Balboa Park Dancers NewsNotes - January 2018
January Announcements

Survey
Please take the time to respond to our survey.  The club board is always interested in suggestions and comments that improve your dancing experience. To that end we are conducting an electronic survey, please use the following link and help us be a better club:
Balboa Park Survey Page.
If you have not responded to the survey please take the time to share your opinions, even if you have filled it out before we have made some changes and need your updated answers.  The survey results affect decisions on issues such as the class calendar and music so take a moment and share your thoughts.
 
Classes
In December our smooth/standard dance is Viennese Waltz and the latin/rhythm dance is Nightclub Two Step.

Viennese Waltz

What is now called the Viennese Waltz is the original form of the waltz. It was the first ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or "waltz" position. The dance that is popularly known as the waltz is actually the English or slow waltz, danced at approximately 90 beats per minute, while the Viennese Waltz is danced at about 180 beats a minute. To this day however, in Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and France, the words Walzer (German for "waltz"), vals (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish for "waltz"), and valse (French for "waltz") still implicitly refer to the original dance and not the slow waltz.

The Viennese Waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either toward the leader's right (natural) or toward the leader's left (reverse), interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the direction of rotation. A true Viennese waltz consists only of turns and change steps. Other moves such as the fleckerls, American-style figures and side sway or underarm turns are modern inventions and are not normally danced at the annual balls in Vienna.

As the Waltz evolved, some of the versions that were done at about the original fast tempo came to be called specifically "Viennese Waltz" to distinguish them from the slower waltzes. In the modern ballroom dance, two versions of Viennese Waltz are recognized: International Style and American Style.
Today the Viennese Waltz is a ballroom and partner dance that is part of the International Standard division of contemporary ballroom dance.
 

Nightclub Two Step

Nightclub two step (NC2S, sometimes disco two step or California two step) is a partner dance initially developed by Buddy Schwimmer in the mid-1960s. The dance is also known as "Two Step" and was one of the most popular forms of contemporary social dance as a Disco Couples Dance in 1978. It is frequently danced to mid-tempo ballads in 4/4 time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat. A classic example is the song Lady In Red.

The dance position for nightclub two step is with a more relaxed hold, or "what people tend to do without lessons". The lead rocks back on their left foot, the follow on their right, for one beat. The Nightclub Two Step is a great alternative for dancers who want to go beyond a simple slow dance with their partner. Itâs a great dance to learn how to dance to slow music.
 


Calendar

We are dancing a full schedule in January, the monthly party is on the 12th hosted by Kurt Popp.

Remember to check the calendar in case there are last minute cancellations. Click the calendar image to view the online calendar.
 
Membership for 2018
The new year has begun and if you have not renewed the entrance fee is $6.  The yearly membership fee is $20. To renew please use your membership nametag for speedy processing; to join as a new member please fill out the form available at the ballroom or download it here.

To complete membership for 2018 look for table(s) in the foyer between 6:30-7:00pm; after 7pm proceed into the ballroom, look for signs on the tables.

If you have lost your nametag, a new one is available for $2.00 to cover costs.  If you are patient and can wait until we issue new tags for new members, we sometimes have empty slots and can provide a new one at no charge.  To request a replacement nametag write your request on a piece of paper and put in the suggestion box - make sure to include your full name as written on your nametag.
 
Lost and Found
Please retrieve your items from our lost and found bag before the end of January, at that time the remaining items will be turned over to a charity organization.
 
Facebook
The club now has a Facebook group page.  We invite you to join the page to allow the cub to better communicate and allow you to engage with your fellow dancers.  Our instructors will be posting tips and special events to improve your dancing, the board will post last minute calendar changes and parking warnings, and we will have photos and videos of special events like the showcase at the San Diego County Fair. We would also like you to post your music suggestions and get comments from other club members.

 

Tim Waldowski
President, Balboa Park Dancers
http://www.balboaparkdancers.org
Phone (outgoing message only) 858-859-1926.