THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 11, 1938.
Page
Learn Dancing With Me:
The Popular Quick Step By Santos Casani
(Famous Teacher of Dancing)
This is the
OUTSIDE.
Now let me teach you the Quick Step! most popular dance in the country. More Quick Steps are danced than all the other dances put together.
Quickstep music is written in 4-4 (common time), and should be played at a speed of 48 to 52 bars per minute. Normally your band plays three choruses of a tune taking approximately 2 minutes. The dance is full of life and movement, the latter is natural and graceful. The dance is composed of Slow steps which take 2 beats of music, one minim; and Quick steps which take one beat of music, one crochet.
The Chasse! Is timed Quick, Quick, Slow; taking 4 beats or one bar of music. The Slow steps are really walking steps, and the Quick steps may be likened to running steps. From this simple explanation it is easy to frame a general rule for the basic movements: that our Slow or walking steps will be taken on our heels and our Quick or running steps on our toes. Remember the transference from a walk into a run must not be abrupt.
Remember These Movements. Preceding a running step, taking a walking step on your heel, lower to the flat of the foot and continue the forward movement, then rise on the ball of the foot as you commence to take the next step. This movement will give a gentle rise and fall throughout the dance, you will agree, as you master it it is fascinating. Don't Forget this Rule. Never let your foot come off the floor; you may be down on the flat foot or up on the toe but some part of the foot must always retain contact with the floor. If absolute smoothness is to be obtained this rule is essential and simply must be mastered. If you lift a foot you only have to put it down again, which means that you develop a bumpy movement. Try to imagine you are dan- cing on ice, and it will soon rid you of any awkward move- ment and your dancing should soon become a smooth glide. The Quarter Turns. Consist of two halves, the first dur- ing which you turn approximately a quarter of a turn to the right, and the second during which you turn approxim- ately a quarter of a turn to the left. Start facing your Line of Dance, (Anti-clock wise round the room),
1. Step forward on the Right foot, on the flat foot turn-
ing to the Right.
Count Slow, 2 beats.
2.
3.
4.
Step to the side on the ball of the Left foot, now fac- ing the Right hand wall.
Count Quick, 1 beat. Close the Right foot to the Left foot on ball of foot. Count Quick, 1 beat. Short step to the side and an inch or two back on the Left foot lowering gently on to the heel.
Count Slow, 2 beats.
WALL
Right foot
CENTRE OF Room.
BEGIN
5. Step back on the Right foot slightly leftwards...
Count Slow, 2 beats.
6. Close Left foot to Right foot turning on the Right heel
to Left.
7.
Hesitate in same position.
Count Quick, 1 beat.
Count Quick, 1 beat.
Count Slow, 2 beats.
8. Forward on the Left foot on the flat foot.
こ
On steps 6 and 7 when the man's feet are together, the girl steps sideways to the Right with her Right foot and then closes her Left foot to her Right foot. This is ne- cessary as she is covering more ground than the man at this point. Otherwise the girl's steps are exactly the re- verse of the man's.
The Cross Chasse! This is danced from the last position using the last step (forward on the Left foot) as the first step of the Cross Chasse.
2. Take a short step to the side on the ball of the Right foot
Count Quick 1 beat. foot.
3. Close the Left foot to the Right
Count Quick, 1 beat.
Forward on the flat of the Right foot outside your part ner on her Right side.
Count Slow, 2 beats. Use this last step as the first step of the Quarter Turns, and now repeat the whole
* movement. Next time I will give you the rest of the basic steps in this dance.
"Till next time then. Don't forget to practice these movements as all the steps in the dance are based on them. "If you can do the Quarter Turns well you can dance well," is a very good motto for beginners and not a bad one for advanced dancers either.
If you are in any doubt on any point, write to me c/o the Editor of this Journal, enclosing stamped addressed envelope.
(Copyright by Santos Casani).
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How To Keep In Good Form
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Proficiency at games, success in the Irene Dunne, when she takes her Ann Dvorak believes Lany girl everyday walks of life, mainly depend end-of-the-day tub, covers her face can brush her way to beauty and first essential is to be regular in the upon good health, to ensure which the with cream because she finds the uses a dozen brushes daily to prove daily habit. When you are constipated, for steam opens the pores and permits it. There is a hairbrush for those the accumulation of waste matter sets the cream to penetrate. There is fifty valuable strokes night and poisons in the system which
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rabbits hair brush to shoo away Melt butter in a frying pan and
Constance Bennett says her taper extra powder after makeup is ap onion till transparent. Put ham and tongue through, a mincer, ing fingertips are the result of a plied. And, of course, the tooth brushes which she uses several then stir in stock, mustard, parsley daily massage in warm oil. The oil and catsup.
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ing lengthwise at the sides of the Make a hole in the centre with a nails. knife. Bake in a hot oven for half- hour. Enough for five persons,
*
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Anne Shirley, too young for sophisticated eyeshadow, adds touch of white vaseline For drop of oil to her lids to give that Glenda Farrell has a new idea luminous appearance. about wielding the eyebrow pencil. Joan Crawford has discarded all Everyone should have two, says Jeanette MacDonald is a firm be- her pumps and slippers and now Glenda, a black one and a brown liever in exercise to keep the eyes A recent survey shows that the wears only open-toed sandals, rang-one and instead of being pointed sparkling and strong. Every morn-
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