Balboa (dance)

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Balboa today is commonly used as a general term for dances that come from southern California during the 1920's and 30's. Which makes the history very confusing. The Original Balboa dancers have long passed and many of the swing dancers that followed continued to use their steps and sometimes styles to integrate into their "swing" dancing which some people today call "bal-swing".

Balboa is a form of swing dance that started as early as 1915 and gained in popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. It is danced primarily in close embrace, and is led with a full body connection. The art of Balboa is the subtle communication between the lead and follow, like weight shifts, that most viewers cannot see. As a result, Balboa is considered more of a "dancer's dance" than a "spectator's dance".

Balboa is danced to a wide variety of tempos. Because the basic is so small, Balboa can be danced to fast music (over 300 beats per minute). Balboa is also danced to slow music (under 100 beats per minute), which allows more time for intricate footwork and variations.

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[edit] Forms

Balboa involves chaining two-step movements together while shuffling the feet on the floor. The leader often wears leather soled dress shoes, while the follow often dances in high heels.

The dance was originally a response to overcrowded ballrooms where the break away (a move popular in lindy hop at the time) was often difficult, if not banned by the venue. Balboa is often perceived as a restrained or introverted dance, with most movement below the knees.

  • Balboa: sometimes referred today as "Pure Bal". Dancers stay in close embrace at all times, their torsos touching, doing variations based on footwork, turning as a couple, and moving as a couple.
  • Bal-swing: originally known as just "Swing" or sometimes "Randy Swing" in Newspaper articles of that time is an eccentric dance unlike Balboa, which allows for improvisation. This dance style came from Charleston and its earliest known use was a contest in Venice Beach in 1932. The name "Bal-Swing" came about during the 1970s from an attempt to differentiate the dance from the much more general term "Swing Dancing." While dancing Bal-swing, the closed connection of the Pure Bal can be broken, with partners doing other variations.

[edit] History

Balboa came from Southern California during the 20's and increased in popularity until World War 2. Balboa is named for the Balboa Peninsula, in Newport Beach, California where it was invented. It is believed to have started at the Balboa Pavilion [1] in Newport Beach.[citation needed]

A small, active Balboa community has always existed in the Los Angeles area. Today, Balboa is resurging worldwide due in part to the efforts of Jonathan Bixby and Sylvia Sykes.

Some original Balboa dancers quotes:

"We can't tell you how to dance Balboa, but we can tell you when you are not dancing Balboa."
"As soon as you start attracting attention to yourself, you [are] not doing Balboa anymore"

[edit] Comparisons to Lindy Hop

Balboa is a contemporary of Lindy Hop, so comparisons are hard to avoid.

  • Both dances evolved at the same time with the same swing music. Both are considered evolutionary descendants of Charleston, though some consider it to be an adaptation of various Latin dances such as the Rumba done to American Big Band music. Balboa has also typically been recognized as a regional dance done in Southern California while Lindy Hop is more widespread nationally.
  • Both Bal-swing and Lindy Hop would have been considered dances done by jitterbugs during the 30's and 40's, unlike Balboa which was done by a more mature dancer who wanted to avoid the Jitterbugs eccentric floor work.

[edit] Description

[edit] Body Position

The dancers stand close, touching upper chest. This makes communication with body language very easy. The man's right front torso (rib cage) touches the woman's center front torso (rib cage). They are offset by about 30 degrees.

[edit] Body Lead

There are many variations on how dancers move during the basic step. Each variation looks different. Each variation communicates movement to the follow differently. Dancers do all of the following (from the lead's point of view):

  • In Balboa dancers Stay in place while doing the footwork.
  • In Bal-Swing Move back and forth between 2 positions on the floor
  • In Fox Trot dancers Move in a box: back - side - middle - forward - side - middle.

Regardless of basic variation, the dance is done in place, without any traveling on the floor.

[edit] Basic footwork

The Bal-Swing basic is performed to 8 counts of the music, with typical footwork as follows (assuming both dancers shift forward and back between two positions on the floor 4 to 8 inches or 10 to 20 cm apart):

Lead:

  1. Step back with left foot.
  2. Step back with right foot, bringing feet together.
  3. Slide left foot forward.
  4. Slide left foot back beside right foot.
  5. Step forward with right foot.
  6. Step forward with left foot, bringing feet together.
  7. Slide right foot back, bringing heel off the ground.
  8. Slide right foot forward beside left foot.

Follow:

  1. Step forward with right foot.
  2. Step forward with left foot, bringing feet together.
  3. Slide right foot backward, bringing heel off the ground.
  4. Slide right foot forward beside left foot.
  5. Step back with left foot.
  6. Step back with right foot, bringing feet together.
  7. Slide left foot forward.
  8. Slide left foot back beside right foot.

Note that the lead and follow footwork is identical, although offset by four beats. That is, both perform the same footwork when moving backwards and forwards.

In the Original Balboa the dancers do the same or similar footwork utilizing the same rhythm, however it's done in place. To do so easily, the dancers shuffle their feet and avoid stepping,or bouncing.

Also note that some people might argue that the Balboa basic is just "step-step" and any "upholds" (the slide-slide is an uphold variation) are already variations to change direction and/or feet. Not getting too attached to this 8-count basic pattern helps when learning Ad-libs (aka "one-steps") and moves that don't fit into the 8-count scheme, since it's then more natural how to sync back to the music. Especially the follow must be aware that this pattern is just common, and needs to be led into doing the uphold.

[edit] Footwork Variations

Dancers vary their footwork, to respond to the music or their partner.

Many footwork variations can be done independently of the partner. The three most common footwork variations are single, double, and triple time.

  • Single time or down hold: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are step-holds.
  • Double time or up hold: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are kick-steps. This is the most common variation.
  • Triple time: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are triple steps.
  • Fan step: In single time, the left foot fans out to the left, on the 3-4 for leads or 7-8 for follows.
  • Slide step: When moving the left foot back or the right foot forward, slide it.
  • Dig Dig Step: Counts 3-4 or 7-8 are kick - kick - step. This move crosses double time motions with triple time timing.

Some footwork patterns require cooperation with the partner.

  • V Slide: On the 3-4 or 7-8, slide both feet out in a V to hit a break. Use the following 1-2 or 5-6 to return to the basic pattern.

[edit] Main Variations

Five loose categories of variations are pure, throwouts, lollies, crossovers, and fancy. Bal-swing also borrows moves from other dances, especially Charleston and features moves in open position. Variations done in closed position (called "Pure Balboa") consisting just of 2 counts are often called "ad libs" or "one steps".

Most of the following moves would be done strictly in Bal-swing. However, these moves can been seen sometimes in Balboa if they are done very small, with feet on floor and no travelling.

  • Paddle Turns: Can be done clockwise or counterclockwise. For counterclockwise paddles, the lead begins with the usual back left, together right, step left, hold. During the step hold the lead starts turning. The lead then turns with a step right - step left - step right - step left. The lead continues turning with this pattern, until he changes to another variation. Clockwise paddles begin by starting with the hold on counts 7-8. From a pure-bal point of view, a paddle is just two steps turning either left or right.
  • Paddle Walks: Using down-hold footwork, turn slightly counter-clockwise on the 8. Then the lead moves to the right on the 1, 2, and 3. Then turn slightly to clockwise on the 4. Then the lead moves to the left on the 5, 6, and 7. Repeat as desired. This will move the couple across the floor in a zig-zag.
  • Move Forward and Backward: Normally, on the 1-2 the lead steps backwards, and on the 5-6 the lead steps forward. The lead can simply keep going backward or forward for as many steps as desired.
  • Move Sideways: (Also known as "Scoots") Same as "Move Forward and Backward", repeating 1-2 to move left or 5-6 to move right.
  • Shuffle Step:
  • Crab Walk: This variation keeps the step - together footwork pattern of the 1-2 or the 5-6 going. From the 1, this would be back - together - forward - together - etc. From the 5, this would be forward - together - back - together - etc. This can be exaggerated from the 1, back - together side - forward - side - back - etc. Exaggerated from the 5, forward - together - side - back - side - forward - etc. After doing 8 counts, one can return to the basic pattern.
  • Come Around or Break Step: This is the first part of many variations, especially throwouts.
  • Swing Outs:
  • Lollies: Kick step, kick step. Usually, the lead slowly walks around the follow, who spins in place. See also Lollies (dance)
  • Crossovers: Crossovers have an in-out feel. See also Crossovers (dance).
  • Push and Pull: with twists
  • Swivels:
  • Fall off the log: By default, the kicks occur on the 3 and 7 counts. Both step in front and behind variations.
  • Fancy: These are special variations that are part of the history.
  • Texas Tommy: The follow spins away with a Texas Tommy, while the lead e.g. does a heel slide.
  • Pop Turns: The follow does rock - step - spin - spin. The big difference is that the lead closes and moves forward on the 5-6.
  • V Slides: The follow does standard footwork. The lead pushes the follow a little bit on the 5-6 to create some space between them. Then the lead does a V Slide on the 7-8.
  • Charleston: It is very common to add Charleston variations.

As a rule, transitions between moves are made on the slow (3-4 or 7-8) counts, because there is more time to signal and make adjustments.

[edit] External links