| Article | : | Dancing Tid-bits Issue #185, Thursday, June 3, 2004.
Today's Topic: A Waltz Amalgamation by Pierre Allaire.
I usually refrain from suggesting Choreography or even the Figures because you really learn those from your teacher or technique videos or whatever. However sometimes you get a little routine from an expert coach and you cannot help sharing it with your readers. One such lesson was recently given by Pierre Allaire, the Canadian Guru of Ballroom and Latin Dancing and I like it very much. So, here it is.
Approaching a corner, Men! do 123 of the Natural Turn, end backing LOD. Now we do Chasse Roll. If you have done a Tipple Chasse in QS it is the same type of movement. It is funny that just before his lesson I was working with Petra doing a Tipple Chasse in Slow Fox with a SQ&Q timing and a weave ending. To me, if you put a rolling turn and sway in it, this tipplebecomes a chasse roll.So Men! start the Chasse Roll with LF back and do chasse with a rolling turn to right with a right sway. The timing is 12&3. It is almost a 3/4 of a turn to right. You stay up on Toes on the last step. There is a turning on the last step to face the corner with Promenade poise. Sway is lost at the end.
Now comes an important part. Turning the Lady almost to PP do a Check LF and lowering action on 1. Both partners extend the body line and look into the corner (perhaps with left sway, check it yourself). After the Check,reverse direction and do a Chasse diagonally back 2&3, RLR, no sway.End the Chasse with an Outside Change with a PP ending traveling along 'new line of dance', LRL (lady R, OP and LR). Lady turns her head gradually. Now do a Chasse from PP, RLRL (lady LRLR) and keep the lady in PP to the end. End this amalgamation by doing a "Chair Line" with about a 1/4 turn to left and proceed with a Reverse Movement starting from facing DC.
What is Chair? Good question. Both of you are in PP, weight on LF (lady RF). Men! RF forward and across in PP with a "check" (lady normal opposite, LF). Man transfers weight back to LF and does a slip pivot action stepping back RF turning left. Lady does 2 small pivots RF, LF and turns square to man ready for a reverse action going back on RF. When I asked Mire, why is it called a chair, she put me in this 'line' and sat in my lap. That was a good explanation.
I think it is a very clear andunderstandable amalgamation even for beginner and intermediate waltzers, any style and it was a blow out at the group lesson at Dancesport Academy of Michigan in Dearborn. Pierre and Mireille will be here again in a couple of weeks. I will let you know. Their coaching is so simple and intricate that I just love every bit of it.
A word for all coaches. Coaches are like doctors. If you cannot bring yourself to your client's level you are not good enough, no matter how good you are. Pierre and Mirre are an exemplary example of what a coach should be. Thanks for reading this Tid-bit and c unext week, Max |
