World Champions Latin American 1979 Alan & Hazel Fletcher

[peinsbaby]

would be better with real brasilia music -_-''

[HunterstonB]

The tradgedy of ballroom dance is that such a display of grace and agility is utterly devoid any musical quality.

[AceyBlade]

@HunterstonB

The tragedy is you keep watching stuff you don't like. Masochism perhaps?

[HunterstonB]

The tradgedy of ballroom dance is that the display of grace and agility is unterly devoid any musical quality.

[HunterstonB]

Beat and Melody are completely different things.

There are not just pauses in the beat, but in interesting music, delays in the beat, -syncopations. The pauses, the delays, the accents, the changes of note, in the music is what creates melody,

Music with a sollid easy to recognise beat is used by poor dancers to cover up a lack of musical interpretaion - whether it be techno music in a club or strict tempo in a ballroom competion..

The music playing has lots of accents, th

[rohanprince82]

@HunterstonB - Did you know that in ballroom dancing competitions you might never have heard the song before??? All you know is the beat is going to be consistent with what you have practised, a samba is always going to be a samba, different melody but same beat/tempo.

In other forms of dance, the dancer(s) practise to the same piece of music that they will perform too, so of course they will dance the melody more clearly than a ballroom dancer.

[CDAFishboy]

@HunterstonB. Yiu obviously know nothing about dancing to make such an idiotic statement. Every dancer must learn the timing of a dance, then the alternate timing called syncopations, and how to handle the pauses in the beat, or called "hitting the breaks. Samba for instance has 7 different types of timing for just the bronze, or beginner level.

Music is never fully appreciated until you can dance to it with good rhythum and timing.

[HunterstonB]

Is it true that when you decide to become a ballroom dancer they put an electric drill through your ear to ensure you are completely off melody all the time?

[AkihiroHattori52455]

@HunterstonB Really? If you don't like ballroom dancing (and I'm guessing you don't because of your unblieveably ignorant statement) then don't watch it.

[YT102008]

Champions are champions no matter what year it is. Yes the dancing is a bit different from that of today but that doesn't make them less of a champion when compared to the champions of today.

[nnattallieeeee111111]

I am a 55 year old Brit. who had the pleasure of dancing against the Fletchers & the Salsberg's plus Maxwell / Harman. Yes the Dancing has changed. It has become more of a "sport" It is sad........ Look at these older clips. This is dancing at it's purest form.

Kevin W.

[SFRJ82]

I don't know how many of you are former elite dancers yourself, but even though there are differences, I see many similarities in the steps of today...just the approach was different. I danced mostly in the 90's and compared to today, we didn't use almost at all our upper body, meanwhile the more natural use of upper body has returned again

[joetran45]

I like it. Thanks!

[AkihiroHattori52455]

Don't see much that's different, but the rumba looks more like a bolero and they skipped the cha cha. Then again who could blame them?!

[Paradiso1707]

I don't think there's a sport/dance style of any kind anywhere that's developed as fast as ballroom dance has ... sheesh.

[dtilexja]

i disagree and i think dancing has improved a lot since then and the technique is much more precise but i do agree that these ppl have contributed to dance and Ruud Vermeij brought laban into ballroom dancing :)

[SDiable88]

That jive was so quick.. the music was very fast.. their style reminds me of how juveniles dance today though.. the little bounce at the beginning of the samba... flinging their arms in the air and not placing them.... i'm pleased how much Ballroom and Latin has developed

[bmwsitgez]

yes, and I also hope that you realize that Alan and Hazel contributed to how Latin dancing is how it is today..

[SDiable88]

well im sure it wasnt just them who helped dance evolve to how it is today as they all danced in this style back then.

[bmwsitgez]

of course it wasn't only the Fletchers.. I am actually more a fan of the Salbergs, and think Espen contributed, along with others like Ruud Vermeij to Latin dancing as it is today. To recognize the specific style of the Fletchers - stay tuned! - in next months i'll upload more on Fletchers in competitions and then you'll be able to see what differentiated them from others in these days ;-) and subsequently judge their contribution to dance development...

[SDiable88]

ill be honest.. i havnt got a clue who they are.. i wasnt even born then and never really had much interest in old fashioned ballroom..

[bmwsitgez]

i like your honesty... and most likely one day you'll be more interest in how latin american competition dancing was done in the past... You'll probably know Joanna Leunis? Who were her teacher, her coach? Just an example... Dancing evolves, and we should be grateful to these dancers of the previous decades who have contributed to the evolution of Latin american dancing, like the Fletchers...like the Salbergs, like Ruud Vermeij etc. etc.

[mistykitten1]

@SDiable88

Hi, I would still be careful what you write in the comment postings. I don't know if you dance in competition. I believe that I have seen Alan Fletcher is still a judge in the major competitions-- in many of videos being posted on Youtube. I found in my dancing past, some of the judges were sensitive, whether you knew them or not. I don't know if you care. Hope this helps you. Anyway, good luck in your dancing or competing.

[martycl993]

mamma mia come è cambiato il ballo :) pazzesco

[Beatleschick1]

Thanks for posting this. oldies clips are always the best. :)

[halbenhahn]

Really, really good "Partnering", as one says nowadays!!! And cool movements! Goin to put this in my own programmes ^^

[mistykitten1]

Great music and latin dancing. Love the live music of an orchestra. She is wearing my favorite kind of skirt, fringe. It is the easiest to move.

My husband was very impressed, because he dislikes latin dancing that is performed nowdays.Wished I could have seen them dance.Thanks for the posting.

[wattever888]

What beautiful together dancing, so much better than today!

[misspendragon101]

Really? It is not their fault, dancing was different back then, but the truth is, they could not win with this routine and technique a better amateur championship today. Their jive looks like something out of a youth competition... with all its endearing qualities. Yes, dancing has come a long way!

[LaRhumba]

Thank you so much for uploading this wonderful clip. The Rhumba and Jive have changed so much compared to today, where the style is now over exaggerated, this was a pleasure to see, thank you. :-)

[Miriaculous]

LOL I liked their jive better than a lot of the newer ones!

[bojanche007]

OMG! How far dancing has come!

[swidanza]

This is some nice old music. you can actually feel the love in the rumba (benefits of the clarinet). I doubt though many dancers today would appreciate this music, but this was the real thing.

[Caskader]

Damn, ballroom dancing could gather a crowd back then!