If you
go -
Because
waltz is so widely adopted, Mostly Waltz attracts dancers from a number
of already established dance communities-- English, Irish, swing,
contra, ballroom, vintage, etc., as well as persons unattached to
any group. For one dance take the opportunity to ask someone to dance
from outside your usual circle of partners.
Tip
for women: At Mostly Waltz, it is perfectly acceptable and usual for
women to ask men to dance.
There is a waltz mixer near the beginning of every Mostly Waltz event.
Dance
Floor Etiquette -
So
that all may enjoy themselves, please observe the following "Rules
of the Road" to promote the smooth flow of dancer traffic on the dance
floor.
~ All dancers
shall proceed in a counterclockwise direction around the floor.
~ Faster dancers should move to the outer perimeter and slow moving
dancers should make an inner circle or be near the center of the
floor.
~ Dancers who are not moving along should dance in the center of
the floor.
~ Move toward the center of the floor if many couples are passing
you or if couples are bunching up behind you.
~ Those who are not dancing should move well off to the sidelines
so as not to obstruct the dancing.
Thank you
for being considerate.
Press Notices 
Twirl,
spin and glide... Old world waltzes are gaining new aficionados
by Ruth Rovner
Excerpt Reprinted with permission from 4/28/00
DelawareCounty Times
Jim Griesemer and Sheryl Ruzek of Lansdowne are
both professionals with typically busy schedules; He's a web designer
and she's a professor in the Health Studies Department of Temple
University.
But
no matter how busy they are, they make time for one commitment that
has nothing to do with computers or classrooms.
At
least once per week they're out on a dance floor twirling, spinning,
and gliding as they enjoy their favorite dance -- the waltz. "There's
something mesmerizing about the waltz," Griesemer said. "As soon as
I hear a waltz I want to start dancing. I'll never get tired of it."
... That's why they're participants in a program geared to waltz enthusiasts,
whether beginners or experts.
Mostly
Waltz is a monthly social dance, featuring live music, which includes
a pre-dance lesson for beginners, then a two and a half hour dance
session. Created a year ago, it's sponsored by the Waltz Project,
a non-profit organization founded by three Philadelphia dancers.
Just
as the name suggests, Mostly Waltz events focus on the waltz -- but
that covers quite a range: traditional, American, Viennese waltzes,
contemporary waltzes and more, just as long as it's in three-quarter
time. Mostly Waltz is scheduled for different venues each month...
[Dancers] get to try out -- or watch -- dancers doing all types of
waltzes.
Besides
the most typical, the American waltz, there's the Viennese or Strauss
waltz (named for the composer who made it so famous), a fast waltz,
with small steps and many pivots. And the cross-stepped waltz, which
originated in Argentina...
Whatever
the dance, people gamely try out most or all of these, no matter their
dance level. And they're encouraged to dance with a number of partners.
"People look like they're having a wonderful time -- including young
people," said Ruzek...
Sundays are for
Waltzing at the Germantown Cricket Club
by Barbara Malinsky
With Permission, excerpts from the February 24, 1999 Mt. Airy Times
Express:
If there's a social dance event of the non-swing variety it's probably
been organized by Peggy Leiby, whose personal goal is to bring people
together through dance. The new event, Mostly Waltz, which will take
place for the second time at the Germantown Cricket Club on Sunday,
February 28, is the brainchild of Mike VanBuskirk. VanBuskirk, Leiby
and Ret Turner are the Waltz Project, organizers of the event.
VanBuskirk, an active dancer and practicing attorney in Roxborough,
discovered the popularity of the waltz on a trip to Washington in
1998, where he observed over 200 people waltzing the afternoon away
at the Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom. "The Ballroom is part of the National
Park Service. It wasn't heated but people were dancing in their ski
jackets in this huge sunny dance space." He came back to Philadelphia
wondering whether this area was ready for waltzing.
Leiby,
known locally for her organization of the Heritage Dance Festival
which takes place at the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School every fall,
had also noticed the popularity of the waltz offerings at that event.
"We offered waltz workshops and dancing at the Festival and people
filled the entire gym," she commented. So along with Ret Turner, events
director of the Heritage
Dance Festival, the Waltz Project was formed with the specific
purpose of bringing this romantic dance to the area.
The
Washington waltzes take place twice per month, but the initial goal
for the Philadelphia area is to offer a waltz event once a month on
the fourth Sunday. The inauguration took place at the Germantown Cricket
Club, Morris and Manheim streets, on January 24.
The
ballroom with its dazzling chandelier and hardwood floor was filled
to near capacity with whirling waltzers. The setting lent an air of
elegance to the event and the late afternoon time frame allowed for
a spectacular sunset to cast warm shafts of light into the dance space.
The music by International Folk Sounds provided music with a quick
rhythm-driven rather than melody-driven character, which gave the
waltzes a folk or country waltz quality.
The
fast-paced waltzes encompassed several styles, including Viennese,
pop and vintage. Although the program was punctuated with a smattering
of other couples dances like polka, tango, swing and schottische,
waltz was the main ingredient on the menu. During band breaks recorded
music allowed for continuous dancing.
According
to Leiby, the event exceeded expectations. "We were very happy. We
were willing to go out on a limb a little bit and thought that maybe
we would get a minimum of 30 people or a maximum of 100 but we got
over 100 with very little publicity and on a rainy day. People came
from many dance groups -- Irish dancing, Contra, Vintage, folk. There
was a lot of crossover and we got great feedback."........ [Editor:
Check website or flyers for locale]
In Waltzed
Matilda
by Steve Harvey
With Permission, excerpts from Dancing USA (June/July, 1999)
[MW Ed.: The article begins "There are signs that 'the Great Swing
Scare' of 1998 is already petering out" and goes on to discuss Philadelphia
area swing dance venues which have folded. It continues...]
So
is there good news to be found on the dance floor? Sure, but it's
not swing. Mostly Waltz is the name of a monthly dance on Sundays.
The founders, Peggy Leiby and Ret Turner [MW Ed.: oops, forgot Mike
VanBuskirk] have been long time participants in the contra scene and
its assorted links. Peggy was even the head honcho for last year's
Heritage Dance Festival (the annual Woodstock of dance here in Philly).
It seems that the long drive down to Waltz at the Spanish Ballroom
in Glen Echo was getting to them. Why not start an afternoon of waltzing
closer to home? Employing some can-do spirit they booked the ballroom
of the Germantown Cricket Club for an afternoon. To provide the music
they booked various acoustic musicians from the folk-contra scene.
They expected 30 people, but got 108 for their first dance! Not a
bad start...
The afternoon starts with beginner lessons in one room and "Flourishes"
in another for more experienced dancers. After that everybody heads
for the ballroom where the musicians are (from 3-6 players).
For
the most part the waltzers are dressed a lot nicer than dancers elsewhere.
There's only water to drink and cigarettes are nowhere to be seen
or smelled.
Like
the name implies, most of the music is for waltzing. It ranges from
exotic Middle Eastern melodies to Strauss standards to Hit Paraders
from the last century, After the Ball is Over and A Bicycle Built
for Two. The highlight for me was a token swing dance done to an acoustic
version of In the Mood. There's something unique about hearing big
band music without the horns and played very quietly. So far, Peggy
and Ret [and Mike] have a success on their hands. Considering how
easy waltzing is to learn compared to most dances, I'm surprised it
hasn't taken over as the next fad, at least in this century.
