Friday Night Waltz Teachers-Bands-Djs FAQ Photos Dance Links Richard Powers A Typical Dance
There are 45 to 50 dances in an evening. About half the dances are waltzes, including several kinds of waltzes: cross-step waltz, ballroom, rotary, viennese, redowa, hesitation. Often there are about 6 polkas and about 4 Tangos. Many of these polkas are fast and often played to silly music, such as "Constantinople" and "Gilligan's Island". The rest of the dances are the mixers, the choreographed waltzes, one-steps, swing, tango, cha-cha, mazurka, schottische, an occasional hambo, blues, Zweifacher or salsa.
The dance is in 4 sets,
with a 1 to 2 minute break between sets, so that people can take a breather.
The easier and slower dances are in the first two sets, faster and harder dances
are in the third and fourth set. There is usually a mixer in the first and third
set, and a choreographed waltz in the the second and fourth sets. These are
not hard rules, just typical.
At our dances we provide free water and light
refreshements, usually blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries,
seedless grapes, green grapes, carrots, mms, small chocolate cookies, potato
chips, trail mix.
If you want
to get better at these dances, both Joan Walton and Richard Powers
regularly have classes for all the dances we have at Friday Night
Waltz. Check out our links page.
We also have had a day long Waltz
Workshop with beginning, intermediate, and advanced tracks for a day
long Saturday, which is very popular.
Choreographed Dances
Congress of
Vienna: The Congress of Vienna waltz was choreographed by John Hertz of
Los Angeles (inspired by illustrations in Regency-period dance manuals)
to music that he edited and assembled himself from recordings of three
more-or-less period Swedish waltzes. In addition to being danced at
Friday Night Waltz, the Congress of Vienna is also danced at PEERS,
BAERS, and Gaskell Ball dances. Music for the Congress of Vienna is
available from Brassworks
and Bangers and
Mash Cds.
The Cross-Step Waltz is a delightful waltz dance that opens up a wide range of playful yet gracefully flowing
variations.
Bohemian National Polka by Richard Powers is based on a reconstruction by the Czech dance historian Frantisek Bonus.
Metamora Waltz is a new creation by Richard Powers. Music available from Brassworks.
Cross-Step Waltz Mixer is a waltz mixer created by Richard Powers and is played at most Friday Night Waltzes.
Richard Powers has a webpage on dance descriptions, discography, and additional thoughts about social dancing.
Typical Dance Sets. Vary from dance to dance.
Set One
Set Two
Set Three
Set Four