Ballet "Strictly Ballroom"?

[pygmalion]

Check out this news blurb from the Washington Post. The Miami City Ballet Company is now performing a "ballet" which is ballroom dance based, and features foxtrot, mambo, quickstep, etc.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42189-2004Apr25.html


What do you think about this? Can classically trained ballet dancers truly do ballroom dance justice, with little actual ballroom training? Do the ballet-based skills and training they have prepare them to do the roles justice? (btw Frank Regan was a consultant. 8) )

And, btw, is there room for ballroom dance performance to successfully make the leap (no pun intended) to stage shows?

[dragon3085]

Actually one of our instructors at the studio is a former professional ballerina from Virgina, when her husband was stationed in texas she couldn't find a new company she wanted to dance with so she too up ballroom. Its been fun to watch her change over time, she has brought in a lot of new elements to the studio but I would have say that when she started out, she might have been a little too proper in her form. So I would hazard a guess that this show might also look a bit stiff.

[Chris Stratton]

Hmm, who wants to take opera glasses and check for heel leads (and toe releases) in the foxtrot and quickstep?

[delamusica]

I've seen many ballet dancers sucessfully transition into ballroom and latin - their extensive training in balance, strength, and control of the legs/feet seem to make it easy for them to make the transition. I wonder who was teaching them ballroom . . . a ballroom dancer or a ballet dancer? In any case, could be good, could be stiff - somebody's going to have to find out . . . (*ahem* - florida ppls?)

[DancingMommy]

What do you think about this? Can classically trained ballet dancers truly do ballroom dance justice, with little actual ballroom training? Do the ballet-based skills and training they have prepare them to do the roles justice? (btw Frank Regan was a consultant. )

And, btw, is there room for ballroom dance performance to successfully make the leap (no pun intended) to stage shows?

I think anything that gets ballroom into the mainstream is a good thing... Make that a VERY good thing!

I think that classically trained dancers (of which I am one) can be highly competent as ballroom dancers. After all, good technique is good technique. In fact, there have been numerous times I've relied upon my ballet background to get certain ballroom concepts. Any *good* dance training is of benefit.

I certainly believe that there is room for ballroom in stage productions. After all, if Fred & Ginger can make it in the movies, it could be done on Broadway too. I think however, that we would have to look at ballroom from a very theatrical point of view and modify it somewhat so that it can "make sense" on a raised stage and be seen from the back row of the balcony. It would have to become much "larger than life" than it already is.

[pygmalion]

Hmm, who wants to take opera glasses and check for heel leads (and toe releases) in the foxtrot and quickstep?

That's what I was thinking. The ballroom dancing will be good, to an untrained eye. But I think it's pretty arrogant for ballet dancers to assume they can do a good job at ballroom, without a heck of a lot of training. Somehow I doubt that dancesport athletes would get any serious consideration from the ballet world, if the tables were turned, and some ballroom people staged a "ballet".

That said, anything that gets ballroom out there in the public eye is, to me, a good thing.

[Ashley]

If you google "the neighborhood ballroom" you'll find a bit more information about this production.

I just wish that I could see it!

[Porfirio Landeros]

Well, the ballroom community doesn't need to be scared or critical, because ultimately, this puts the art/sport out there for people to enjoy. It may even make some wives drag husbands into ballroom dance studios.

As far as ballet dancers converting to ballroom, I don't know that this is any different than someone that is an accomplished athlete in another discipline, like a martial artist, or a gymnist. People that have a good sense of mind-body coordination can excel at ballroom, but if they are closed minded, and believe that they can get away with practicing less or skipping over technique since they are already a dancer/athlete, then they're fooling themselves.

I've seen this time and time again, where a choreographer feels that because they are schooled in Jazz/Ballet, they can throw together a Swing routine for a TV commercial, or they can come up with a Tango for stage. Since ballroom dancers aren't really in these markets, we can only grin and bare it when we sit in their audience, but like I said before, if it gets people into the ballrooms, that's a good thing :)

[Warren J. Dew]

And, btw, is there room for ballroom dance performance to successfully make the leap (no pun intended) to stage shows?
Quite literally, I suspect there isn't enough room ... stages are too small to do really top notch ballroom dancing, after all.

Latin or Rhythm might be able to make the transition.

[pygmalion]

As far as ballet dancers converting to ballroom, I don't know that this is any different than someone that is an accomplished athlete in another discipline, like a martial artist, or a gymnist. People that have a good sense of mind-body coordination can excel at ballroom, but if they are closed minded, and believe that they can get away with practicing less or skipping over technique since they are already a dancer/athlete, then they're fooling themselves.

I know quite a few dancers who've successfully made the transition. I'm sure we all do. But they were successful because they respected ballroom as its own discipline, with training requirements. You can't just make the leap from ballet, no matter how good you are, without some ballroom-specific training, and, from what I hear, some un-training of ballet-specific habits. Sure, athletes have an advantage over non-athletes, but they have to respect ballroom as a discipline. That's what bothers me about this show. Ballroom gets no respect (sorry. I'm in a whiney mood. :oops: :lol: )

Since ballroom dancers aren't really in these markets, we can only grin and bare it when we sit in their audience, but like I said before, if it gets people into the ballrooms, that's a good thing :) Amen. :wink: 8)

[etchuck]

I presume that they're not going to allow any audience members to come onto the stage and ask them to dance, right? :(

[pygmalion]

I bet the stinkers don't know a thing about lead and follow. :evil: (Sorry. Whiney mood continues. :lol: )

[etchuck]

Betcha they don't have enough leaders too. ;)