HOW TO DANCE THROUGH TIME Vol_ 1_ - The Romance of Mid-19th Century Couple Dances

Product Description The first volume of How To Dance Through Time leads beginners through the five ballroom dances that were the touchstones of mid-1800s society. Learn couple dances like the Waltz, Galop, Polka, Schottische, and Polka Mazurka; each segment is entertaining and straightforward. Follow along with the instructions, and you ll quickly learn the steps and positions of these basic romantic dances. How to Dance Through Time, Volume I gives clear and repeated how-to instructions to teach viewers the five dances that were essential for anyone attending a mid-19th century ball. These dances drew couples closer together as they spun through Waltzes or chassed down the room in a Galop or Gallop. For the first time, dance partners held each other in a face-to-face embrace as they turned and swirled around the ballroom. Review ...provides an intriguing glimpse into the social world of [the 19th century] era. Each dance is preceded by a historical overview, with original lithographs from the period and entertaining commentary by Teten. We learn, for example, that ;the art of turning reflected elements of the Industrial Revolution, such as the spinning Jenny,' and that the Mazurka was a dance of ;majesty; unreservedness,; and ;allurement. Adequately primed for the tension and intrigue of the 19th-century ballroom, the student is then carefully guided through the basic steps. This well produced and entertaining video is highly recommended. --Library Journal These instructional videos will be invaluable to choreographers who create dances for period films or for cotillions and charity balls. They preserve the art form and provide the story of the cultural phenomenon, thus making a perfect addition to dance, design, and anthropological libraries. --Dance On Camera Journal A dance teacher with a shine for cultural history provides step-by-step guidance on the graceful couples' dances that set the tone in ballrooms during the previous century. Couples demonstrate everything from the gentleman's bow to the final twirl, with detailed views of dancers feet in slow motion...Just as enlightening as the instruction is the running commentary on the many ways the dances reflected the times in which they were created. This tape is as close to a trip back to the mid-century as most dance enthusiasts are likely to get. --Billboard From the Contributor DIRCOMMENTS: A format for disseminating historical social dance steps has been pioneered in this DVD. The goa