G'day again ...

Greg (who has noticed that "Bob Bolton has too much learning"): I was just reminding people that al lot of the terms we use an nowhere as precise as we think ... Anyway, on the 'bus into work this morning I got around to reading the first issue of the new Australian folk magazine Trad & Now.

I notice that the dance page started up with Peter Ellis giving an overview of the Circular Waltz - remarking () that it "... was simply the old rotary Waltz or the Valse a Trois Temps until the advent of the Modern Waltz or Jazz Walt of the '20s ..." and later remarking of the steps: "The feet had to pass not close together like the chassé of the Valse a Deux Temps".

Anyway, the fact that most people think of the common forms when they hear the terms "waltz" or "polka" is no problem to me ... The real problem comes when they start to think that everything in 3/4 is a waltz ... or even that everything in 2/4 is a polka. This can lead to some disastrous misreadings - especially of the underlying rhythms needed by the dancers (who do know the difference!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton