Crossing and Stepping

Gary and I have really been getting into our cross step waltz. We had a breakthrough ourselves a few weeks ago on the dance floor, and our beloved Melissa is now helping us integrate ballroom waltz moves into the CSW.

At some point we want to take a few lessons with Richard Powers, world renowned CSW (and many many other dances) instructor. He believes in creativity and individual style, as demonstrated from the excerpt below on teaching.

Wow.

Teaching experienced dancers

I'm sometimes surprised to see a professional dance teacher who apparently hasn't thought through the difference between teaching beginning versus experienced dancers. Where do I see this most clearly? In the strictness of detail demanded when it comes to personal style. Beginning and advanced dancers have very different needs and wishes in this area.

When teaching beginners, who are a clean slate, of course you'll teach them the version you think is best, with all of the stylistic details for your preferred form.

But when your students have been dancing for years or decades, they've already developed their personal style. First, they're probably happy with the dancer they've become, and they're taking your class to learn more useful variations and partnering tips from you, not dismantle the dancer they've become. Secondly, they probably couldn't change their personal style if they tried.

The aware teacher will work from this platform (their personal style), giving their experienced students useful new material for them to integrate into their dancing. The unaware teacher will dismiss their students' accumulated style as "incorrect" and attempt to tear it down, hoping to rebuild their student back up in the teacher's preferred style. That's not going to happen! If you attempt to do that, they'll think, "I can't learn from this teacher!" and not come back. And they'll justifiably resent the disrespect of a teacher dismissing their personal style.

You may find it difficult to be patient with experienced dancers who appear to be "doing it wrong," which often means they're merely dancing in styles different from your preferred style. So how should you respond? (A) Dismiss their dancing style, making them wary, defensive or resentful? Or (B), see the class from their point of view. Why are they taking your class? Probably to learn new figures and become better dancers, based on the dancer they are. I recommend approach B.

Cross Step Waltz

Gary and I had our first real lesson in the Cross Step Waltz last Saturday with Rosie Lempkin of The Flying Cloud Vintage Dance Troupe in Cincinnati. We are both officially in love with this dance.

We tried the waltz when we first started dancing, but neither one of us liked it. The ballroom version is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but we didn’t care for the reverse poise, the calculated positioning, or the formalness.

The cross step waltz is nothing like the ballroom variety and is infinite in its application. In fact, its very nature lends itself to experimentation. Want to put tango moves in? Go ahead. How about a swing move? Works perfect. The basic timing is indeed one two three, but at any time you can put a cha cha cha in there or stop completely for drama. It’s all up to …I was about to say the lead, but in this dance the lead is often “given” to the follower. How cool is that?

The basic step is deceptively simple…the feet cross in front, the woman’s as well, even when she is going backwards. It is simply breathtaking. And something else happened with that dance too, something that has never happened to me before. At one point Rosie asked us to separate while doing the basic step. It was so romantic and beautiful that I started to cry!

I am not a crier in general, and certainly not (gasp) in public. But something happened when I danced that dance, something magical. I now understand why the waltz is called the Mother of All Dances.

Rosie just laughed. Yeah, she said, it’ll do that.

The Mother of All Dances. I get it. For me, at least the Cross Step Waltz is.

Cross Step Waltz

Gary and I had another lesson of vintage dancing with Rosie; we did some more on the foxtrot and started a new dance called the cross step waltz. It is based on a very old form of waltz, but Richard Powers has added his own style to it; he blends in swing and latin moves. It sounds crazy, but it works beautifully.

We love it. Here is a video of Richard dancing with his partner Angela Amarillas.