A Simple Explanation of Round Dancing

 

Round Dancing is simply couple dancing that use most rhythms from ballroom. These include waltz, foxtrot, jive, cha cha, rumba, tango, quickstep and more. This style of dancing is a non-competitive couple recreation open to anyone, even those who have had no previous dance background. It has proved to be easily learned through lessons, even by those who consider themselves “as having two left feet”.

 

 

ROUND DANCING is best described as choreographed ballroom dancing, for couples.  It is a social, non competitive activity for fun, rather than competition.   Solo dancers also enjoy this activity – and often, due to a severe shortage of men, two women will dance together.

On the dance floor, choreography is directed verbally by a round dance Cuer, enabling all couples on the dance floor to dance the same steps at the same time.

This ‘Cuer’ guides the dancers through the figures in each routine, thereby eliminating the need to memorize and making it challenging for the mind, as well as the body.

There is no prize for being perfect – dance for the fun of it.  If you make a mistake the round dance police will not get you.

The music used is pretty much the same as that used in ballroom dancing. Rhythms include Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Two Step, Quickstep, Tango and several others.

While ballroom is ‘freestyle’ in round dancing each piece of music has a specific routine written for it. Over the past 50 years or so, there have been tens of thousands of dances written.

Round dancers learn from day one to associate each foot pattern with a figure name.

This makes it easier to teach future routines since the dancer has a repertoire of figures at their fingertips [Okay – foot tips].

The dancer learns the routines as well as the names of all the dance steps in each rhythm so that when the music is played the couple, can follow the cues that are spoken on the microphone by the Cuer, just in time to prompt the next step to be danced.

It is this aspect that makes ROUND DANCING especially unique.  It is also challenging for the mind as well as the body and a joy to behold as every couple on the dance floor dances each routine in unison.

 

ENJOY learning and being part of      ~~        ROUND DANCING.