April NewsNotes
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 April our smooth/standard dance is Quickstep and the latin/rhythm dance is Rumba.

Quickstep

Quickstep is a progressive dance that travels fast around the floor, the Quickstep is a favorite dance for ballroom aficionados. Quickstep and Foxtrot share some patterns, but Quickstep adds runs, kicks, polka points, and speed. It.s often danced to music that you can also dance a fast East Coast Swing.

The Quickstep, with its roots in Ragtime, was developed in the 1920.s in New York from a combination of Foxtrot, Charleston, Peabody and the One-Step. Originally it was danced solo . away from the partner, but later became a partner dance. It was originally given the name .Quick Time Fox Trot. but eventually that name was changed to Quickstep. The dance traveled to England and was developed into the dance that we know today, and was standardized in 1927. In a basic form Quickstep is a combination of walks and chasses but in an advanced stage hops jumps & many syncopations are utilized. It is an elegant and glamorous dance and closed position maintained throughout the dance.

Rumba

Rumba is a genre of ballroom music and dance that appeared in the East Coast of the United States during the 1930s. It combined American big band music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, primarily the son cubano, but also conga and rumba. Taking its name from the latter, ballroom rumba differs completely from Cuban rumba both in its music and dance.

Two variations of rumba with opposing step patterns are danced around the world. American style rumba was imported to America by band directors like Emil Coleman and Don Aspiazúween 1913 and 1935. The film Rumba, released in 1935, brought the style to the attention of the general public. American style rumba is taught in a box step, known for its slow-quick-quick pattern danced on the 1, 3, and 4 beats of 4-beat music. International style rumba was developed in Europe by Monsieur Pierre after he compared the established American style with contemporary Cuban dancers. International style is taught in a quick-quick-slow pattern danced on the 2, 3, and 4 beats of 4 beat music, similar in step and motion to the cha-cha-cha. Our beginner and advanced classes will be teaching International style, the intermediate class will be American style.
Calendar

We have a full schedule in April with no canceled classes at this time The party is on April 13th with a host to be determined later

Remember to check the calendar in case there are last minute cancellations. Click the calendar image to view the online calendar.
Club Dance Party - April 13th

The party host will be announced later.

We play music for a variety of dance styles, from classic ballroom (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango) to Rhythm and Latin Dances (Salsa, Rumba, Cha-Cha, swing). We also take requests for your favorite song. There will be snacks and cool drinks in the foyer. During the course of the evening we will have a mixer or two and the host will teach a short lesson that will be really fun and will get everybody on the floor.

Our parties are a potluck affair, we ask attendees to bring finger foods - sweet and savory - in disposable containers ready to serve. The club will be providing extra sumptuous snacks in the way of savory foods

Lost and Found

The club stores lost items that we find after classes in a bag that is secured in our storage area when we are not in session. Check there first when you have forgotten something in the ballroom. When the bag overflows we take the lost items off site for storage prior to donating them to a worthy cause. The following list shows the items scheduled for donation, if you see an item that is yours contact a board member to retrieve the item:
  • Original Deer Coat - XL
  • Man's black pullover sweater - small
  • Man's gray pullover sweater - large
  • Woman's teal August Silk jacket - medium
  • Man's flannel shirt - large
  • Concepts by Claiborne black jacket - large
  • Nautica tan jacket - small
  • Black sweater with hood - maybe medium
  • Woman's L.L. Bean green jacket - small
  • Flipflops - tropical design
  • Woman's Banana Republic brown sweater - small
  • Gray sweater - large
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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 and the board will post last minute calendar changes and parking warnings.


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