Instructional Videos:
If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then the value of a dance video
is high indeed. A figure or figure sequence can be watched over and over
and also viewed in slow motion. You can practice the figure, return to
the video and then practice some more. If you are just learning a
figure, you can use the video to reinforce what you learned in class. If
you are an experienced dancer, you can use the videos to review and
improve your technique. Here are three sources for instructional videos:
- Steppin' Out with the Blackfords
- Wayne & Barbara Blackford have released 12 DVDs in this
series which includes most of our dance rhythms. For each
figure. they will demonstrate using different camera angles and
usually show the steps separately for the man and woman. Please go to
their web site
to see figure lists and ordering information.These DVDs will
probably be available whereever they are cueing, but if you
order from their web site, be aware that there is a numbering
mismatch between the figure lists and the order form.
- Private Lessons with Curt & Tammy
- Curt & Tammy Worlock have released 12 volumes in the series.
Each volume presents a selection of (mostly advanced) figures
from the Latin and Smooth rhythms. They go into considerable
detail on each figure, showing the figure from several angles
and explaining key points to be aware of. For example, they
spend six minutes teaching the Outside Spin. Go to the Worlock
web
site for a flyer (click on Private Lessons) listing the
figures on each DVD.
- Roundalab Teaching Videos
- Roundalab makes available a series of DVDs where each volume
shows the figures from all the rhythms for a given phase. for
example, here is the catalog description for the phase 4 set:
- "This Set of two DVDs describe and show Phase 4 Actions,
Bolero, Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Jive, West Coast Swing, Mambo,
Merengue, Paso Doble, Quickstep, Rumba, Samba, Slow Two Step,
Tango, and Waltz figures that are listed in the phase standards
manual. The figures are presented in a five-part description.
The first part shows the figure being danced by the man and
lady. The second part shows the man's footwork with the man's
cues. The third part shows the ladies footwork with the ladies
cues. The fourth part shows how the couple's feet should move on
the floor in relation to a direction of dance arrow. The fifth
part shows an entrance figure, the figure being worked and an
exit figure."
- Editor's Comment
- It would probably be too expensive for most dancers to
consider buying all of the above listed videos, so choices must
be made. The Roundalab videos provide the broadest coverage of
figures, but they are strictly demonstrations without
commentary. The Blackford and Worlock videos provide the kind of
commentary and explanation that one might get in a live teaching
situation. As far as choosing between these two, you might order
one video from each series and see whose teaching style you
prefer.
Demonstration Videos:
Typically at an event where a dance is being taught, the teaching couple
will do the dance as a demonstration. Often these demonstrations are video
recorded and sometimes these recordings will make their way to the
web. These videos can be quite useful to review a previously learned dance;
to learn a dance from a cue sheet while checking yourselves on the video; or to
pick up styling and technique ideas from watching very good dancers.
One source of demonstration videos is the Videos
page on this site. Other sites posting videos can be found by following the
link at the top of that page.
Cue Sheets:
Cue sheets come in two varieties – head cues, which are the words used by
the cuer and full cue sheets or fine prints, which give all the movement
detail for each figure. You may find the full cue sheet useful when
reviewing a dance at home to verify alignments and to check figure
definitions. Here is where you can look:
- The best single source for cue sheets is
Cue Sheets from All Over
maintained by Mark Brautigam. He has collected and posted a large number
of cue sheets himself and has indexed and linked to cue sheets on many
other web sites. Also note his "Recent Uploads" and his "Advanced Search" where one can specify
dance name, choreographer, rhythm, and/or phase. If you are looking for a
new dance and cannot find it on Mark's site, check back frequently.
There can be a time lag in posting.
- Mark also maintains a list of
sites that post cue sheets.
Web Site:
Round Dancing: An Instruction Manual. Lots of information on this web
site by Harold and Meredith Sears. Also an extensive photo gallery
illustrating various dance positions. Browse through the site and return
from time to time to see what you can learn.
Figure Manuals:
Videos are probably the best tool for learning figures (other than a live
instructor), but manuals have greater coverage as well as being much
cheaper. Manuals are difficult to learn from and are probably best used to
review the details of a figure with which you have some familiarity.
- The Standards Manual
- The Standards Manual published by
Roundalab contains
descriptions of all the figures used in round dancing (except
the modifications and new figures that choreographers use to
make our lives more interesting). If you have forgotten a figure
or would like to refresh your memory on a recent teach, this is
a good source. It comes organized by phase; you may prefer to
reorganize it by rhythm. Current price: $45.00. It's also available on a CD (using both Word and PDF formats) for
$16.25
- Technical Manual
- The Technical Dance Manual is published by
ICBDA and is
available to members either online or as a CD (MS Word format). Does not cover all the figures as in
the Roundalab manual, but the detail is much greater. For each
step of a figure information is given on timing, direction of
movement, body turn, technique, and more. If you have the
Round-a-Lab manual and still thirst after knowledge, this is the
manual to get. Current price: $11.00 for shipping within the
U.S. (See website to order.) Although the online version is
free, I find the CD to be enormously convenient. I copied all
the files to a folder on my hard drive and created a shortcut to
the Index page. From there, a Ctrl-Click will jump to the chosen
figure description.