Reviews (4)

101 Lssons in Classical Ballet
It is helpful to someone who is learning the Voganova system so you can see what you will learn and review what you have already been thaught. In this book it will show you what you will learn an example is a portde bra.

Great book
This book is very good about giving ideas on what to teach from the beginning ballet technique up to advanced levels.From the ideas one can formulate a class and know that it follows a syllabus and will develop the student appropriately. It is a good book to use as a guide and I recommend it for that.

Reviews (1)

Reviews (5)

Simple and clear
I got this book to use in addition to some dance classes my husband and I were taking.Though I wouldn't recommend learning to dance from this book (or from any book for that matter), this is the only book I could find that had the dance steps laid out clearly and simply.As a beginning dancer, I didn't want a complicated manual that showed fourteen different foxtrots."Shall We Dance" was exactly the book we needed when we were having trouble remembering which step was which.I love that you can practice by holding the book between you, since it's laid out so that the leader's dance steps are opposite from the follower's dance steps.

Smaller is not better
This book is small and that's about the only thing going for it. I bought this book as a neophyte dancer interested in finding out more about this new activity/sport I was trying to get into.

This book is of no use todancers or non-dancers. It is somewhat cute to look through, but serves nopractical value related to improving your dancing technique, knowledge orstyle.

Thankfully, I bought this book to supplement the class I wastaking. The classes are wonderful; no medium can come compare. Dance, asI'm finding out, is less about where to place your feet and more about yourentire body and the interaction you have with your partner.

This bookshould not feel bad for itself. It has many companions at the poor bookparty.

Shall We Look Ridiculous?
I read this book as a result of a very unfortunate experience. I attended a fund raising event with my husband and 3 other couples. My husband and I have been avid social dancers (and competitors) for a few years. Two of thecouples have also had some dance instruction and the third couple hasalways been `the non-dancing couple". The music started and we all headedfor the dance floor.

I have never felt so badly for anyone as I did forthe `non-dancing couple'.They were physically uncomfortable, looked likerobots, and were totally off time. These are good friends of mine that Ispend time with socially, so I tried to keep the shock out of my voice as Iasked them "so, when did you start dancing?"They proceeded to tell meabout the book they bought - Shall We Dance. Now I have played tennis andgolf with this couple and I know they are physically agile and coordinated,so I asked if I could take a look at this "book" that turned them into suchstiff, awkward specimens.

What a horror! It quickly becomes very clearthat the author knows NOTHING about dancing or what it takes to look goodwhile you are on the dance floor! Closed dance position is skimmed over, asare forward and backward walks with no mention of the geometric accuracythat is necessary when someone takes a good `dance step'. And the sidesteps - "are taken on the balls of the feet, then lowered to the heels asthe feet come together" - that sentence explains why my friends were offtime and lurched as they took their forward and back steps. No mention ismade of the need to completely change weight when the feet are together inrise or the necessary release of the foot without weight as you lower tothe flat foot with weight. How does someone swing his or her leg when bothfeet are planted on the floor without lurching or using their shoulders togenerate movement?In the section on Waltz the author states about theside steps "Dancers should raise their bodies slightly using the ankles..."UGH! Rise with your ankles?Only if you want to look like my friends the"robots"!

The glaring errors contained in this book are too numerous tolist. No wonder my friends started to dance a Swing to an obvious Foxtrotwhen this book states, "In the Foxtrot or Swing, the emphasized beats in afour-beat measure are the first and third beats." Add ignorance of musictempi to this author's ignorance of dance. In a Foxtrot the first beat isemphasized - the 1 is the `heaviest beat' with 2,3,4 becoming gradually`lighter' with crescendo to 5, with 6,7,8 getting `lighter'- in Swing theemphasis is on the second and fourth beat allowing a Swing music toactually be counted 1,2; 1,2 - the rhythm is like a heartbeat, that's whypeople tend to clap along to Swing music!

Reviews (34)

1st & 2nd are the same great dance books
I have owned the 1st edition since 1997 it is a great easy to read book.I noticed that the 2ns edition was sold out so I contacted the publisher and they said there are plenty of 1st editions available. Order them through at this website and they'll show up very soon.I use them all the time for my beginner students.The font is very large and there is no dance language that can cause confusion to those who have no dance experience!If you understand the process of walking and know what it looks like this book will be very simple to use.

I must admit I chuckle at those other reviewers who dislike this book because there are no pictures.If you look in the mirror and see yourself in the now than watch yourself improve in stature isn't that picture and example enough.I wonder if they have really read this book before casting dispersions.There is another reviewer who says there are only three dances covered while there are actually six.The book is only 10 - 15 percent geared to weddings. But that is important since wedding are the prime reason for students enrolling into a studio.Apart from some temporary fad 90 percent of the calls are wedding related.The same reviewer did not understand why the analogy of lifting a tray was used. The answer is two fold. One, that's the way the man, presents the lady, in the dance frame.Two, when the man lifts his arms with the elbows pointed 45 degrees to the floor he alleviates cramping in the rotator cuff.

I point these things out because I wonder whether some reviewers look for their 15 minutes or even if they have actually read the book at all.The review by the one called "dance reviewer" are the best wherever they appear.Most by teachers are the ones to trust.

In closing this is the best primer and speaks of the most important attributes to successfully partner another in the early stages of the 6 most popular beginner dances.

Nuts & Bolts More Important Than Pictures!
Quickstart to Social Dancing is a great book!The contents are so clearly stated, the descriptions and the analogies are so vivid, that pictures are not necessary.This book is about what it takes to dance and what preparations are necessary.The book sets forth some physical challenges to the reader required to achieve the minimum standards of ballroom dancing - basically, how to move with a partner.Believe me you do not need pictures of qualitative movement or standing up straight.I'm quite sure that a picture cannot reveal the amount of floor pressure that is required to establish rhythm - but clear descriptions can.A picture cannot reveal effort or force - but descriptions can.

The book unravels the non-dancers preconceive notions of social dancing and sets the record straight.From there in a wonderfully conceived and remarkably simple cumulative approach the author helps you develop, the basic steps in six major dances in a way you CANNOT MISS!Just get up of your seat and do what the instructions tell you to do.If you have a mirror in your home and a 9 foot by 5 foot area to practice you'll have everything you need to begin a wonderful time with social ballroom dancing.There is also wonderful and indispensable information for those preparing for a future wedding.

I heartily recommend you buy this book.It contents improves any video you may purchase or any group class you may attend.

Reviews (36)

Fabulous Nuances Subtleties and Techniques
I have utilized Quickstart to Swing and Allen's: Quickstart to Tango for several years.I read them slowly piece by piece, topic by topic, or step (pattern) by step.You learn something new or develop a further understanding about a technique each time you reference these books.The nuances found obviously come from Allen's wealth of experience, training, and ability to assemble partnering techniques into an intelligible form for laymen.My goal is to someday get to Rhode Island and take some private training from him.Until then I will do and recommend that you do the next best thing - read and study these books!

Wonderful Depth of Knowledge - A Must for all Swingers
We bought this book after our great experience with Allen's - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing which we found to be excellent.Since we have become infatuated with Swing dancing, we decided to buy Quickstart to Swing.The variety of music available that you can dance Swing to is endless.WOW!Leading, Following, Rotation, Timing, Body and Foot Positions, are just some of the topics.It is unbelievable how he explains how one thing affects another and then how to improve.Four rhythms are offered for each dance step and tons of technique for each style of Swing.We love using the great index to research any topic on the dance.Caution read this book in small doses it is not a novel it is an instructional.If you're a beginner, just work the very basics as Allen explains the techniques and finish each lesson.Read the directions aloud to each other just as if you were in a class - it will all make sense quickly!

Reviews (26)

Great book !!!I also recomend Tango awareness
I read it and is perfect. I also recomend the book Tango awareness by Mauricio Castro, wich is full of the why he made up Tango discovery as a dancing method.

Very useful
I am glad I've found this book. I've been learning tango for a long time, and finally I have found a system that makes sense to me.

Reviews (11)

By Far the Best Available on Ballroom Dancing
The first thing we learned from Jeff's book was that our basic pedestrian demeanor was not competent enough to deal with music's unforgiving beat structure.Music requires us to take responsibility for our entire body!Allen refers to this need as making us aware of and then solving the problems of "timing and balance", he also goes on to say that "partnering someone is a very foreign endeavor", no one is naturally endowed with the gift of "moving with someone attached to them, it is an acquired skill and must be learned!"This beginning knowledge was incredibly educational.As beginner dancers we found what and the way he laid out in the book let us approach the actual dance steps more like experienced dancers rather than just trying to quickly fumble through the dance steps and routines included in this book.By the way, eleven dances are covered in this book.There is an eleven cut CD of good music included for practice, much better than expected.This book filled in details that we never heard in classes and it helped us retain what we did hear in classes.What we are recommending to the readers of this review is first buy this book and then second grow with it.It may be the best book available on ballroom dancing palatable to the very beginner and to levels that we have yet to achieve.We also own some instructional videos and this book amplified what we were really looking at instead of just falling into the error of monkey see monkey do - when the monkeys weren't sure of what they were looking at.Allen's book revealed many of the same dance steps from their foundation.Kudos to Jeff Allen for writing this excellent book, it will make a great addition to our dance library of books, videos, and magazines.

Not for beginners
The professionals who have been reviewing this may love it, but the book is definitely not for beginners. It devotes pages and pages to posture, breathing technique, history and other such topics but precious little on the basics of what steps to dance. When, after 14 chapters he finally starts teaching you how to dance,it's almost incomprehensible.This guy does not know how to give simple instructions that most people will understand.If you are new to ballroom dancing, don't buy this book. It will be of little help.

Reviews (12)

BEAUTIFUL BOO K - ALMOST USELESS INFORMATION
BEWARE:This book describes the International Style of ballroom dance. NOT the American style. Perhaps 10% of American dance students are learning International.

EXAMPLE:THE WALTZ

American Waltz:
The basic figure is a square in which the man starts by stepping forward with the left foot and the dancers return to the starting position in 6 beats, making a square.

International Waltz:
The basic figure is a zig-zag. The man starts with the RIGHT foot and the dancers travel around the dance floor in a zig-zag pattern.

It would be great if Paul Bottomer would write a similar beautiful book for American ballroom dancers.

Dave Palmer

good complement for beginning international dancers
Many of the dances taught in this book are international style. If you plan to dance in the USA, you should know that social dancing is mainly American style for beginners.

The book is richly illustrated with photos. However, the angle of the photos changes randomly. So if you see a dance couple facing different directions in consecutive photos, maybe they have turned, or maybe the photographer moved. You have to read the accompanying text to tell.

I think this book is a good complement for beginning to advance-beginnning international dancers. You cannot completely rely on the book to learn techniques because while it does touches on them somewhat, it mostly concentrates on dance patterns. It will give you a rough idea of what a particular step looks like and give you the name of the step. If you have learned the step before, this would serve as a good review.

Reviews (18)

Fabulous Nuances Subtleties and Techniques
I have utilized Quickstart to Tango and Allen's: Quickstart to Swing for several years.I read them slowly piece by piece, topic by topic, or step (pattern) by step.You learn something new or develop a further understanding about a technique each time you reference these books.The nuances found obviously come from Allen's wealth of experience, training, and ability to assemble partnering techniques into an intelligible form for laymen.My goal is to someday get to Rhode Island and take some private training from him.Until then I will do and recommend that you do the next best thing - read and study these books!

This book sure helped us!!
We've been to many group classes and watched many videos.Everything they cover for the beginner is included in this book with one major difference - Mr. Allen gives us detail and explanations rather than just dance steps.Participating in group classes and watching videos are fine however, they require us to know the feeling in order to do the steps correctly.Beginners don't know or have the feeling so we tend to mimic what we see incorrectly.Allen in his book seems to have anticipated these problems and discusses them with the reader.

I urge the readers of this review as I have urged my fellow classmates to obtain this book as a great Tango reference book.By the way, the index is great for researching a specific element that you need to work on.Every Tango student should own this book!

Isbn: 0880114495
Sales Rank: 420699
Subjects:  1. Ballroom dancing    2. Dance    3. Dance - Ballroom    4. Dance - General    5. General    6. Performing Arts    7. Popular Dance   

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Reviews (6)

a little too much explanation
Kyle works hard at making dancing as simple as possible, but I found the pace much too slow.You shouldn't have time to explain things between steps 1 and 2.Despite the ultra-slow breakdown, I didn't get a good feel for any steps before he moved on.

Invitation to Dance - Ballroom Walts, Rumba, Cha Cha
The dance is casual and informal. It doesn't show much stylistic difference between Rumba and Cha Cha that the international style stresses. A more informative Editorial Review on the back cover should have mentioned this.

Less oral explanation and more demonstration would make the two tapes more appealing.

If you like the casual style, the package worths the price.

Invitation to Dance - Ballroom Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha
The dance style is casual and informal.The two tapes of this package didn't show much stylish difference between Rumba and Cha Cha that the international style stresses. A more objective and informative Editorial Review from the back cover should have stated the above characteristic.

Less oral explanation and more demonstration would make the tapes more appealing.

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Reviews (3)

Invitation to Dance-Latin (Salsa, ChaCha, Rumba, Tango)
This is THE TAPE for the beginning Latin Dance lover.It's not too complicated but you'll have some variety to your salsa and attract better dancers and not get bored with yourself on the dance floor.I've been dancing Latin for a couple of years and wanted to add something to my steps (I basically only know forward, backward, side to side--not good at turning with partner or doing other turns).I thought I was more advanced than a beginner.WRONG.I ordered Josie Neglia Salsa 3 and 4.I wasn't ready for Josie even though her teaching was excellent.This tape is much better for the beginner.After you get this tape down pat, then you can go to Josie Neglia Levels 3 and 4.

Tango IS from LATIN America
Even though Tango is not from the Caribbean and is therefore very different from Salsa or Cha-Cha-Cha, it can go with the other rythms since it comes from LATIN America (yes, from European immigrants, so what? Salsa is from African and Spanish "immigrants", too). This video is not the best I've seen, but it is a decent beginning.

Reviews (1)

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Asin: B00005NIRP
Sales Rank: 1306
Subjects:  1. Art (Arts)    2. Dance (Dancing)    3. Teaching (Teach, Teacher)   

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Reviews (5)

Does not deserve 5 stars
Pointe is the equivalent to a teen magazine in the ballet world.Lovely photograghs, but lacks in content.If you are a true balletomane, look towards Ballet Review and Ballet Alert.

loveing pointe
Oh My Gosh! I love this magazine! It really brings the dance world into perspective. I love to hear what some of the professionals have to say about their dancing lives. My favorite articles are the ones on the problems with pointe shoes and how to overcome them. Realistic, honest, great advice!

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Reviews (8)

i love it!
I got this magazine and I like it a lot!It has a lot of good tips for dancers like audition info and competition.Know what's going on in the dance world!!

Nice to be told now!
Great magazine, but it would have been nice to be told when I originally subscribed (from a voucher in the magazine) that subscriptions were not available to Australia.Took my money and only received on issue on time and another one or two many months later.Thanks heaps :(