This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any enthusiast or historian, and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Contents Include: Walking vs. Dancing, Position and Line, The Basic Dance-Walk Analyzed, Relaxation: Gracefulness and Freedom of Movement, Leading and Following, Style-Summary, The Waltz, Waltz Combinations, The Fox-Trot, Fox-Trot Combinations, The French Tango, Tango Combinations, The Rhumba, The Slow Fox-Trot, and The Westchester. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any enthusiast or historian, and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Contents Include: Walking vs. Dancing, Position and Line, The Basic Dance-Walk Analyzed, Relaxation: Gracefulness and Freedom of Movement, Leading and Following, Style-Summary, The Waltz, Waltz Combinations, The Fox-Trot, Fox-Trot Combinations, The French Tango, Tango Combinations, The Rhumba, The Slow Fox-Trot, and The Westchester. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Walk Your Way to BETTER DANCING LA WHENCE A. HOSTETLEH Walk Your Wow to BETTER DANCING By LAWRENCE A. J3OSTETLER Author of The Art of Social Dancing KEVISED EDITION Illustrated with Diagrams and Reproductions from Photographs NEW YORK A, S . BARNES AND COMPANY Contents Preface ix CHAPTER I Body Control 1 Body Conditioning Body Mobility Relaxation Body Alignment Exercises for Body Control II The Art of Walking 55 III The Dance-Walk 61 The Forward Dance-Walk The Backward Dance-Walk IV With Your Partner 71 V How to Lead and Follow 78 VI The Medium Fox-Trot 88 Rhythm The Side-Close The Basic Step-The Principles of Turning The Rock Step The Balance-The Hesitation-The Lead-The Pivot Turn Practice Combinations vii viii Contents CHAPTER FAO VII The Slow Fox-Trot 128 The Basic Step-The Three-Step-The Rock Step The Rock-Change Step The Twinkle Step-The Pivot Turn-The Dip VIII The Fast Fox-Trot the Peabody 148 The Basic Step The Cross-Step The Side-Cross Step-The ThreeStep-The Ball-Change Step-The Paddle Turn IX The Waltz 161 The Basic Step-The Open-Waltz Step-The Hesitation The Canter Waltz The Viennese Waltz X The Tango 189 The Basic Step The Side-Progressive Step The Rock Step-The Rock-Change Step-The Three-Step Turn-The Pivot Turn-The Cort6 Dip XI The Rumba and the Mambo 208 The Rumba Movement The Basic Step The Three-Step-The Rock Step-The Rock-Change - The Break-Circle Turns-The Mambo XII The Conga 234 The Single Conga The Double Conga XIII The Samba 242 The Marcha XIV TheLindyHop 247 The Jockeying Step The Single Lindy The Double Lindy XV Group Instruction 261 XVI Checking Up 287 Preface ANCING, as a rule, interprets music through move ment. Ballroom dancing is no exception. To evaluate thepresent trend in ballroom dancing, it is only necessary to note what the dance bands are playing. The fox-trot in different tempos slow, medium and fast is still the number one dance. But close behind are the popular Cuban and South American rhythms espe cially in the larger cities where there are numerous Latin American bands. Not only rumbas, but also more sambas and tangos are being played. With the marriage of American jazz to Cuban rumba to create the mambo, those with jitterbug tendencies can now express themselves to Latin American rhythms. The field of dance instruction has likewise witnessed some interesting developments. When writing The Art of Social Dancing, the author found it expedient to coin the term dance-walk to designate the simple, unvaried progressive movement of the fox-trot and tango. As chords are fashioned from a musical scale, so fundamental fig x Preface ures can be derived from the dance-walk. During the intervening years, the value and importance of the dance-walk as a necessary foundation to modern ball room dancing have become firmly established. Moreover, because it is based upon the same principles of body mechanics that apply to smooth efficient walking, the person learning to dance is, at the same time, improving his posture and carriage. Another contribution to better dance instruction has been a more logical and coherent method of presenting the material The presentation of dance steps to a pupil or class can be made in several ways. Some instructors base most of their dance patterns on the basic waltz step regardless of rhythm. Others teach set combinations of steps which the pupil memorizes by repetition with little understanding of their componentparts. The important point to be considered is the fact that the leader is also his own choreographer. He must plan the sequence of steps an instant before executing them. Therefore, it is essential for him to have a clear concept of his material The rhythm and pattern of each figure and combination should be mentally pictured before the lead is given...