Modern Sequence Dancing is a form of social ballroom dancing where all the couples on the floor dance the same 16 bar routine (or sequence) which is then repeated as long as the music lasts - typically five or six sequences. These dances use the four Standard Ballroom rhythms - Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep and Tango; the 5 Latin American Rhythms - Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Passo Doble and Jive; 2 of the Club Latino rhythms - Mambo and Salsa; and also the Classical (or Old Time) rhythms - Saunter, Blues, Old Time Tango, Swing, Two Step, Glide, Stroll, Old Time Waltz and Gavotte. A typical two hour club night will comprise 5 Modern, 5 Latin and 5 Classical dances, each one performed twice. The dance will be demonstrated ("Led Off") by the MCs who will dance one or two sequences solo, after which all the other dancers join in.
The dances performed are selected at Inventive Dance competitions run by the Professional Dance Associations under the auspices of the British Dance Council. There are on average 14 competitions per year, with a typical entry of 45 dances and only the winning dance in each category (Modern, Latin and Classical) is published, which gives us 42 new dances each year. The competitors are all professional dance teachers: many of them have been National Champions in their selected disciplines, and the standard of dancing is very high. After the competition, a script of the winning dances is sent out to all MCs and dance leaders who will then teach them in their clubs: a sequence dancer learns one new dance per week through the season.
Sequence dancing then is not for the faint-hearted. It is often categorised by the "ballroom purists" as dancing for the elderly, and it is true that many of the dancers are "of a certain age", but having said that - 20 rhythms, 15 dances a night and 42 new dances a year is a lot more than the "standard ballroom dancer" manages - and what is more most sequence people dance at least three times a week. Add to that the ten or so three and four day festivals throughout the year, and the countless specialist holidays both home and abroad for sequence dancing, and it all adds up to a wonderful social life. And what is more, if we are at a freestyle ballroom dance, we have a dozen routines or more available for each rhythm to mix and match...........
If you have been ballroom trained and you know the steps..
If you are looking to dance more....
If you are up for a challenge....
Why not try Modern Sequence? It won't be easy, but if you can stick with it, it'll change your life.