STEPS TO SUCCESS .sx The Value of Medals .sx - an introduction .sx BY BOB MORE .sx RECENT articles of " Steps to " , have been for beginners in the Four Standard English dances , and we have covered sufficient to enable the non-dancer of a few months back to now dance around in the average ballroom without feeling self-conscious and with just enough figures to avoid the monotony of repetition .sx In the dancing school it is usually when this stage is reached that the pupil is asked to move on to a different class of instruction ; either to an intermediate class , where an added variation is taught at each session , or to a Bronze and Silver Medallist Class , where time will be mainly spent in improving the style of dancing and the execution of the figures already learnt .sx The choice you make is sometimes determined by temperament , but is often determined by the type of dancing school you attend .sx The average person , attending for the first time , requires in most instances to learn enough to attend a dance and get round the floor , and probably regards it as rather a bind to have to attend a dancing school in order to do it .sx Having enrolled , however , they usually make new friends very quickly .sx The instructors , surprisingly , are human , helpful , good humoured , and have the uncanny knack when partnering you to make you feel like a good dancer .sx Before very long you are actually looking forward to your next visit , and the dancing school is by now referred to as " The Club " Your Club !sx Then , if you were observant , when you attended a social or a party night at the school , where the different standards were mixed together , you noticed that some dancers appeared to stand out .sx Not necessarily because they knew that latest variation with the hop , skip and jump , but because there was something about the way they poised their bodies ; the smooth , effortless way they moved across the floor , particularly in the Slow Foxtrot ; and their steps appeared to fit the music just that little bit better than other dancers on the floor .sx Well , they are usually " The " .sx Maybe you feel the desire to be a good dancer , like the people whose dancing you admire ; maybe you just want to go on belonging to " The " , or maybe , having been shown some of the medals and certificates other pupils have won , you feel it would be nice to have some like them yourself , but whatever the reason , if you decide to become a medallist , you can supplement your lessons in " Dance " , because " Steps to Success " will , for the next series concentrate on helping you to get that Bronze Medal .sx First of all , what is required to win this award ?sx To dance a few basic figures in Waltz , Slow Foxtrot , and Quickstep , with particular emphasis on Footwork , Timing and Carriage of the body .sx One other thing :sx the examination fee .sx In the I.D.M.A. this is 12s .sx 6d .sx In most other societies the fee is a similar amount .sx You may say :sx " Why is it necessary to pay a fee to win a Bronze Medal ?sx " Well , it should be obvious that the days of Fairy Godmothers with magic wands are long since past , and the money has to come from somewhere .sx The fee , which is a modest sum by present day standards , provides the examiner's fee ( and he or she is usually one of the Dancing Profession's leading personalities ) ; the office staff to handle the organisational side of the examination ; the rent of the centre where the examination is conducted ( although this may be conducted at your teacher's school ) and , of course , the Medal , Certificate , Report on your dancing , and in some instances a Pin Badge to wear in the lapel or as a tie pin .sx I think you will agree this represents good value for money .sx STEPS TO SUCCESS .sx The Value of Medals .sx By Bob More .sx PUPILS often ask , is it difficult to obtain a Bronze Medal , and as the late Professor Joad was heard to say many times on the Radio Brains Trust , " That depends on what you mean by " .sx I liken the Bronze Medal Test to the first examination of the child learning English .sx The child , quite obviously , would not be expected to produce a composition , but would be expected to know the alphabet , where the full stops and commas are used , and be able to write in a legible manner , something like , " The cat sat on the " .sx The actual requirements for a Bronze Medal Test are , that the candidate dances three dances , Waltz , Foxtrot and Quickstep , with an Amateur or Professional partner , paying particular attention to the Footwork , Timing and Alignment of the figures .sx In short , it is rather a test in understanding of the basic fundamentals of dancing , for without the correct foundation , nothing very worthwhile will be produced later .sx The figures used in the Bronze Test should not be difficult to elaborate .sx To use advanced figures , particularly if not danced well , can often result in a candidate being marked badly , so the first precept is , don't do too much .sx Better to remember the old maxim , " Little and " .sx The next problem is 1 ) does the teacher give the pupils a sequence of figures that progress completely round the room , or 2 ) a series of groups of figures , or 3 ) just teach the required figures and leave it to the pupil to amalgamate them as best they can .sx Different teachers and schools have varied ideas on this .sx Margaret and I , particularly in the lower grade tests , always teach a sequence .sx Argument against this , of course , is that the pupil's mind may go blank if they are nervous , and fail to produce any dancing at all , and it does sometimes happen .sx We think this is a lesser risk , however , than having a pupil get to a corner and forget how to get round it , when they haven't been given a sequence at all .sx Here in the pages of Dance News it is not entirely practicable to give a sequence of figures , for obviously , that which suits one shaped room , will not suit another .sx This we will endeavour to overcome by giving sequences to fit a comparatively small hall , and if you have the good fortune to be examined in a large hall .sx [SIC] THE WALTZ .sx Taking the Waltz first , a group of figures that really must be included are , Natural Turn , Closed Change and Reverse Turn , danced in that order , and referred to as " The Waltz basic " .sx This , in turn , could be followed by two figures , long beloved of all Bronze Medallists , The Whisk , followed by the Syncopated Chasse , all of which have been described in recent " Steps to " .sx These figures should cover the long side of the room , and we now have to negotiate the first corner , but before doing this we will emphasise some of the things you must concentrate on showing in your dancing of the basic amalgamation .sx First and foremost requirement in the Bronze Medal Test , correct footwork .sx For the Gentleman and Lady on their forward half of the Natural and Reverse Turns , and for the Gentleman on the Closed Change , this is 1 ) Heel ; 2 ) Toe ; 3 ) Toe .sx When we say the first step is taken on the heel , we mean the toe of this foot should be clear of the floor almost as soon as the foot moves forward , and , in fact , as the foot moves forward the distance between the floor and the toes should be gradually increasing .sx This we refer to as a " heel " .sx A regular comment from examiners on bronze medal test reports is , " Some heel leads " , which means , instead of the leading steps being taken as I have just described , the foot is pushed across the floor with the feet flat , or , worse still , with the toe in contact with the floor , and the heel raised .sx As the foot moves forward and is placed on the heel , the back heel should be allowed to rise easily , and naturally , then as the weight transfers to the front foot , and you rise on to it , retain light pressure ( not weight ) on the toe of the back foot as it moves to the side for Step 2 .sx This will give a controlled movement .sx Similarly , as the foot closes on the third step , retain pressure ( not weight ) on the toe of the moving foot as the close is made , then lower heel of the supporting foot as the next step is taken .sx STEPS TO SUCCESS .sx The Value Of Medals .sx By BOB MORE .sx IN last week's lesson we spoke about the footwork on forward movements in the Waltz basic amalgamation .sx This week we will talk about movement and floor coverage on these figures ; that is , Natural Turn , Closed Change and Reverse Turn .sx Floor coverage is a topic on which many dancers have the wrong ideas , for to achieve good floor coverage it is not essential to take long steps .sx In fact , for a short person to overstride in an endeavour to cover a lot of ground will tend to unbalance the couple and make the movements unrhythmical .sx Of greater importance than length of stride is that the steps should be taken in the correct direction , and to do this we must turn the correct amount between the steps of a figure .sx The Natural Turn should commence facing diagonally to the wall and end facing diagonally to the centre .sx The following Closed Change will therefore commence facing diagonally to the centre and end in the same direction .sx Following this , the Reverse Turn will therefore commence facing diagonally to the centre and should end facing diagonally to the wall .sx Inexperienced dancers often have difficulty in ending the Natural Turn in the correct alignment ; facing centre instead of diagonally to centre , and on the Reverse Turn they will often end facing wall instead of diagonally to wall .sx It is usually the man who is at fault , and the fault is , failure to turn the hips sufficiently between steps 5-6 .sx The correct alignments for the last half of the Natural Turn ( Steps 4-6 ) , is :sx [SIC] ) Backing down the room .sx ) Pointing diag to centre .sx ) Facing diag to centre .sx On step 5 the toe must turn out , and the foot turns more than the body .sx On step 6 the body must continue turning , to face where the feet point .sx The same applies on the 2nd half Reverse Turn , but here the alignments are :sx ) Backing down the room .sx ) Pointing diag to wall .sx ) Facing diag to wall .sx Attention to these points of alignment will produce more effective movement .sx Also of help in covering the floor is correct footwork , which we stressed last week , and correct rise and fall .sx The normal rise and fall in the Waltz basic amalgamation is :sx Down as the first step in the bar is taken ; commence to rise at the end of this step , as you take the second step , and then continue to rise as the feet close on the third step .sx Remember , though , if you step back on the first beat of a bar ( Gentleman 4th step of Natural and Reverse Turns , Lady 1st step of Natural and Reverse Turns ) you commence to rise in the body only .sx The heel of the foot remaining in contact with the floor , until after the second step is positioned .sx Before leaving the basic Waltz figures , there is one more point we must emphasise .sx A not infrequent comment Examiners find obliged to make on examination reports is , " Some closes could be " .sx The feet should be closed with the heels and toes level .sx Inexperienced dancers often find this difficult , the Gentleman tending to close the foot forward , the Lady backwards , instead of together .sx This can usually be corrected by taking more care with the position of the step preceding the close .sx The bronze medallist should think of the three foot movements in these basic figures as :sx 1 ) Forward ; 2 ) Side ; 3 ) Close ; or 1 ) Back ; 2 ) Side ; 3 ) Close .sx