On 1/28/2013 7:40 AM, John Sweeney wrote:
Someone mentioned The Spanish Waltz - lovely dance.
But I am often
working with groups who can't waltz, so it all breaks down in B2.
So I change the waltz in B2 to:
Take Promenade Hold, Men put Left Shoulders together to make a line of
four: Promenade 1 & 1/2 times forwards in a circle to meet a new couple
I tell them to keep up their waltz steps during the promenade.
I do this too. (I think I have an 1863 source that describes this
progression, but I can't lay hands on it at the moment.)
Another variant progression is to face the neighbors, go forward two
waltz steps, go back two waltz steps, pass through,
and bow to new neighbors. That's good for dancers without geographical
fluency, who can use the extra time to orient
themselves.
(But I really like the tight 1.5 promenade; the transition from the star
is very slick, with the gent stepping slightly forward
to take partner's left hand in his left, right behind in right.)
-- Alan