A FREE ACCESS MODERN SEQUENCE DANCING ONLINE SCRIPT LIBRARY

CONTACT US BY E-MAIL bestofsequence@googlemail.com

ABOUT THE BLOG – Hello, and welcome to my Blog. I have started the Blog as a way of providing free access to scripts for a selection of Modern Sequence dances. The script library I am developing here represents a personal selection of what I consider to be the best of the Modern Sequence dances.

The selected dances come mainly from the period 1970 – 1985, which generated so many excellent arrangements offering considerable variety and challenge. However, with the exception of a few easy club-dances, these older dances have now been displaced by the onslaught of new sequences from the ongoing  inventive dance competitions, and thence consigned to the archives.  Although the lost dances from the past might be considered to offer a better alternative to the new dances, the teaching associations do little to promote them.  In creating this library, I aim to address this issue by giving relative newcomers to sequence the chance to browse the archives and so judge the callibre of these older dances for themselves. It would be nice to think that some of these dances could even enjoy a new lease of life. I hope that the facility will be enlightening and useful at that it will help ensure sequence dancing has a healthy future.

For those requiring more general information on Modern Sequence Dancing, I recommend visiting some of the sites listed in the Blogroll (links) on the right of this page.

Dances for the archive are selected primarily on the basis of my own personal preference, although requests are welcome.  Links to downloadable scripts will be placed on the Script Library page (and the nested pages within). Commentary on the dances and other relevant information can also be found within these pages in seperate Editorial sections. A good number of scripts (150 or so) have already been archived, and I will continue to add to the library on a regular basis – so keep an eye on the Script Library page for new additions and news of what’s in the pipeline ! For a full list of scripts currently available in the library see the Dance List Page. Plus there is now a News page to alert people to recent updates/uploads/entries/changes to the blog/announcement of future plans for the blog etc (useful to get a quick overview of recent changes).

I have also included a New dances page to report on results from the current inventive dance competitions, although I cannot provide scripts for these.

The individual pages of the blog can be opened by clicking the appropriate tab on the toolbar at the top of this page and/or in the Pages Widget (side-bar) on the left. Scripts can be downloaded (as pdf files) by clicking on the relevant links, which are shown in blue when they are active (more details on the Script Library page).

Correspondance is welcome.  The best way to correspond is probably to E-mail me directly at bestofsequence@googlemail.com.

Enjoy  !

sequenceblogger – 18/03/2009

FEATURED DANCES - A few favourites selected from dances that can be found the Library, as a taster for the front page – to be updated periodically. The current selection:

SAMBA GRENADA Origin unknown: Unusual start in cuddle hold broken on Bar 2 through a side samba walk, in which the man’s RH is released, followed by criss cross botafogos (Bars 3 & 4). Criss cross voltas on Bars 11 to 14 are ended in cuddle hold. This is followed by 2 Bars in which the full Rolling of the Arm is danced, with the lady turning first to the R to an open position rolling out of the mans R arm, then to the L back into the mans R arm and retaining cuddle hold by taking the man’s LH to recommence. Received from a reader. I had never seen it before, but it is exceptionally good !

LIFETIME WALTZ Annette Sheridan, 1981: Well constructed and seamlessly flowing. Same foot lunge & chasse ending is unusual.

FAIRVIEW SAUNTER Ted & Sue Burroughs, 1982: Cleverly arranged saunter with a lot of charm and some unusual figures, notably the twinkle turn back whisk combination on bars 11 and 12. The zig zag and half reverse to wing on Bars 2 to 4 are unusually phrased with a fourstep to shadow hold commencing the next section. The reverse turn wing theme is used again but in shadow hold on Bars 13 and 14.

PLUS SOMETHING FOR THE PARTY SEASON:

TAMMY TWO STEP Dorothy Moxon, 1981. A reasonable two step but perhaps more of a fun dance certainly suitable for Christmas.

CHERRY ‘B’ CHA-CHA-CHA Ken & Elaine Park, 1983: Unusual and fun routine with same foot zig zags and checks along then against LOD danced in zorba hold (Bars 11 to 15), following on from lady’s circling walks behind back with man’s foot change (Bars 9 and 10). Bars 5 to 8 also unusual commencing with a flick ball change, knee lift and point in CPP against LOD, then a spot turn to R, then repeated in the opposite direction. Well structured and fun enough to be suitable for the Christmas season too.

LAST MONTH’S FAVOURITES (for any new readers):

TANGO RICO Origin unknown: Exceptionally good modern tango, well worth a look – a bit similar to DALLAS TANGO (in the Script Library). The Fallaway Promenade movement on Bar 7 followed by close & tap, then an appel, extended point & quick fallaway chasse on Bars 8 & 9 is dramattic and effectively phrased. Remainder is a good mix of cleverly blended standard tango figures. Quite advanced !

JUKE BOX JIVE Ted & Sue Burroughs, 1982: Easy but appealing jive sequence with unusual turn behind man’s back for lady on bar 8. Second half is an attractive same foot variation with effective use of arms on Bars 13 to 16. One of the best ever.

WALTZ GABRIELLE Origin unknown:One of the best ever, shame it has not become well established – well worth a look. A strong start commencing with an open telemark to wing (as in TAHITIAN WALTZ). Bars 5 to 8 comprise an unusual amalgamation of a natural turn (without hesitation) followed by a (uncurved) feather (similar to WALTZ BARCAROLLE) and an unusually phrased forward whisk (with the man’s steps of the whisk turned to the L). This is followed by a rare figure a bit like the grand circle in paso followed by a same foot lunge with a foot change for the man (the latter as in BLUEBIRD WALTZ).

The previous few months’ favourites: BALI HI CHA-CHA-CHA, PASO DEL SOL, DALLAS TANGO, WALTZ LEHAR, RUMBA DUET, ALJULAY FOXTROT, CRYSTAL SAUNTER, TUCAN TANGO, DEE-JAY QUICKSTEP, plus hundreds more, can be accessed via the Script Library Pages.

RECENTLY ADDED TO THE SCRIPT LIBRARY: EVENING FOXTROT, SAUNTER ADELE, ASHLEA QUICKSTEP, BALI HI CHA-CHA-CHA, WALTZ C’EST LA VIE, CONFERENCE QUICKSTEP, TANGO RAPHAEL, MIRROR WALTZ, HALFPENNY SWING, HYDRO QUICKSTEP, SAMBA GRENADA, GYPSY JIVE, CHERRY ‘B’ CHA-CHA-CHA, RUMBA ROULETTE, RUMBA AMOUR, E.T. SAUNTER, PRESIDENT’S WALTZ, TAMMY TWO STEP, JASMIN SAUNTER, BLANDFORD RUMBA, SUNRIDGE JIVE, TANGO CAPRINA, CLIFTON SAUNTER, QUEENSWAY QUICKSTEP, WALTZ DIANA, ROYAL GAVOTTE, GEORGIA JIVE, TENNESSEE WALTZ ‘80, BLUE BAYOU RUMBA, TANGO RICO, SAUNTER NIRVARNA, WALTZ GABRIELLE, ROYAL PARK TANGO, RED RUMBA, GRAND PRIX CHA-CHA-CHA, SAUNTER ROYALE, NIKI CHA-CHA-CHA, FALCON FOXTROT.