed the so-called "Polka rhythm"
into the "Habanere rhythm" and secondly they
called it Tango.
⬜ From 1900 onwards several amateurs tried to
introduce the dance from Argentina into Paris,
but without success. The Paris teacher Robert
made great efforts to make the Tango popular.
Still, the path of the Tango was not strewn with
roses.
⬜ There were many supporters but also many
opponents. Especially the French bishops were
against this dance. They pointed to the
tempting and sensual nature of the Tango, and
those who danced it were said to endanger the
holy sacraments.
⬜ In 1924 Dr Boheme from New York
even discovered a new disease: the
TANGO-foot. The press, too, came
with strange news. On 30 may 1915
the New York Times published an
article with the following headline:
THE TANGO-DANGER, BIGGER
THAN GERMAN IMPERIALISM.
Nowadays such messages would
raise a few eyebrows.
History - Viennese Waltz
⬜ We can return to the 12th an 13th centuries to see
the beginnings of the Viennese waltz in the
"Nachtanz".
⬜ The Viennese waltz originally comes from Bavaria
and was called the "German". However, other
people question this origin of the Viennese waltz.
An article which appeared in the Paris magazine
"La Patrie"(THe Fatherland) on 17 January 1882,
claimed that the waltz was first danced in Paris in
1178, not under the name waltz but as the Volta
from the Provence.
⬜ Presumably this is a dance in 3/4 rhythm, which
the French regard as the forerunner of the
Viennese waltz. The first waltz-melodies date from
1770. It was introduced in Pairs in 1775, but it took
some time before it was danced everywhere.
⬜ In 1813 Mr. Byron condemned the waltz as being
unchaste. In 1816 the waltz was also accepted in
England. But that the struggle against it was not
yet over was shown in 1833, when a book about
good behaviour was published by Miss Celbart.
According to her it was allowed for married ladies
to perform this dance, but she called it "a dance of
too loose character for maidens to perform"
History - Slowfox
⬜ The Slow-foxtrot came into being long
before the Waltz. The dance has a lot of
variations which later, adapted or not,
were imported into the Waltz. This dance
is one of the most natural dances from
which the jury members can see whether
a couple can dance or not. the
movements are natural and faithful to the
normal walk.
⬜ At the end of World War I the (slow-)foxtrot
mainly consisted of: walks, three-steps, a slow
walk an a sort of spinturn. At the end of 1918
the wave arose, then known as the "jazz-roll".
The American Morgan introduced a sort of
open spinturn, the "Morgan-turn", in 1919.
⬜ In 1920 Miss Josephine Bradley danced withe
Mr G.K. Anderson, a dancer with with many
natural talents, to whom we owe many (slow-
)foxtrot figures. In imitation of these wonderful
dancers the feather-step and the change of
direction were introduced, more or less by
chance.
⬜ It is impossible to imagine our
present Slow-foxtrot without these
two figures. The on-end dancing of
steps dates from 1922. The making
of "heelturns" was not known yet. It
was Mr Frank Ford, winner of the
"star-championships", to whom we
owe most "new" figures which are
still danced.
QUICKSTER
⬜ The Quickstep is derived from the Foxtrot.
During the twenties many bands played the
Slow Foxtrot too fast, 50 Bars/min, the large
open steps from the Foxtrot could not be
danced on this speed.
⬜ The English developed from the original
Charleston a progressive dance without kicks
and made a mixture with the above mentioned
fast foxtrot the called this dance "the Quicktime
Foxtrot and Charleston".
⬜ The English couple Frank Ford and Molly
Spain danced on the 'Star' Championships of
1927 a version of this Quicktime Foxtrot and
Charleston without the characteristic
Charleston knee actions and made it a dance
for two instead of solo. The figures were
Quarter Turns, Cross Chassées, Zig-zags,
Cortes, Open Revers Turns, and Flat
Charleston. In 1928/1929 the Quickstep was
definitly born with the characteristic chassées
steps.
Cha Cha Cha
⬜ The Cha Cha evolved from one of three
versions of the Mambo, a dance born in Cuba
and introduced to the West in 1947. The "Triple
Mambo", one of those versions, became very
popular in the early 1950s and was
subsequently renamed the Cha Cha. As music
always dictates the dance, the tripple or split-
beat steps were inserted when a slower
version of the Mambo was being played.
History - Rumba
⬜ Many Africans came to the Americas because of
the slave trade. They brought with them their own
culture. (read "dance")
⬜ The Rumba developed as a Cuban dance. This
dance has been standardized, in spite of the fact
that there are many Cuban Rumba variations. In its
recent form of basic figures, this dance contains
the age-old premise of the lady, trying to dominate
the gentleman by means of her womanly charms.
In a well choreographed dance you will always find
elements of teasing and Withdrawal.
⬜ The gentleman is being seduced
and then rejected. The sensual
and erotic movements of the lady
are being answered by the
gentleman through his
movements, his desire for her,
and his attempts to prove his
manhood by physical
domination. Unfortunately, at the
end he never succeeds.
History - Pasodoble
⬜ Without a doubt a Spanish dance, but also discovered early in Mexico. Play the music and instantly everybody is transported into a Spanish ambience.
⬜ It will quickly conjure up a bullfight. It is obvious that the gentleman represents the "torero", the bullfighter , but erroneously one sometimes sees the lady as "el toro", the bull. She in reality portrays the "cappa", the bullfighter's red cloth. This dance was already popular here in 1920.
History - Jive
⬜ It is an exquisite, swinging dance which
conquered the West after 1940 under the name
of Jitterbug. Also the Bebop, Rock ‘n Roll and
the American Swing influenced this dance.
⬜ It is a fast dance. With this dance, contest
participants are able to show that, after four
dances, they still are not tired (the Jive is the
last dance in a series of five) and that they still
can go full steam. Sometimes this turns out to
be only an illusion.
Formation Dancing
⬜ Formation dancing originated in 1932 in London's Astoria Ballroom. It was Olive Ripman who introduced it under the name "pattern dancing". Soon it became a competitive dance form.
⬜ Formation team contests began in the 1930s in England, and spread to many other countries. International matches have taken place. Formation dances were an important part of the BBC TV program Come Dancing when Frank and Peggy Spencer's formation teams competed against Constance Millington's team. The peak of popularity was in the 1960s, and is now growing from strength to strength with formation teams from all over the world competing against each other.