The Fascinating Boston Part 2

During the first four measures take four Boston steps without turning (lady forward, gentleman backward), and bending the supporting knee, stretch the free foot backward, (lady's left, gentleman's right) as shown in the ill.u.s.tration opposite. 4 meas.

Repeat in opposite direction. 4 meas.

Execute four drawing steps to the side (lady's right, gentleman's left) swaying the shoulders and body in the direction of the drawn foot, and pointing with the free foot upon the fourth, as shown in figure.

4 meas.

Repeat in opposite direction. 4 meas.

Eight whole turns, Short Boston or Two-Step. 16 meas.

Repeat at will.

A splendid specimen for this dance will be found in "The Gobbler" by J. Monroe.

THE AEROPLANE GLIDE

The "Aeroplane Glide" is very similar to the Boston Dip. It is supposed to represent the start of the flight of an aeroplane, and derives its name from that fact.

The sole difference between the "Dip" and "Aeroplane" consists in the six running steps which make up the first two measures. Of these running steps, which are executed sidewise and with alternate crossings, before and behind, only the fourth, at the beginning of the second measure requires special description. Upon this step, the supporting knee is noticeably bended to coincide with the accent of the music.

The rest of the dance is identical with the "Dip". (See page 25.)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE TANGO

The Tango is a Spanish American dance which contains much of the peculiar charm of the other Spanish dances, and its execution depends largely upon the ability of the dancers so to grasp the rhythm of the music as to interpret it by their movements. The steps are all simple, and the dancers are permitted to vary or improvise the figures at will.

Of these figures the two which follow are most common, and lend themselves most readily to verbal description.

TANGO No. 1

The partners face one another as in Waltz Position. The gentleman takes the lady's right hand in his left, and, stretching the arms to the full extent, holding them at the shoulder height, he places her right hand upon his left shoulder, and holds it there, as in the ill.u.s.tration opposite page 30.

In starting, the gentleman throws his right shoulder slightly back and steps directly backward with his left foot, while the lady follows forward with her right. In this manner both continue two steps, crossing one foot over the other and then execute a half-turn in the same direction. This is followed by four measures of the Two-Step and the whole is repeated at will. 8 measures.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TANGO No. 2

This variant starts from the same position as Tango No. 1. The gentleman takes two steps backward with the lady following forward, and then two steps to the side (the lady's right and the gentleman's left) and two steps in the opposite direction to the original position.

8 measures.

These steps to the side should be marked by the swaying of the bodies as the feet are drawn together on the second count of the measure, and the whole is followed by 8 measures of the Two-Step. Repeat all as desired.