American Press: Dance at a Glance by Diane Smith

Dance at a Glance

by DIANE L. SMITH
3rd edition, 158 pages, $14.95
ISBN 978-0-89641-276-7

Dance at a Glance is designed for the beginning ballroom or social dance classes. The material is designed to be used under the guidance of a qualified dance instructor or as additional material for students and instructors. The book is divided into three parts: Part I, the Kinetics of Dance, outlines the reason for dancing, what the student needs to know to get started, the basic dance positions, abbreviations and foot positions. Part II, the Tempos of Dance demonstrate eight of the basic ballroom dances, giving their history or origin, the style, meter, advice for the beginner and basic steps for each dance. At the end of each dance, there is a checklist for the student to evaluate his/her own progress. Part III, the Reference section details the terminology and the bibliography. This book has been used quite successfully at many colleges and universities as a required text for ballroom classes. The book is beautifully illustrated..

CONTENTS

Part I—KINETICS OF DANCE

Why Dance?

Dance Folklore

Getting Started (Posture, Watch Your Step, Learning to Lead and Follow, You've Got Rhythm, Develop Your Own Style)

Basic Dance Positions (Semi-Open or Conversation Position, Closed Position, Partner Outside, Skater's Position, Varsouvienne Position, Cuddle Position)

Abbreviations

Foot Positions

Part II—TEMPOS OF DANCE

Foxtrot

Waltz

Swing/Lindy/Jitterbug

Cha-Cha-Cha

Rumba

Tango

Samba

Disco

Part III—REFERENCES

Terminology

Bibliography and Selected Record List

Index

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Diane L. Smith presently teaches ballroom dance at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California. She has studied extensively with the Arthur Murray Dance Studio and has been involved in numerous dance contests and dance exhibitions in and out of California. She received her B.S. (ED) at the University of Idaho and her M.A. (ED) at Stanford University.