Beautiful Bolero

[pygmalion]

I'm just getting to the level of dance where I feel I can do a decent (decent, I said, not good LOL) bolero. So I went googling, of course, and found this article, which includes a few tips on styling for bolero.

http://www.ballroombliss.com/Teknique/Tekpages/bolstep.htm

Any thoughts on what it takes to develop a beautiful bolero? Styling? Arms? Presence? And how does one create that romantic look?

[KevinL]

The leader stepping diagonally back with their left foot isn't the way I've ever seen it done, when I've seen it/danced it, the left foot goes to the side. Is this a variation, or is my experience limited?

Any thoughts on what it takes to develop a beautiful bolero? Styling? Arms? Presence? And how does one create that romantic look?

If you just do the footwork, the dance will look nice. If you add in the sway, CBM, rise and fall and slip pivot footwork, the dance looks much better. It's a matter of getting all the little pieces to look nice at the same time.

As for creating that romantic look, pretend to be deeply in love with your partner, at least for the length of the dance.

Kevin

[twnkltoz]

I love bolero...it's probably my favorite. I have a question, though...I've always done it with plenty of sway and CBM, and get plenty of compliments on it, although I don't compete to have that sort of objective judging. I was watching Bob & Julia's bolero technique video, which was made in like 1998 or so (Dance Vision). They say not to use any sway or CBM. Thoughts?

Pygmalion, to answer your question:

1. Keep moving. It's a slooooow dance, but the more you move (ie, not stop and wait for the slow to finish), the smoother and nicer it will look...just keep stretching and filling out the music.

2. Big arms. I tend to use circular-type motions that never stop in one place.

[samba ajr]

I love Bolero too :D Like the article mentioned, the best parts of waltz, mambo, rumba, tango. And you can (must) style the heck out of it.

I did notice the pros at my last comp doing bolero, and they were very sharp on the slows (ala tango). I've always seen and done more of a continous movement, but if this is where bolero is headed, I'll follow :)

[twnkltoz]

Well, I guess I do use some sharp movements, especially when the music calls for it, on certain moves...like out of a fast spin, a sharp stop. But, it breathes...there's a sharp stop, but then I keep stretching and my arm is still moving.

[pygmalion]

I have that Bob and Julia technique tape too. Haven't watched it in a while -- it was information overload the last time. So I'll try it again, and come back and post.

[Medira]

*bump!*

...does anybody know of any good online video clips? I've been trying to describe bolero to one of my coworkers and it just isn't going well... (I'm not articulate on a Monday :P)

[cornutt]

The leader stepping diagonally back with their left foot isn't the way I've ever seen it done, when I've seen it/danced it, the left foot goes to the side. Is this a variation, or is my experience limited?
Kevin

Funny this should come up, because I was about to start a thread about it... Our instructor has recently started teaching it this way to us. Apparently this is the way it's done above bronze level (at least in the DVIDA syllabus). I'm having some problems adjusting to it.

As I understand it, after the leader has taken his forward rock and is settling back to his right foot, he's supposed to rotate his body rightwards, leading the follower to rotate left. Then, the next "side" step is actually more of a back step for the leader (back and slightly side would be the way to describe it, I think), and it's more of a forward step for the follower. I think one purpose of this is to "spring load" the subsequent back rock and rotate, so that it rotates more and looks more graceful.

The problem I'm having is that I find rotating at that point to be extremely strenuous. It's like my upper body is locked in position and I have to fight against it in order to do the rotation. And the effort I have to exert causes me to be off-balance as I take the subsequent back step; I wind up falling off to one side or the other. Last week I did it in slo-mo in the pool (a "debugging" technique I've been using lately), and there is something I can't figure out: how is the follower supposed to rotate? Obviously she can't do it until she is off of her back foot. I think that's part of the problem. But by the time she gets to her forward foot, it's too late -- she's already committed to a side step. Somehow the rotation has to be done on the "and", and I can't figure out how to do that.

Our instructor did say that she is going to start teaching all students this way right from the start. She says it's very hard for students to "unlearn" the other way. I'm finding that to be a true statement. :oops:

[alemana]

that old link doesn't work... sad.

[guille_bdancer]

I just found a clip of bolero... It's on http://www.ballroomdancers.com/

under the variation of the week link

Hope this helps... :wink:

[alemana]

bolero. who knew? i thought i would hate it - extension and expression not being my strong points - but it's easily my favorite of my five routines.

perhaps it was a good idea to wait so long to put my first bolero together. i was sufficiently freaked out by rumba when i started prepping for competition - i bet learning a bolero right off would've killed me.

[cornutt]

bolero. who knew? i thought i would hate it - extension and expression not being my strong points - but it's easily my favorite of my five routines.


My experience has been that bolero really lends itself to expression, in a way that rumba just doesn't. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps because, at the bronze level, rumba is taught as a rather "clunky" dance that's used to get beginners going on something, and you don't learn any good expressive bits in rumba until you get to silver level. Whereas, bolero is flowing and swoopy right from the start. Or maybe it's just my latent smooth tendencies. :rolleyes: But seriously, I find that once I get going, I don't have to think about mechanics in bolero as much. And that's a point I have to get past before the door opens for artistic expression.

I like to tell people: "Tango may be the dance of passion, and rumba may be the dance of love, but bolero is the dance that gets you into trouble." ;)

[alemana]

HAH! i love that.

i am not the most naturally expressive dancer so the "naturalness" of the bolero feeling so far has really surprised and pleased me. i think there's so much baggage with rumba that perhaps makes it even harder to execute - one feels it's so hard to 'get it right' that one can't relax and dance. i have very little bolero information/training, so it feels more like 'dancing.'

[Twilight_Elena]

We're not taught the bolero in my school. I've always thought it was sort of like rumba? I've seen the ballroomdancers.com Bolero variation but I still don't get it. It's different, but I can't get why. Anyone care to explain the general feeling and what its difference from rumba is?

Twilight Elena

[cantskiforlife]

One of the differences between bolero and international rumba is the count. In international Rumba, you break on the 2,3. In bolero you break on the 3,4. It was interesting to watch the couples at the Yale comp. Most were not on beat. Those that were pretty much made the final round.

Other than the beat you break on, the difference is in the rise and fall, sway, and grace. It is much slower and gentle. Think of dancing the rumba to a 4 beat waltz (i know I am probably getting funny looks now :)).

[mamboqueen]

Quite a bit of "into the knees" in bolero, too. I really like it.....the emotional thing is a tough area for me, too. I see some people who look like they're in pain doing bolero....I might be able to pull that off if I have my teacher step on my toes *LOL*

[alemana]

we're working on the "flight" part of it, which is very fun. it's fun to swoop around and chill the heck out about straightening your legs.

i'm obviously a better dancer, if only incrementally, now than when i first started putting my comp routines together in april. so the choreography is more interesting and *manageably difficult* right from the start. i am able to produce much more dynamic movement now, and the connection with my teacher is better, which allows us to pull off some dramatic moves.

i hesitate to jinx it, but one other thing is much better - doing extreme backbends no longer cripples me for weeks after the practice. there's a very deep backbend in this routine and so far, knock wood, i have had no ill effects. we've been working on it many hours a week, so i am hoping i've improved my flexibility enough that this is a problem in the past. woo!

[Twilight_Elena]

One of the differences between bolero and international rumba is the count. In international Rumba, you break on the 2,3. In bolero you break on the 3,4. It was interesting to watch the couples at the Yale comp. Most were not on beat. Those that were pretty much made the final round.

Other than the beat you break on, the difference is in the rise and fall, sway, and grace. It is much slower and gentle. Think of dancing the rumba to a 4 beat waltz (i know I am probably getting funny looks now :)).

Wait... I break rumba on the 1! :shock:
Then again, I do American rumba. Any difference?

Twilight Elena

[Medira]

Wait... I break rumba on the 1! :shock:
Then again, I do American rumba. Any difference?

Twilight Elena
Yes. A whoooole lot of difference. I haven't done enough International style to even attempt to articulate it, but yeah...

[gracie]

Quite a bit of "into the knees" in bolero, too. I really like it.....the emotional thing is a tough area for me, too (http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=11&k=me%20too). I see some people who look like they're in pain doing bolero....I might be able to pull that off if I have my teacher step on my toes *LOL* Yes pain. Requires much proximal muscle strength and hovering up on those toes. Ouch, my metatarsals! And the arm styling for me is difficult.

[Twilight_Elena]

Erm. So Bolero is Rhythm or Latin? I haven't heard of boleros in comps... is it even a comp dance?

Twilight Elena

[Medira]

Erm. So Bolero is Rhythm or Latin? I haven't heard of boleros in comps... is it even a comp dance?

Twilight Elena
It's a competitive rhythm dance.

[Twilight_Elena]

It's a competitive rhythm dance.

Oh. :oops: Sorry, but though we do American style it's a strange mixture, the dances we do. We do Samba as well as Jive, which are supposedly International. So there's American Samba and Jive?

Twilight Elena

[wyllo]

So there's American Samba and Jive?

Twilight Elena

They are not dances that are competed in American style, but I have heard of studios teaching "American" versions of International-style dances like samba, jive, quickstep and paso doble. I don't know what (if any) differences there are between the American and International versions of these dances.

[gracie]

They are not dances that are competed in American style, but I have heard of studios teaching "American" versions of International-style dances like samba, jive, quickstep and paso doble. I don't know what (if any) differences there are between the American and International versions of these dances. Samba is competed in American Rhythm at many comps. There is a syllabus for it. We do swing instead of Jive and it is primarily East Coast style. What dances offered vary from comp to comp- such as OSB vs. Emerald Ball vs. Heritage Classic etc.

[Porfirio Landeros]

They are not dances that are competed in American style, but I have heard of studios teaching "American" versions of International-style dances like samba, jive, quickstep and paso doble. I don't know what (if any) differences there are between the American and International versions of these dances.All the International dances have/had American counter-parts because they were danced here socially before the English decided to write everything down on paper. There's even American Paso Doble! Quickstep really started out as fast Foxtrot, and Jive is a variation of Swing, of course. I would post a scan of a 1950's syllabus I have with American-style versions of the "International" dances, but it has a little (c) emblem on it, and I don't want to get busted ;)

[gracie]

All the International dances have/had American counter-parts because they were danced here socially before the English decided to write everything down on paper. There's even American Paso Doble! Quickstep really started out as fast Foxtrot, and Jive is a variation of Swing, of course. I would post a scan of a 1950's syllabus I have with American-style versions of the "International" dances, but it has a little (c) emblem on it, and I don't want to get busted ;) Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! You would be a good Moderator- are you an instructor?

[Twilight_Elena]

That's okay, Porfirio. I just wanted to know. ;)

Twilight Elena

[Cobra Jazz Dance R]

Couldn't find the Bolero clip...

I watched the Samba clips recently, though, reviewing for a jazz/ Latin/ belly fusion dance I'm choreographing in Hollywood. It's danced to Buster Poindexter's "Hot Hot Hot," no less! The tempo is a bit fast for pure Samba and the dancers, though hot jazz dancers, have never done Samba before, so I'm keeping it simple- just samba walks, Voltas, and maybe botafogos..

[alemana]

i'm home for the holidays (but returning to new york tonight, thank god) and have been missing my dancing so much, especially the bolero. i *dreamed* of it last night, and woke up practicing the steps in my mind's eye.

[alemana]

bolero bolero bolero.

it's hard to fake the love part. mamboqueen, i need help!

[fascination]

i'm home for the holidays (but returning to new york tonight, thank god) and have been missing my dancing so much, especially the bolero. i *dreamed* of it last night, and woke up practicing the steps in my mind's eye.yep ...I tend to dance in my sleep...particularly waltz and bolero...and dh is forever waking me up and going "stop that will ya";)