WALTZ – The basic steps consist of walking steps, side steps and whisks, chasses, and lots of turns!. A lot of the grace and elegance of the waltz is obtained by what is called “rise and fall”. Look for a good hold, a nice neck on the lady (no hunched shoulders Leticia please!) , no gaps between couples. Footwork is particularly important in the slower dances, as the celeb can’t hide behind waggling hips!
VIENNESE WALTZ – No rise and fall here. Its too fast to do it, even if the dancer wanted to, they would get sick. Only three steps to this dance really, and the famous fleckle! SCD VW is a lot more interesting than what you would get to see in a real life competition, believe it or not!
JIVE – Look out for lots of spins, kicks and flicks. However, what is particularly important in jive are the knees, ankles and balls of feet! Jive is typically danced upright (some seem to lean over and down, Brendan C springs to mind), but this upright tends to make it look stiff and formal. Judges will be looking for lots energy, and clean movements that are finished off properly at the arms.
SAMBA – A fun party dance from Rio Je Janeiro. Think “bounce” from the waist down, rythym and look for lots of hip action. The major characteristic of the samba is the vertical bounce action and this dance needs to be flamboyant to work best.
FOXTROT – Again look for heel leads, with the toe lowering as the body moves over it. Rise and fall is still there, though perhaps not as obvious as with the waltz. Look for sway, and contra-body movements.
PASO DOBLE – The character of this dance is that of the matador and his cape or bull. His demeanour is one of arrogance and swagger (he doesn’t want that bull knowing he’s scared) Look out for:- sharp, swift movements, a wide frame is wide to make himself look bigger and can look quite stiff. The lady is very much a supporting role for the matador and might run around and be thrown about by him. Look for foot stomping, strong arms and defined hands, and walking similar to a march.
AMERICAN SMOOTH – Count the lifts! Should only be two! A good percentage of this dance can be done out of hold, think of all those old
