BDFI UK Congress 2009
BDFI (Ballroom Dancersʼ Federation International) of course stands for“Ballroom Dance Fanatics International” and those whose task it was to organise were grinning all over their faces, because of the attendance, and the after event prattle which was all of a positive nature ... well done Guys and Gals ...
“Shaping the Future of Dance” indeed and Tone Nyhagen was the first lecturer covering “The Power of Two” ... She tells us that she has been fortunate to have worked with some of the best teachers and one of the important factors was about partnering and the relationship between the man and the woman. All that we do should be connected through technique and complete harmony should be acquired. You must listen to and understand your individualistic instincts, which is a difficult task when being given information all the time during your career.
Three young couples take to stage ... all different in instinctive reaction to the dances. The use of body weight and body action is in contrast to each other, because of their individuality of reaction to music and action.
There was a commonality in the couples, which was that it was obvious their approach to body segments was similar, but the ways in which the girls responded, was different. Paso, Samba, Rumba ... it seemed that one of the men was particularly able to retain masculine dominance, yet still be able to lead his girl to subtle nuances, without losing his own effectiveness. One man had such beautiful fluency of arm placements and, as Tone wisely said, technique on its own is insufficient. You need the combination to become like a Wizard of dance ... “Magical”.
This young lady we call Tone is herself not just “Toned” in dance expertise, but her mind is also as toned as a violin’s strings. She explained the importance of the centre having a connection to the spine, and also how it was possible to acquire the extra dimensions, so essential, to ensure the body does not go to “dead” weight.
You must “listen” to each other as man and girl ... Most men do not have the ability (nor the desire) to listen to the girl and therefore enhance her dance, with understanding of her requirements. It is never just about the steps but is always about the dance and the relationship. You must create and almost show your soul so that you can come to ultimate fruition as an exponent. You must breathe and dance as a unitised creation of your own instincts. Thank you Tone, a young Lady from “Norway” and there is “No Way” we can fail to appreciate her deep understanding of Latin dance.
Each couple then danced for us again, and showed their interpretation of what they heard in their ears, taken to their bodies and enhancing the task through understanding. The couples had been stamped with authenticity by Tone “Nyhagen” no doubt by the use of much “nagging”. Without a vision you cannot be truly magical.
Keeping It Human ... Anne Laxholm: Her dance mad husband of course we call Hans and he knows how lucky he was to get Anne to dance with him, but of course she had recognised his talent before anyone else ... “The Legacy of Ballroom Dance is of great importance”, Anne tells us, and Hans takes to stage with Anne ... “How would you like me to dance with you” asks Hans ... “How about crush dancing to Foxtrot music?” So they did and this reminded me so much of the very great Benny Tolmeyer, who also said that, by dancing this way, you cultivate so many acquisitions of excellence for your future as a competitor.
Then they went to the 1970’s showing solo practice with the aid also of Tania with balletic influences and the use of solo dance, to memorise choreography and of course envelop expertise. Then a 2009 Waltz, solo yet again. Many nuances of desirability were shown beautifully, and already, the warmth of audience silent participation was beaming from them, towards Anne, whose delightfully natural approach was lovely, both to look at and to listen to. Then Emanuel danced with Tania, with Anne explaining that a girl should not be overtoned and her right arm should not be straight ... the girl’s body should be in love with the man, not her hand. Then Emanuel and Tania danced a Waltz in today's 2009 idiom.
“How many times do you “shiver” when you watch someone dance?” asks Anne and she tells us how very much we need to receive that type of impactiveness as we watch. Anne has already been elevated to a Queen of Denmark and also the educator of Handsome Hans ... even if he doesn’t yet admit it.
Then Emanuel and Tania showed the production of extra softness practice ... you should change at times, and not just dance a routine, so they were told by Anne not to dance any of the normal routine but just to dance with lead and follow, and concentration was utterly essential for the girl particularly. Here again we had a wonderful touch of apparent “madness” from Anne’s mind which in fact is simply marvellous ... Just like the Palais days of the past when the men had to learn to lead many different girls and, if they didn’t get a good lead you sure would be refused the next time you asked them to dance. Now to phrasing ... John Delroy epitomised this ... you should practice changing the rhythms used in your groups, and, if the music talks to you, then listen and respond ... Emanuel and Tania did it ... a wee trip and poor young man was of course embarrassed ... Hans merely yelled “Please could you do it again” and the crowd and Emanuel too cascaded into laughter ... Then young Emanuel lied that of course he planned to fall ... Anne then tells that Hans always led her when they danced ... often “wrongly”, but she merely followed as a good girl must. We must keep our legacy and develop it but at the same time retain our human touch, Anne tells us wisely. Paying tribute to the late Bobbie Irvine, Anne read out a note which Bobbie used too “All the Ladies” and which the great Bill told me there was a copy of on the wall of their studio and it read as follows:
To be seen and not heard, to be seen and not felt, to be felt and not heard, to be seen and not show off, to move and not move away, to be active but not to activate, to have tone but not be tense, to receive impetus and not give it, to be balanced over your own feet, to feel dance in your body, to follow and not lead, to fit and not be fitted and to let the music infiltrate your body ... Yes indeed, words of “wisdom and pain” from Bobbie.
On the small stage, both couples then Foxtrotted, just for us, with no collision but including acceleration and deceleration .. it’s called floorcraft.
The apparent simplicity of this lecture did not disguise the superb content. Anne Laxholm sure does not “Lack” any of the ingredients of sheer excellence. We shall undoubtedly hear more from her, and Hans will be beaming as he tells that of course, he taught her all that she knows ... which Anne allows him to believe is true .. she is so nice ...
Latin ... Lene James-Mikkelsen: Lene was, prior to the date of her lecture, talking to Kenny Welsh and he and she of course were immersed in dance talk ... Kenny advised her that she had to be happy with the subject matter of a lecture and that allowed Lene to be much happier when she realised how true that was.
Denmark has always been at the forefront of dance and this is a historical fact. Lene stressed open mindedness to look into the future and find development aspects. The legacy of our Pioneers must, at all times, be protected because, without the past we have no future ... It is like bringing up your children to be strong but with ground rules fully understood, as it must be in dancing. Principles have to be shown to be essential to understand and to be adhered to. “If you have activity on every step in Rumba you will not have a Rumba” says Lene. The dance is based on dancing nothing on beat one and that creates Rumba, not the activity. Cha Cha Cha is the same within the use of musical beats and this requires much thought to produce at high level. Two young well known couples danced a lovely show including formation and breakaway within the structure, and much applause was induced, coupled to clapping to the musical beats ... audience fervour indeed.
The lock steps in Cha Cha Cha, and Lene gave a superb analysis of body, hip and foot placements to be able to create the “essentials”. She also showed alternative ways to use the body actions and used the Latin cross position to illustrate some of the actions and her scalpel of expertise bared the bones of the action, ready to cure any malignancy, which would be apparent to a dance surgeon’s eyes, like the one possessed by Lene.
Two walks and a lock step danced by the two couples solo round the floor. Then an exercise was shown back basic to locks, cuban breaks etc., etc., all illustrated beautifully.
You must keep within boundaries, especially musical ones and, for example, in Rumba you must use the inside edge of your foot and not the outside edges. Those who are lucky enough to “Lean on Lene” for their expertise are indeed fortunate.
Their final, all solo, by all the participants was certainly not Ha Ha Ha, no fear it was authentic “Cha Cha Cha” and even Craig Revel Horwood would have applauded and learned so much from this ... Thank you Lene indeed.
Kenny Welsh with Marion Too ... A combination of the understanding of yesterday coupled to today. The depth of knowledge is like a Pacific Ocean of dance. Kenny tells us that he changes his mind constantly when dancing and he always did this when in competitions of the past ... Now we know why Marion is such a good follower ... Perhaps that is what she loved about him ... a different man in every practice eeh? Routines were of no use whatsoever to Kenny ... He chose a title of “Artistry in Dance” and tells us that of course this has to be guided by principles. A natural dancer is someone who dances naturally ... There are many natural dancers but not so many who actually dance “NATURALLY”. Where does it all begin? ... The appearance with the acquisition of correct posture, allowing natural artistic development, allied to aspects which enhance the appearance.
The areas of enhancement take a long time to develop, but, once they are, they can be produced and reproduced as if by magic. The head is the top of the body and it can be to the right or the left ... why? You have a body position which develops the head position. The head can present it which is very simple when, for example, a girl turns it to the right. How does she know when to turn it? By the man rotating his back to invite her to do so, and then by her responding to that invitation. A girl can also do the same for the man, and then co-ordination of energy can occur. We have closed position and we have open position (promenade) and you can go both forward and backwards in these positions, but the feet should be directing us to where we will go.
It is the integration of the fundamentals which create the final effectiveness. For example body weight, gravity and foot pressure. Kenny then analysed going to promenade position beautifully, so that the girl knows when he wishes her to move. The feet must be in position to control the moving body weight. Fundamentals are cascading from Kenny's lips and he would never “Welsh” on the protection of these aspects of dance.
Tango and the use of knee flexion to create promenade position, and on a five step, because you wish to open the girls head position, you must indicate this to her by flexion and impulse. On a turning five step, taken from say diag. to centre, the man has the rotation to prom. position and also the head turn. As they danced we saw a recreation of their superb prowess in that dance. How to make the girl step back on extension ... the use of standing leg flexion to invite her to react and respond to the lead ... “Oh dear” says Kenny, “I’ve forgotten my routine but I’ll just make it up” Marion sighs with the resignation that, when dancing, with the volatility and expertise which Kenny possesses, she is already used to responding with instancy, and she does. Then Kenny broke down a spin turn in Waltz to show the change of places which occurs between the man and the girl. The deep knowledge is clear to see, and to listen to, with a blend of technique to performance ... “Pom Pom Pom, Ya Te Ta, it is Tango time”, yells Kenny and he says that if you do not harmonise to each other, the artistic side will not show ... Marion was impeccable in demeanour throughout, and so assisted Kenny - without talking ... One of Kenny’s early teachers was the great Eric Lashbrooke and he would be very proud of him today, had he been here to see and hear them. Then with great humility, Kenny asked everyone to thank his wife as he closed the lecture, and tears cascaded from Marion and him too ... who said that dancing was not emotional or that it is not an aesthetic art form ... certainly we applaud Kenny and Marion for such depth of knowledge, and its impartation to our ears and eyes.
Jun 30, 2010
Following the AGM in Blackpool this year. The accounts for 2009-2010 are now available. Click here... for details. |
Mar 26, 2010
|
|
Read the report from an
Our Partners
UK Congress 2009