Folk Dance: Circle Waltz
The Circle Waltz is a simple English ring dance dated 1875. This country dance is easily learned, and allows the dancers an opportunity to practice that ballroom fundamental—the waltz.
When I taught the Circle Waltz at the practice session for the Soirée Costume Dance, I found that some (ahem, certain boys) balked at the thought of waltzing. (This they considered a final indignity after the first of dancing at a public park.) Since it was the traditional ball-room hold to which they objected, we used a simple hand hold for this and for the Pat-a-Cake Polka.
Preliminaries
Willing Dancers: The dance is best done with an odd number of couples, allowing everyone to dance with a different partner each time.
Delightful Music: Lovely music for the Circle Waltz can be found on the album Australian Traditional Dance Tunes by Wongawilli, available from iTunes as a 99¢ download. Any tune in waltz (3/4) time should work.
Shall We Dance?
The dancers join hands to form a circle, alternating boy and girl. (Gentlemen hands are on the outside, ladies on the inside.) If there is an uneven number of gentlemen and ladies, make sure that every second person knows that she is a gentleman for the purpose of the instructions. Note: A gentleman’s partner is to his right.
•The dancers step into the circle on their left feet, swinging their arms into the circle, and bringing their right feet up. (1 beat)
•The dancers step back on their left feet, swinging their arms out of the circle, and bringing their right feet back. (1 beat)
•Gentlemen will let go of the hand of the lady to their right, draw the lady on their left so that he faces her, take her left hand in his right, and guide her to his right. He takes he hand of the lady on his left. (2 beats)
•Repeat these thee first steps three times more.
•Gentlemen release the lady to their left, and turn to face their partner (to their right), joining both hands.
•Couples step into the circle, swinging their joined hands into the circle. (1 beat) Couples step out of the circle, swinging their joined hands out of the circle. (1 beat) Without releasing hands, couples swing them above their heads (into the circle) and each make a complete turn. (4 beats)
•Same as above, but reversed: Couples step out of the circle, swinging their joined hands out the circle. (1 beat) Couples step into the circle, swinging their joined hands into the circle. (1 beat) Without releasing hands, couples swing them above their heads (out of the circle) and each make a complete turn. (4 beats)
•Couples assume a ballroom (closed) hold and waltz counterclockwise around the circle. (8 beats)
Note: The waltz is a simple one-step dance. See more detailed instructions below: The Waltz.
•The dance begins again.
The Waltz
The waltz is certainly an exercise in cooperation. The gentleman must be willing to gently but firmly guide the lady in the steps; the lady must be sensitive and responsive to the gentleman’s leading.
For brevity, I will give the gentleman’s steps only. The ladies steps will be the opposite: i.e., gentleman’s left foot forward, lady’s right foot back.
•Assume a traditional ballroom (closed) hold.
Note: The gentleman has his right hand on the lady’s waist, back or shoulder blade. The lady’s left hand is on the gentleman’s shoulder. The other hands are joined.
•The man will generally begin with his left foot forward.
•Right foot sideways (to the right).
•Right foot backward.
•Left foot sideways (to the left).
•Repeat.
Can you see why this is known as the box step?
Once you are comfortable with the steps, you can turn gently as you waltz, preserving the correct sequence.
Painting: Detail from Dance at Bougeval by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Here you can see a demonstration of the waltz hold, though it is not necessary for a social dancer to have full body contact as in this example.
If you are a visual learner, you will appreciate the following video demonstration.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010