A&I
ButterflyBallroom
and
Dance Training Center
Note: The material outlined here is taught over the length of 12 levels of training and the student is exposed to it over a period of time.
I. Rhythm Study
A. The fundamental Rhythms in Dance
1. Two steps of equal length either fast or slow.
2. Three steps of equal length either fast or slow.
3. Two fast steps followed by one slow step.
4. One slow step followed by two fast steps.
5. One fast step followed by a faster step then a slow step.
6. One slow step followed by a fast step.
7. One fast step followed by a slow step.
B. The aspects of Rhythm
1. Time signature
2. Accent
3. Tempo
4. Feel
5. Phrasing
6. Counter-rhythms
II. Partnership study
A. First Degree of Partnership - Understanding posture and dance position
1. Method of postural principles
a. Stand up straight.
b. Head back -Lower the chin to the chest; pull the head back until it stops; raise the chin to a level position.
c. Shoulders back - Push both shoulders forward; rotate them in circle backward; lower the shoulders down until they stop.
d. Tuck in - Tuck in the stomach and the pelvis.
(This position aligns the head over the shoulders; the shoulders over the hips; and the hips over the flat of the foot.)
2. Basic Dance frame for Open and Closed positions
a. Closed positions
1. Stand erect with the hands at the sides.
2. The thumbs should be facing the back of the body.
3. Raise the arms sideways to about shoulder height.
4. Place the hands in the proper places.
a. Man
1. The right hand is placed on the lady's shoulder blade near the shoulder joint with the fingers closed and the thumb
near the shoulder joint.
2. The left hand is placed in the lady's right hand with his palm in her palm; his left thumb pressing slightly but
firmly against her second knuckle for Closed Position; and the first knuckle of his little finger resting slightly but
firmly against the wrist joint on the outside of the hand.
b. Lady
1. The left hand is placed on the man's right shoulder with her thumb resting in the indentation found where the man's
collar bone attaches to the shoulder; and the palm of the hand resting on or near the bump where the arm joins
the shoulder. (This may not be the standard position for competitive dancing but it is optimal for social dancing.)
2. The right hand rests in the man's left hand.
3. Dance positions
a. Positions where the man touches the lady's shoulders.
1. Closed Position
2. Promenade Position
3. Fallaway Position
4. Counterpromenade Position
5. Outside Partner Positions
6. Partner Outside Positions
7. Parallel Positions
b. Positions where the man holds the lady's hand.
1. Straight Open Positions
2. Underarm Positions
3. Open Promenade Position
4. Open Counterpromenade Position
5. Open Fallaway Position
6. Open Contra-counterpromenade Position
c. Apart Positions where the couple is not touching one another.
B. Second Degree of Partnership - Leads and Reads.
1. Definitions in partnership
a. Lead
1. Primary leads
2. Secondary or assisting leads
3. Preventing leads
b. Read
1. Primary reads
2. Secondary reads
c. Lead Zone
1. Hands
2. Shoulders
3. Hips
d. Lead Amplifier
1. Foot
2. Knee
3. Torso
2. Types of leads/reads
a. Visual
b. Audio
c. Tactile
3. Five fundamental lead/ read categories
a. Position
b. Direction
c. Rotation
d. Elevation
e. Shape
4. Five secondary lead/ read categories.
a. Rhythm
b. Balance
c. Styling
d. Configuration
e. Phrasing
5.Generic concepts for leading/ reading
a. Presentation
b. Context
c. Waiting
d. Equilibrium
e. Syncronization
f. Moulding
C. Floorcraft-Moving around the room and avoiding collisions.
1. Progressive Dances and movements
a. Templates
b. Shaping corridors
2. Spot and slot dances and movements
a. Amalgamations
b. Changing Spots and Slots.
D. Body Awareness- Knowing where everyone is.
1. Personal Awareness
2. Partner Awareness
3. Interpersonal Awareness
E. Spontaneous Choreography - Making it up as you go.
1. Relating to figure construction and execution
2. Checks and Balances
3. Emergency exits
4. Reconfigurations.
III. Movement Study
A. Dimensions of dance movement
1. Ballroom and Social dancing is performed with a person and not alone.
2. Ballroom and Social dancing is multi-dimensional.
3 There are certain things that happen on the dance floor that do not happen in everyday life.
4. The most common type of movement is sideways..
5. The supporting foot is the most important for movement.
6. The first emphasis is on the Dance Frame and Dance Posture.
7. There are three foundational types of turns.
8. There are three ways to execute a turn.
B. Dynamics of Movement
1. Ballroom and social dancing is performed with a partner and not alone.
2. The top half of the body is attached to the bottom half.
3. The weight of the appendages should work for the dancer and not against the dancer.
4. Turning involves proper use of the knees, shoulders, and head.
5. Project laterally and not vertically.
6. To dance light, you need to think heavy.
7. The core of all dancing is balance.
8. Dance movement must be adapted to the individual and not the other way around.
9. Channel the momentum of the movement.
10. Learn movement first and then accent movement for character.
11. There are two general types of turning.
C. Applicable the Laws of Physics
1. Law of inertia.
2. Law of acceleration
3. Law of reaction
4. Rotational mechanics
5. Different centers
a. Center of dance
b. Centers for balance
c. Center of gravity
d. Inertial center
D. Applicable principles of Kinesiology
1. Strength
2. Endurance
3. Range of Motion
4. Posture
5. Somatotype (Body shape)
a. Height
b. Weight
c. Physical condition
d. Arm length
e. Leg length
f. Torso length
IV. Figure Study
A. Key 1: The basic dance breakddown
1. Classification of dances
a. By their movement - There are four families of dances and every dance invented will fit in one of these
families. Al the dances in the family have similar movement characteristics. We call these dances
"Grandfather Dances" because they all originated prior to the 20th century.
1. The Progressive dances from the Ragime dances circa 1890. These dances use walking
movements.
a. All the Foxtrots (American and International)
b. All the Tangos (American, International, and Argentine)
c. Slide (This was once known as very slow Foxtrot)
d. Quickstep (This was once know as fast Foxtrot)
e. Merengue
f. Paso Doble
g. 2-Step
h. Country Waltz
2 The Square Box Dances from the Viennese Waltz circa 1820
a. All the Waltzes (Viennese and Slow Waltz)
b. American Rumba
c. Samba
3. The Triple Chasse Dances from the Polka circa 1940
a. The Polka
b. All the Swings (East Coast, West Coast, and Carolina Shag)
c. All the Cha chas (American, International, and Country) Cha Cha is a combination of East Coast
Swing and Mambo.
d. All the Hustles (American, Rope,Latin, and Spanish) Hustle combines Merengue with East Coast
Swing.
4. The Diamond Box Dances from the Bolero circa 1790.
a. Modern Bolero
b. International Rumba
c. Mambo
d. Salsa (This dance was derived from Mambo)
e. Slow Bossa Nova (This dance was derived from Bolero)
b. By their music - There are three main types of music.
1. Smooth dances - The music for these dances are derived from a European tradition.
a. All Foxtrots
b. All the Tangos
c. Quickstep
d. Waltz
e. Viennese Waltz
f. Slide
g. Polka
h. 2-step
i. Country Waltz
2 Rhythm dances - The music for these dances are from the USA and the tradition of swing music.
a All the Swings
b. All the Hustles
3. Latin dances - The music for these dances are from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain.
a. Bolero
b. All the Rumbas
c. All the Cha chas
d. Mambo
e. Salsa
f. Paso Doble
g. Merengue
h. Slow Bossa Nova
2. Every dance is broken down into figures.
a. There are corridor figures that move around the room.
1. Straight ahead
2. Curving
3. Angular
b. There are spot figures that stay in a single spot on the floor.
1. There are eight spot that surround the man.
2. The man is the center spot.
c. There are slot figures that move in an imaginary slot on the floor.
1. There are eight slots around the man.
2. The man is the center slot.
3 Every figure is broken down into patterns. Patterns are classified in two ways.
a. The way they are constucted.
1. Two-step patterns
2. Three-step patterns
b. The way they move.
1. Traveling around the room
2. Remaining in one spot
4. Every pattern is broken down into steps. The smallest unit of a dance is a single step.
a. Forward steps
b. Back steps
c. Side Steps
d. Crossing steps
e. Closing steps
(Note: Two or more steps make a patterns; two or more patterns make a figure; and two or more figures make a dance.)
B. Key 2 - The anatomy of the foot, the pressure path, position of the foot
1.. Parts of the foot
a. The heel of the foot.
1. Inside of the heel
2. Mid-part of the heel
3.The ourside of the heel
b The flat of the foot. (Situated beneath the ankle bone)
1. The inside of the flat
2. The mid-part of the flat
3. the outside of the flat.
c. The ball of the foot. (The ball of the foot is so large that it is further subdivided)
1. The inside of the ball
a. Back
b. Middle
c. Forward
2. The mid-part of the ball
a. Back
b. Middle
c. Forward
3. The outside of the ball
a. Back
b. Middle
c. Forward
d. The toe of the foot.
1. The inside of the toe (Big Toe)
2. The mid-part
3. The outside of the toe (Little Toe)
2. Pressure path - This is the path the body weight takes as the weight is transferred to the foot. It is the
spot where all the weight is centered.
a. The direction the pressure path takes across the foot controls the body flight.
b. The size of the pressure path controls the amount of the rotation and the speed of the movement.
3. Position of the foot in a step.
a. 1st position - The feet are together.
b. 2nd position - The feet are apart
c. 3rd position - The heel of one foot is aligned with the instep of the other.
d. 4th position - One foot is in front of the other.
e. 5th position - The toe of one foot is aligned the heel ot the other.
C. Key 3 - Understand the anatomy of a step. The method used to perform this controls styling
1. The approach
a. Heel First
b. Toe first
c. Ball of the foot first
d. Flat of the foot first
2. The transfer
a Heel -flat - ball
b. Toe-flat-ball
c. Ball-flat
d. Flat-ball
3. The exit.
a. Heel
b. Toe
c. Flat
d. Ball
D. Key 4 - Understand how figures are constructed. Most dance start with the first method
(Mathematical \Formulas) and then go to one of the other methods. Each dance will use every
method. (Listed will be the dances that use the method listed at the beginning.)
a. The methods
1. Mathematical formulas - There are mathematical formuals that help the man construct steps.
2. Elements - Learning the different elements common in a dance. This relates to two and three step
patterns.
3. Thematic variations on the footwork- This refers to patterns combinations that are common to the
dances
4. Thematic variations on the rhythm - This refers to rhythm patterns in a dance
b. The dances and the order the methods are employed.
1. Foxtrot / 2-step / Country Waltz / All the Swings / All the Hustles / Bolero / Salsa / Mambo / Chacha / International Rumba / Slow Bossa Nova
a. Formula 1st
b. Thematic Variations on the footwork 2nd
c. Elements 3rd
d. Thematic variations on the rhythm 4th
2. American Rumba / Waltz / Viennese Waltz / Polka / Paso Doble / Merengue
a. Formula 1st
b. Elements 2nd
c. Thematic variations on the footwork 3rd
d. Thematic variations on the rhythm 4th
3. Tango / Samba / Slide
a. Formula 1st
b. Thematic variations on the rhyhm 2nd
c. Elements 3rd
d. Thematic variations on the footwork 4th
V. Character Study - Styling
A. Understanding Guidelines for Character
1. Character is another name for styling.
2. There are two kinds of character
a. Generic Character
b. Personal Character
3. Character is an extension of movement.
4. Character deals with ideals.
5. Character involves the utilization of opposites.
6. The main focus is on the weight transfer process.
7. Learn to isolate the accent.
8. The pulse of the music determines the method of the character movement.
9. Develop the concept of line.
10. Character involves learning to wind-up and follow-through.
11. Character involves learning to stretch and squash.
12. Never violate your partner's performance.
13. Character involves projecting from the center
14. All dances flow like water.
15. Character involves developing an emotional script.
16. Somatotype determines the best character techniques.
17. Dance for your partner and not for your audience.
18. Whoever owns the dance determines the character.
19. Dress every move in the emotional costume of the dance being performed.
B. Mechanics of generic styling.
C. Content of personal styling.
VI. Improvisation
A. Why Improvise
1. In order for the man to regain his balance
2. To help the partner regain her balance
3. If the lady misreads a lead.
4. To avoid a problem on the dance floor.
5. To follow the music.
6. Just because you want to.
B. Principles of improvisation
1. Improvisation is not usually improvised.
2. Improvisation involves the use of changes in the other areas of theory study.
C. Learning to improvise in each of the other areas of study.
1. Rhythm study
a. Imitation
b. Diminution
c. Augmentation.
2. Partnership study
a. Readjustment.
b. Realignment
c. Modulation
3 Movement Study
a. Dimensions
b. Dynamics
4. Figure Study
a. Inversion
b. Blending
c. Transposition
d. Reshaping
e. Thematic variations
f. Segmentation
g. Sequential Repetition
h. Transitions
5. Character Study
a. Tone of the dance
b. The modality of the dance
c. The texture of the dance.
© 1998 by Kenneth Howard-All Rights Reserved