Dance Trivia

Swing Dance is featured in "Blast from the Past" starring Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone.
Enrico Caruso gave Arthur Murray the idea for his famous footprints. Caruso was a student of Mr. Murray's. Knowing that Mr. Murray was having difficulty succeeding with his dancing-by-mail-classes, he jokingly suggested that Mr. Murray begin selling lessons for one foot only, and then when paid, send lessons for the other foot. The thought of lessons "by the foot" gave Mr. Murray the idea for the famous footprints that became an Arthur Murray trademark to define the dance steps.
Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Eleanor Roosevelt, John D. Rockerfeller, the Duke of Windsor, Groucho Marx, and Ed Sullivan were ALL Arthur Murray Students.
In the movie "My Blue Heaven", Steve Martin and Rick Moranix perform the Merengue
In Merengue, the first beat is interpreted by the dancers as a slight limp and was inspired by attempts to spare an injured war hero's feelings.
Jennifer Lopez was a member of the Fly Girls dance group from the TV show, "In Living Color"
The Cha Cha, Mambo, Rumba, and Salsa all have origins in Cuba
Michael Jackson used Fred Astaire as inspiration for his music video "The way you make me feel"
The Tango was performed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie "True Lies"
Christopher Walken is the famous actor seen dancing in the Fat Boy Slim music video "This and That"

Polls

What type of dance would you like to learn the most?
 
Ballroom Dance
Fox Trot PDF Print E-mail
Said by some to have been originated by Harry Fox in 1913. It is now a standard ballroom dance the world over and serves as a good foundation for social dances in 2/4 or 4/4 time. See also Two Step
 
Tango PDF Print E-mail

 

Arthur Murray Tango Dance Lessons

 

 

There are essentially three types of Tango: Argentine, American and International Style.

 

 

Argentine Tango (Arrabalero): A dance created by the Gauchos in Buenos Aires. It was actually an attempt on their part to imitate the Spanish dance except that they danced it in a closed ballroom position. The Tango caused a sensation and was soon to be seen the world over in a more subdued version.

 

American Tango: Unlike the Argentine Tango, in which the dancer interprets the music spontaneously without any predetermined, slows or quicks, the American Tango features a structure which is correlated to the musical phrasing. The dance is executed both in closed position and in various types of extravagant dance relationships, which incorporate a particular freedom of expression that is not present in the International Style.

 

International Tango: This is a highly disciplined and distinctively structured form of the Tango which is accepted worldwide as the format for dancesport events. The dancers remain in traditional closed position throughout and express both legato and staccato aspects of the type of music appropriate to this style.
 
Viennese Waltz PDF Print E-mail
With such wonderful composers as Johann Strauss and others, the Waltz became more and more refined. The steps became smaller with the turns smoother and more compact. Adding the graceful lilt of the flowing skirts, we have today’s Viennese Waltz. It is the fastest of the Waltz tempos.
 
Waltz PDF Print E-mail

 

Arthur Murray Dance Classes waltz

 

The real origin of the Waltz is rather obscure, but a dance of turns and glides, leaping and stomping appeared in various parts of Europe at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th Century. In Italy it was the Volta, France had its Volte, Germany the Weller, and Austria had its Landler. These were round dances but at the end of the dance itself there was a short period in which the circle would break up into couples who would whirl madly around and round and finish with a jump in the air. In the Landler the hopping gave way more to a gliding motion and that is why it is considered the forerunner for the Waltz. The Waltz can be traced back as far as 400+ years. The Waltz regained its real popularity in the 20th Century. The Waltz blossomed out as the Hesitation Waltz in 1913. Until the development of the hesitation, couples had waltzed in one direction until dizzy and then reversed until ready to drop. The Waltz had degenerated into an endurance contest. The Hesitation resulted in the Waltz as it is done today. The slow Waltz was once known as the Boston Waltz. Today the slow Waltz is the American Waltz, English Waltz, or the faster Viennese Waltz.  

 

 
 
Quick Step PDF Print E-mail
The English version of the Fast Fox Trot, which was quick hopping steps set in the smoother gliding figures. It is very popular in Europe as a competition dance. It ranks among the “big five”, the other four being the Slow Fox Trot, the Waltz, the Tango, and the Viennese Waltz
 
Peabody PDF Print E-mail
A fast Fox Trot during which the dancers may use many quick steps set against the figure called “open box.” It was popular in the larger ballrooms where dance space was not a problem.
 



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