Soviet ballroom dance was a category of ballroom dance competitions in the former Soviet Union. Competitions in Ballroom dancing in the USSR were held in three dance categories: Standard dances, Latin dances, and Soviet dances ("áþòõÃÂÃÂúðàÿÃÂþóÃÂðüüð").
Soviet category
The Soviet category comprised Polka, Rylio, Varu-Varu, Sudarushka, Russian Lyrical ()
With the exception of Polka, these dances were choreographed basing on some folk dances of Soviet republics.
- Rylio, of Lithuanian origin, created by SkaistÃÂ IdzeleviÃÂienÃÂ, the leader of the Lithuanian ballroom formation team Ã
½uvÃÂdra.
- Varu-Varu (translated as "I can, I can"), of Latvian origin.
- Sudarushka (loosely translated as "sweetheart"), of Russian origin, and
- Russian Lyrical.
The former three are "fast" or "rhythmic" dances, the latter two are "slow" or "lyrical" ones.
All of them had distinctive basic techniques. The meter was or for all of them. The hold was either open or loose, without body contact. Polka had the tightest hold. Polka, Sudarushka and Russian Lyrical were progressive dances, i.e., moving along the line of dance. Rylio and Varu-Varu were of "stationary" type.
Today the category is obsolete, but the dances themselves survived, moved back to the category of folk dances. At some dance events, such as "Neva Cup" (ÃÂõòÃÂúøù úÃÂñþú) in St. Petersburg, balls of Esta-Mephi club, Moscow, or "Russian Formation Cup-2007" held in Tyumen these dances comprise the competition category of "Homeland Dances" (ÃÂÃÂõÃÂõÃÂÃÂòõýýÃÂõ ÃÂðýÃÂÃÂ).
Some basic step-rhythm patterns
The count cues could be any of 12345678, 12341234, 1&2&3&4& or 1&2&1&2&.
Rylio
In-place basic:
Double hand hold in various positions, e.g., sidewise-forward on the shoulder level, elbows bent down.
Steps of partners are mirrored.
1-2, 3-4, 5-6-7-8: tap-step, tap-step, step-step-step-step.
All steps/taps are in place, with slight one-foot skipping action. Author - choreographer - Adomas Gineitis
Varu-Varu
The dance is based on simple steps and jumpy movements created in 1950s in Latvia. It may be danced with any in time disco music.
In-place basic:
Double hand hold, waist level.
Partners start with the same foot and go in a small circle, first in one direction, then in the opposite one.
1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8: side-together-side-heel, side-together-side-heel
Skips: (12),(34),5,6,(78) (or slow-slow-quick-quick-slow): skip...skip...skip-skip-skip. A skip is from one foot to another, the freed foot pointing forward, toe on the floor.
Sudarushka
The dance is based on Russian khorovod dances. the dance is of vivid and light character, of medium to faster tempo in time.
Triple-Step Basic Walks:
Right-to-left handhold, Free hands are on the waist.
Steps are mirrored, along the line of dance.
1-2-3-4, 5-6-7-8: step-step-step-tap, step-step-step-tap.
Tap is toe beside the support foot.
Initially the partners face each other. During the first triple step they "fan out" away from each other, free arms fanning sidewise. During the second triple partners "fan in", back to facing each other, free hands back on the waist.
Russian Lyrical
The dance is based on Russian folk tunes. It has a soft and smooth character, danced at medium tempo in or time.
Starts in shadow position, man's right hand on lady's waist, left arms linked pointing left diagonal.
Most walks are based on "Russian triple step": step-step-step-hold. It can be performed forward, backward, with turn on any step.
The recommended tunes are "àÃÂÃÂÃÂúøù ûøÃÂøÃÂõÃÂúøù" (Russian Lyrical) or "ÃÂþôüþÃÂúþòýÃÂõ òõÃÂõÃÂð" (Moscow Nights)
Other Soviet ballroom
Ballroom dance manuals of Soviet times list quite a few other Soviet dances promoted to counter the influence of the "Western way of life", created basing on folk dances of the peoples of the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc:
- Tuyana / âÃÂÃÂýð (Buryat origin)
- Yatranochka / ïÃÂÃÂðýþÃÂúð (Ukrainian, "A Girl from the Yatran River"); choreographed by the Ukrainian ballroom dance troupe in 1971
- Slavutyanochka / áûðòÃÂÃÂÃÂýúð (Ukrainian, "A Girl from Slavutych")
- Gutsulka / ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂûúð (Ukrainian, "Hutsul Woman")
- Jooksupolka / ÃÂþúÃÂÃÂ-ÿþûÃÂúð (Estonian)
- Transcarpathian Ballroom / ÃÂðúðÃÂÿðÃÂÃÂúøù ñðûÃÂýÃÂù (Ukrainian)
- Kazakh Ballroom / ÃÂð÷ðÃÂ
ÃÂúøù ñðûÃÂýÃÂù (Kazakh)
- Figure Waltz / äøóÃÂÃÂýÃÂù òðûÃÂÃÂ
- Vesyalaya Hora / ÃÂõÃÂõûðàÃÂ
þÃÂð (Moldavian)
- "àð÷ÃÂõÃÂøÃÂõ ÿÃÂøóûðÃÂøÃÂÃÂ"
- "Skaters" / "ÃÂþýÃÂúþñõöÃÂÃÂ"
References
Further reading
- Nina Kosheverova "My Life in Dance", Moscow, 2004 (ÃÂþÃÂõòõÃÂþòð, ÃÂøýð ÃÂøúþûðõòýð, "ÃÂþàöø÷ýàò ÃÂðýÃÂõ")
- Modern Ballroom Dance (áþòÃÂõüõýýÃÂù ñðûÃÂýÃÂù ÃÂðýõÃÂ), a textbook for students of Institutes of Culture, culture-educational schools and heads of ballroom dance collectives, ed. V.M. Striganov (ÃÂ.ÃÂ. áÃÂÃÂøóðýþò) and V.I.Uralskaya (ÃÂ.ÃÂ.ãÃÂðûÃÂÃÂúðÃÂ), Moscow, Prosveshcheniye (1977) — the only book in ballroom dancing in the pre-perestroika Soviet Union.