Candy Lane's Dance Descriptions
This page features Candy Lanes' exclusive descriptions of each dance style included in the show.
Ballroom:
The Waltz - the enchanting and elegant formal classic
The Waltz dates back to around 1559 and was originally a peasant
dance from France. It is believed to come from a piece of folk
music called the 'Volta'.
Danced to a triple beat, in those days partners had to hold each
other in such a close embrace that many declared it to be immoral.
French King Louis XIII had it banned from his court because of
this.
Later, the 'Waltz' became popular in many parts of Europe in the
early 19th Century and is said to have evolved into the modern
Waltz we know today thanks to trends in both England and
America.
Quickstep - the glamorous fast trot
During the 1920's many popular Swing bands played the Foxtrot
too fast for some to keep up. Over time a faster version we now
know as the Quickstep was born, utilising many elements of ragtime,
such as the Charleston.
Danced to a 2/4 or 4/4 beat, this dance is extremely dynamic with a
lot of movement on the dance floor. It includes many advanced
patterns including hops, runs and scatter chasses. Dancers should
appear to be very light on their feet.
The Tango - the dance of passion
The story of the Tango goes that the gauchos of Argentina would
go to nightclubs and ask the 'ladies of the night' to dance with
them. Traditionally, the lady would dance in the crook of the
gaucho's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held
low on his left hip, close to his pocket, looking for payment for
the dance.
Originally such dances were soft and private, with emphasis on leg
movements. In Paris in the 1930's, it was combined with other
ballroom dances and given a staccato action, moving the emphasis to
the torso and head, a characteristic which remains.
Ballroom tango, has descended from the styles that developed when
the tango first went abroad to Europe and North America. The dance
was simplified, adapted to the preferences of conventional ballroom
dancers, and incorporated into the repertoire used in International
Ballroom dance competitions.
Fox Trot - The most elegant of the ballroom dances...
In the New York summer of 1914, actor Harry Fox appeared in a
popular stage show. People on the roof of the New York Theatre soon
started to copy the moves Harry was putting on, and soon the dance
became known as 'The Fox's Trot.'
The dance was fashionably rebellious against 19th Century dancing,
as it used parallel feet rather than turned out feet used in
Victorian dances.
The International Foxtrot is a very stylish, It is the slowest of
the standard dances and takes great control and technique to
perform it well. If you listen closely you may hear 'slow slow
quick quick slow'.
Latin:
The cheeky, Cha Cha I like to compare the cha cha to a first date, its fun and very flirtatious...
The Cha Cha was invented when an English dance teacher named
Monsieur Pierre and his partner Doris Lavelle visited Cuba in the
1950's. He noticed that the famous Rumba was occasionally danced
with extra beats in it. When he returned to England he began
teaching these extra steps as a dance in its own right. I was lucky
enough to train with Doris before she died. She could barely walk
due to a terrible automobile accident but her lessons were some of
the most inspiring that I have ever had.
The Rumba - The dance of Love&
The Rumba uses elements of teasing and withdrawal and is
considered the most sensual of all the Latin dances. The dance
tells the story of love and eroticism between a man and
woman.
The dance relies on the traditional premise of the woman trying to
charm and dominate the man with her feminine wiles. Partners dance
to each other , the audience is more the voyeur .
Paso Doble - Strength of the Matador...
The Paso Doble is a Spanish gypsy dance based on the bullfight.
The man represents the bullfighter, the Torero or Matador, and the
woman, the red cape, or 'cappa'.
Paso Doble was made famous in the movie "Strictly Ballroom", that
starred our good friend and Australian DWTS judge Paul
Mercurio.
It is danced to the characteristic march music used for the
procession at the beginning of a corrida, which is the march music
used for the procession at the beginning of a bullfight.
The Jive - Bring alive that lively rock'n roll swing!
The jive is a variation of the Jitter Bug, adding rock'n'roll and
swing.
From its beginnings in 1927, the Jive was associated with youth and
rebellion. During this period adults disapproved of it and tried to
ban it from dance halls, claiming it was disturbing to other
dancers who were progressing anti-clockwise around the floor.
American GIs in World War II took the dance to Europe but once
again it was danced underground due to its "corrupting
influence".
The Jive is energetic and needs plenty of stamina, its danced with
a pumping knee action.
The Samba - Hot, Brazilian rhythm...
It is understood that the world Samba derives from a West African
Bantu word meaning to pray or invoke the spirits of ancestors. It
not only describes this popular South American dance, but also the
music style synonymous with the nation of Brazil.
It is rumoured that the dance can excite people into a trance-like
state. The Samba is the most popular dance at the famous Rio
Carnival.
