Generally my posts seem to be one serious, then one religious, then one funny/ miscellaneous. I don’t think I’ve added to the miscellany for a while, so how about tips for dancing Balboa? Balboa is a swing dance, done to very fast music. Properly done, it is stylish and at the end of five minutes at 240 bpm you wouldn’t blow out a candle.

1. Relax!

2. Small steps.

3. Move body before feet: move from solar plexus. (move body - don’t just lean).

4. Lead moves only himself. Lead’s movement should automatically make follow move.

5. Tilt. This is an issue of styling. Tilt your body in a flat (parallel to the floor) figure-eight.
4 and 8-beats are at ends/ apexes, when your shoulders will have the greatest incline.
1 and 5-beats are at the centre (shoulders will be straight).
NB “rs” and “ls” = “right shoulder” and “left shoulder”.

Steps
1-3. rs angles down, ls angles up (as going bwd).
4. rs lifts up.
5-7. rs angles down, ls angles down (as going fwd).
8. rs lifts up.

Position
Stand slightly offset, guy’s r. side against g’s centre; narrow V. Also stand in upside-down V ( /\ ) – with chests at apex.

Holding
R arm around g, so no space between g’s body and r elbow. (must) rh in middle of g’s back. Otherwise, whatever feels comfortable. lh at comfortable (shoulder) height.

Basic Step
1. step bwd onto lf.
2. step fwd onto rf (1-2 are rock-step).
3. pause.
4. step fwd onto lf.
5. step fwd onto rf.
6. step onto rf.
7. pause.
8. step bwd onto rf.