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Strictly Ballroom


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As I have nearly finished two months of decorating,I thought I would rejoice the moment by starting a new topic. B)

This was going to be "Another time another place" and I was going to launch into how nice it would be to play my concertina for Ballroom dancing to follow in both of my Grandfathers footsteps who both played music for ballroom dancing,but not on concertina.

A strange thing has happened on TV however a programme that invites celebraties to join a dancer and then perform in a strict dancing contest has taken off in a big way and suddenly ballroom dancing is starting to catch on.I just wonder in a few years if I may get my chance after all.

Al :rolleyes:

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As I have nearly finished two months of decorating,I thought I would rejoice the moment by starting a new topic. B)

This was going to be "Another time another place" and I was going to launch into how nice it would be to play my concertina for Ballroom dancing to follow in both of my Grandfathers footsteps who both played music for ballroom dancing,but not on concertina.............

First, congratulations on finishing the decorating. ;)

 

 

So, what songs are played for ballroom dancing? What would you do on concertina, play along with those songs, or do something more typical of the 'tina?

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Well Wendy the Ballroom dance tunes are endless but three tunes I love playing on the concertina are

I can`t give you anything but love baby (Quickstep)

Love is the sweetest thing. (Foxtrot)

Blue moon (Foxtrot)

Lovely to play and lovely to dance to.

My love of ballroom dancing started in a mixed way,I originally started to go to Ballroom dancing lessons to learn the Tango,but this formed part of the silver medal for dancing and I had to learn the bronze bit first ,which consisted of Waltz,Quickstep and Foxtrot.I moved out of the area a week after I passed my bronze and never did learn the Tango.I must admit being young at the time I cannot tell you why I was initially so keen on my dance lessons ,it was a mixture of the fact that I fancied my dance teacher, she was lovely to look at and a dream to dance with.Whatever it was it was an enjoyable experience and something which you never forget.

Al

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I got to this place (Concertina.net), and to playing the concertina through ballroom dance. I know that most people here are interested in Irish music. But I wanted to play Victorian Ballroom music. The concertina (Anglo or English) is exactly that, a Victorian age musical instrument.

 

It frequently amazes people when they find out that the concertina isn't much older than it is. Or that it didn't originate in Italy.

 

No Waltzes Mr Day? Mind you, you won't find me complaining about Foxtrots, I like them, too.

 

Russell Hedges

"Aquarussell"

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Ballroom dancing.... I started out in 7th grade (against my Mom's wishes, but now I wish I had paid more attention!). I got back into it in the 80's when "vintage" dance was the rage around here. Mostly turn-of-the-century stuff. Lots of "animal dances" such as the foxtrot - which was invented around then so technically that dance wasn't Victorian, but originated (at least the dance did, though tunes in that tempo were around) after the Victorian time period.

 

The foxtrot is pretty sedate compared to a lot of the others: turkey trot, buzzard lope, bunny hug, grizzly bear (one of my favorites!), lindy hop....

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I forgot to mention "A Nightingale sang in Berkely Square"(Foxtrot) probably my all time favourite.

I cannot say Russel that any Waltz tunes stick in my memory it was very much Daisy Daisy,Save the Last Dance for me etc but not anything I would recommend for you all to play.

How about the young Frank Sinatra very early songs a fantastic Dance band singer.

All lovely music.

Al

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I got to this place (Concertina.net), and to playing the concertina through ballroom dance.  I know that most people here are interested in Irish music.  But I wanted to play Victorian Ballroom music.  The concertina (Anglo or English) is exactly that, a Victorian age musical instrument.

 

Russell Hedges

"Aquarussell"

Russell, I note your interest in Victorian ballroom music. This interests me too.

Schottishes, polkas, quadrilles, varsoviennes?

Ezra Read? Felix Burns? Theo Bonheur?

I would be interested to hear if you, or any one else, has any information on the above composers.

Regards

Malcolm

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Ignoring the total difference between Victorian Ballroom dancing and Modern Ballroom dancing.

My grandmother was and my mother still is a ballroom dancing teacher so I was forced to to ballroom (gold) and latin (gold bar). I never did any since, but by chance I ended up playing in a "proper" dance band (on accordion, not concertina) so knew all about the dances and tempos required.

Although the band were all dot-readers, they usually busked from books just with song titles in - a page of waltz titles, page of foxtrot titles etc.

Ballroom, Old-tyme and Sequence were a big thing in Yorkshire in the 70s as there were so many Working Mens Clubs with musicians (around 250 just around Doncaster), so on nights-off, I used to go and listen to organists playing for Old-Tyme and pinch their tunes.

Dancing has not died out in the pit-villages BUT the problem is, they will only dance to their tunes. One village will happily Veleta to Merry Widow, but the next village will not get up, so you need local knowledge. You also need a huge repertoire as you will play 3 veletas they don't like and you are just about to stop, and someone decides to get up - very fickle!!

Usage seened to be three tunes then stop. If people stopped on the floor, play another three tunes.

 

I suppose Duet concertinas or exteneded English concertinas would be fine for playing for modern ballroom dancing - don't know about Anglo?

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Well Wendy the Ballroom dance tunes are endless....

You know, just last week or so I picked up a great songbook at a rare/used bookstore out in West Brookfield, Massachusetts, because it was all melody and chords with chord substitutions, and really GOOD chords -- edited/written by a pro. I think it had one of the tunes you mention -- I'll have to take another look. If I can find any web info re my 'find,' I'll give a link....

 

Since I like to sing along, I've decided to concentrate on chords on the concertina (rather than melody as much). I'm trying to memorize little two- and three- move progressions.

 

So, gee, maybe I'll get a little repertoire of ballroom dancing tunes included! That would be fun.

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Okay, here's the book I got --

 

Dick Hyman's Professional Chord Changes and Substitutions for 100 Tunes Every Musician Should Know. Ekay Music, 1986. ISBN: 0943748143.

 

And here's a link to a site selling it (though, I paid about $5.00 for my used copy!):

http://www.goodmusic.co.uk/pages/product/p...cookie%5Ftest=1

 

Here's a list of the contents, copied/pasted from the site above:

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Ain't She Sweet

 

Alone Together

 

Am I Blue

 

Angel Eyes

 

Anything Goes

 

April In Paris

 

April Showers

 

As Time Goes By

 

Autumn In New York

 

Avalon

 

Begin The Beguine

 

The Birth Of The Blues

 

Blues In The Night

 

Body And Soul

 

But Not For Me

 

Can't We Be Friends?

 

Can't We Talk It Over

 

Caravan

 

Charleston

 

Crazy Rhythm

 

Dancing In The Dark

 

Day By Day

 

Days Of Wine And Roses

 

Do It Again

 

Dream

 

Embraceable You

 

Fascinating Rhythm

 

Fine And Dandy

 

Fools Rush In

 

Get Happy

 

Halleujah!

 

How Long Has This Been Going On?

 

I Can't Give You Anything But Love

 

I Cover The Waterfront

 

I Get A Kick Out Of You

 

I Got Rhythm

 

I Know That You Know

 

I May Be Wrong

 

I Only Have Eyes For You

 

I Thought About You

 

If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)

 

I Want To Be Happy

 

I'll See You Again

 

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

 

Indian Summer

 

It's Only A Paper Moon

 

I've Got A Crush On You

 

I've Got The World On A String

 

The Japanese Sandman

 

Jeepers Creepers

 

Just One Of Those Things

 

Limehouse Blues

 

Liza

 

Love For Sale

 

Lover, Come Back To Me

 

Lullaby Of Birdland

 

Lulu's Back In Town

 

Mack The Knife

 

The Man I Love

 

Misty

 

Nighy and Day

 

Oh Lady Be Good

 

Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

 

Poor Butterfly

 

Round Midnight

 

S Wonderful

 

Satin Doll

 

Secret Love

 

September In The Rain

 

Skylark

 

Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

 

Somebody Loves Me

 

Someone To Watch Over Me

 

Something To Remember You By

 

Sometimes I'm Happy

 

Soon

 

Strike Up The Band

 

The Summer Knows (Theme From Summer of '42)

 

Sweet Georgia Brown

 

Tea For Two

 

This Love of Mine

 

Thou Swell

 

Three Little Words

 

Time After Time

 

A Time For Love

 

Too Marvelous For Words

 

The Very Thought Of You

 

What Is This Thing Called Love?

 

What's New?

 

When Your Lover Has Gone

 

With A Song In My Heart

 

You And The Night And The Music

 

You Are Too Beautiful

 

You Do Something To Me

 

You Go To My Head

 

You Make Me Feel So Young

 

You Took Advantage Of Me

 

You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me

 

You're The Top

 

Yours Is My Heart Alone

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Are any of these titles familiar to you, Alan? Or, to any of you?

Just wondering...

 

edited to spell Alan's name correctly!!! Sorry.... :blink:

Edited by bellowbelle
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Wendy I know nearly all of them and have played nearly all of them but not on my concertina.

The lovely ones I would choose

I only have eyes for you

The very thought of you

Time after time

Sweet Georgia Brown

Satin Doll

Misty

Mack the Knife.

You will recognise them as soon as you start.

 

Tell you what Wendy put the concertina down and would have the next dance with me? B)

Al

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"Russell, I note your interest in Victorian ballroom music. This interests me too.

Schottishes, polkas, quadrilles, varsoviennes?

Ezra Read? Felix Burns? Theo Bonheur?

I would be interested to hear if you, or any one else, has any information on the above composers.

Regards

Malcolm"

 

Alas, I am a newcommer and ignorant. I can research locally though, and with your list of names as a starting point I have a head start.

 

I have the book "The Concertina and How To Play It" by Paul de Ville, "Including 250 Patriotic and Sacred Songs"! It has the Lancers Quadrilles, all five! The Boston Hop Waltz, which is a Polka. Three Schottisches, too. But, oddly I think, no Mazurka or Mazur, and no Redowa.

 

And no credits, not even for the Blue Danube Waltz.

 

It is written for the Anglo, and some of the music is out of my Jackie's range. I guess I could find a program to fix that. . .

 

There is a dance that is danced the same, Victorian to Modern age. The Viennese Waltz, the basic for which has remained unchanged for about a hundred-twenty years now. Or so they tell me, it was mostly before my time.

 

Russell Hedges

"Aquarussell"

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Wendy,

 

Dick Hyman is an extraordiary and nearly legendary jazz piano player who is still alive and playing regularly. What a wonderful book you have there. I have had the pleasure of seeing Dick play at "Jazz Holidays" here in Florida with pick up band that included the likes of Ruby Braff, Dan Barrett, the Pizzorelli's (father and son).

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