I am in need of some advice. I got the DVD "Anyone Can Dance Absolute Beginners Waltz" and this is a nice video that breaks stuff down well for my hubby.

But it does not say much about the similarities and differences between International and American Waltz.

What I need is some advice. I have these catalogs from Dance Vision, and I am attempting to choose TWO more DVD's only.

I want them to be waltz because I have been concentrating on buying waltz music.

Which of the Waltz DVD's are best? The one I purchased is nice the way it gives a close up of the feet and carefully repeats each step. But it does not do much in the way of explaining style, technique or even much about frame.

I want more of that so that we can polish each step into something beautiful.

I want to learn how best to move my hands when I reach out on a turn--some of the women make their hands move in such a flattering way--I want to begin to learn that!

I am working toward our waltz being something graceful rather than clumpy. I want more than just steps, I want to DANCE.

Advice on DVD's to choose from the Dance Vision catalog? Funds require that I limit myself to two!

Which videos are best for beginners who want to learn to be correct in technique?

kaiara, you will not learning styling and technique from a video. If any aspect of dancing requires private instruction it is exactly what you say that you want to do.

Because you're a beginner, you'd best be served by the American Style Smooth Syllabus Beginning Intermediate and Advanced I DVDs with the Marantos (assuming that yoou're stuck on Dance Vision, which is not a bad source). These videos will show you the basic patterns and you really can't get much more from a video.

Some teachers believe in a "floor up" approach to dance instruction: they insist that you learn the steps first and then progress to shaping and styling.

Others will insist that you learn all aspects of the figures from head to toe at once.

Each approach has its merits and its weaknesses. It's difficult to concentrate on shaping the upper body when you're unsure of the steps. On the other hand, by working only on steps you can develop some bad habits with your shoulders.

Try the DVDs that I mentioned. The Marantos aren't great dancers but they're quite competent and will do for your purposes.

Also, contact your closest chapter of USA Dance and see what resources may be available in your area, such as college extension programs (USA Dance Chapter Locator).

Good Luck.

jj

The difficulties lie in the fact that I have never lived closer than 100 miles to any city, and in a short time we will be living even more remotely.

If I have a video that shows it well, then I can get out in the big room with mirrors and work on myself until I see what I am accomplishing.

There is ONE dance teacher here who is actually fairly good. However, my hubby does not do well in class formats, (he has hearing issues which prevent him from hearing the verbal instruction in a large room but he can hear the music fine) and feels that private lessons are too expensive when he doesn't learn fast enough to take full advantage of an hour.

I am going to learn to dance well. I've spent a couple of years now taking classes, and have done most of the basic courses for waltz, foxtrot, and an introduction to quickstep, viennese waltz and tango; I dance some round dance and square dance as well; childhood had the usual sets of dance classes. I learned a little bit of the latin dances until I developed some problems with my knees. Latin seems to cause me a good deal of trouble.

So I'm finding that I do get a good deal from the videos. I want to get more and then take what we learned and polish it with the occasional dance lesson--at least while we still live here.

Hubby was leaning toward my buying International Standard DVD's.

I am not stuck on Dance Vision, it is simply where I found a useful DVD for beginners that shows the steps in a way that helps hubby.

I'm trying to talk him into private lessons and joining the dinner dance club here--however, he is objecting to the cost.

Funny, he hardly says a word when I spend the money on DVD and CDs for dancing, but he objects to a dinner dance on the grounds that it is a one time event and does not provide ongoing value. (sigh)

Since I enjoy the Round Dance we are doing, and I am enjoying what I now understand is American Waltz that I've learned from classes.

So I am thinking that the American Style Smooth DVD's are a decent choice. I also noticed a cool DVD on "arm awareness" done by the girl on the Anyone Can Dance waltz video we have, and I love how she moves her hands on the turns--graceful! I want to get a DVD on style and technique too.

So, it looks like American won out, we don't travel much, and if we do, we'll be in museums and at historical sites and not getting to dance!

Goals: American: Bronze level and Quickstep (yes, I know it isn't American style but I took a workshop and loved it). We shall have fun!

Thank you for the dance chapter locator link: I am 200+ miles from any chapter.

If taught correctly, there is no " best ".

More importantly,, where do you intend to dance ?.. if in the states at a social setting, chances are the Amer. style will suit your need s, and, the bronze social is not quite as demanding as the Intern style.

You will note that there are several variations that are identical in the Bronze, of both videos .

It also depends on how far you wish to persue the hobby.

Terence. I think that by using the word Hobby is a definite step in the right direction to seperate the Social from the Medalist and the Competition Class. I think today the word Social should be left for the Social Workers or the Social Services and not for a class of dancing. Hobby Class.

"I think today the word Social should be left for the Social Workers or the Social Services and not for a class of dancing. Hobby Class."

You would be mistaken.

Social dancing refers to dancing as a social activity - usually to dancing with people other than a single habitual partner.

Hobby class refers to dancing as a more focused activity, typically with a single partner that shares your hobby. It would be likely to mean attending the occasional low key competition, though it could mean only a practice habit.

When terence2 mentions there are many things identical at the bronze level in American Smooth and International styles of the Waltz, he is correct.
You can see that on the videos on this site, which also are not a bad place to pick up simple basics for the beginner, as well as some of the elegant hand movements, etc, that kaira was asking about. For example, look at the lady's hands and arms on the 12-count underarm turn for the Waltz on this site. It's quite nice.
In a social setting, I find aspects of both American and International tend to pop up when we're doing the waltz, more so than in most other dances. I think when we are doing the Natural Spin turn, the Whisk, the Chasse, etc., we're actually taking those out of an International set of steps, more so than American Smooth, but our other movements and progressives would fall more in line with American. And I believe I had his clarified by the geat teachers on this site before -- that you never break hold in International style, where as American Smooth allows it, like in a Shadow Twinkles or Shadow Grapevine type of move in the waltz.
In any case, my point is this -- learn the basics well and you'll find yourself picking up on other nuances and having lots of fun and not worrying so much about which style you are actually doing.