Monday Night Chapelwood Social Dance with Rick Archer and Sharon Shaw

(map to find our room at Chapelwood)

(map to find Chapelwood location)

(history of Chapelwood dance class)

OCTOBER 2023: 
INTERMEDIATE WESTERN WALTZ (Sharon)
INTERMEDIATE EAST COAST SWING (Rick)
 

Rick Archer's Note:

Sharon and Rick are best friends who teach in separate rooms.  Sharon joined Rick's Chapelwood program in July 2023 in order for the two us to offer more choices of which dance class to take.  In October Sharon will teach Intermediate Western Waltz in Fellowship Hall while Rick will teach Intermediate East Coast Swing in Room YB 100.  Chapelwood is a vast church, so click Map to see where these rooms are located.

Rick Archer:  Rick@ssqq.com
Sharon Shaw: sharonshaw48@yahoo.com

Classes are held in Chapelwood's YB 100 and Fellowship Hall... great wooden floor, complete privacy  (see map below).

Chapelwood is located in the Memorial area at 11140 Green Bay, 77024.   (Please see street map below.)

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For more detailed information regarding EAST COAST SWING, Click here

For more detailed information regarding WESTERN WALTZ, Click here

RICK'S INTERMEDIATE EAST COAST SWING CLASS IN OCTOBER
(AND MAYBE OCTOBER)

Rick Archer's Note:  If you would like to join the October Intermediate East Coast Swing class, please be aware you will need to know the fundamentals of East Coast Swing dancing in advance. 

The major problem of most dance classes is an uneven mix of experience. You will see hot shots rubbing elbows with rookies. The best way to handle the problem is to offer Intermediate patterns in the first half of the class, take a break, then cover something more difficult, i.e. Advanced, in the second half. If students make use of the pre-class tutorials 6:40-7:00 pm, this should help less experienced dancers catch up. There is no charge for this service; just show up early, find one of the assistants and ask for help.

November-December is up for grabs. I am open to whatever my October students want. Keep in mind that starting in January I will be teaching four straight months of Country-Western classes.

So what exactly will we cover in our October class? That's a good question. For certain we will cover intricate East Coast Swing patterns. However, I also intend to get creative and explain how different forms of East Coast Swing work such as regular Jitterbug, Aggie Jitterbug, and Latin Hustle.

Here is the good news and the bad news: East Coast Swing works to a wider variety of Dance Music than any other style of social dance. Western dancing works to western music, Latin dancing works to latin music, Tango works to tango music, etc. East Coast Swing works to just about anything... Pop, Rock, R&B, Western-style Rockabilly, Oldies, Disco, Motown, Big Band, and Outer Space music (don't worry, I just made that up). If you want one dance fits all, Swing is your answer.

Only one problem: As the speed of the music changes, then you need to change your footwork to adapt. The most common adaptation involves Jitterbug which works to slower tempo music. Another adaptation is Aggie Jitterbug which ignores the beat of the music entirely. Another adaption is Hustle which fits Disco music. Another adaption is 4-count Swing which is an easy alternative to Jitterbug. It sounds confusing, but don't worry, I know how to explain how it works and why each variation has its strong points.

For questions about Rick's class, please email rick@ssqq.com

SHARON'S BEGINNING WESTERN WALTZ CLASS IN OCTOBER
 

From: Carmen
Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2023 2:46 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: Re: SSQQ Newsletter: Sharon Shaw Beg Western Waltz, Rick Archer Int-Adv East Coast Swing begins TUESDAY, Sept 5, at Chapelwood

 Hello Rick,

I had to tell you what an excellent class Sharon and her super team (Bill, Karen and Dennis) gave us on Tuesday. Sharon just commands the room with her straight up, no nonsense teaching style. It gives any dancer at any level the confidence and certainty that they’re getting the best instruction for that particular dance available in Houston.  What amazes me is although I’m not a novice dancer, I always learn new things or rather I relearn things I’d forgotten or become a slacker about such as correct offsetting position, placement of hands, good resistance and posture. All the fundamentals that distinguish a good dancer from a not so good dancer. And isn’t that what we’re all striving to be at the end of the social dancing day?

 At the risk of jam packing the room ( it was already pretty full) I hope more of my “experienced” dancer friends come out to Chapelwood on Monday nights to be a part of something very special: Waltz Class with Sharon.  (Like Cher or Madonna or Beyoncé no last name required :) 

 Carmen 

So what exactly is Western Waltz? Waltz patterns can either travel around the floor or be danced in a limited area.  In other words, Small Floor versus Large Floor.

A couple is getting married and they choose a classic song such Anne Murray's "Could I have this dance (for the rest of my life)". If their venue includes a large dance floor, I would recommend the Traveling Style of Waltz. If their venue only offers a postage-stamp dance floor, then the Stationary Waltz patterns are an excellent alternative.

Let's say you are on a cruise ship and the band plays a Waltz. As a rule, cruise ships do not have large dance floors, so Small Floor Waltz includes patterns such as the well-known Box Step that enables a couple to dance in one particular spot on the floor.

On the other hand, Western dance floors in Houston typically offer much more space which allows couples to travel Twostep and Polka patterns counter-clockwise around the floor.  Western Waltz does the same using Waltz patterns that travel.  So now for a statement that might strike some as blasphemy… the same moves can be used to any Waltz music. We could just as easily call Sharon's class "Traveling Waltz". However for marketing reasons, "Western Waltz" has a much better ring to it.  All the music in Sharon's class will be Western.

Sharon's Beginner class will cover the Traveling Basic, Traveling Twinkles, and most likely the popular Sweetheart pattern. Previous dance experience is not necessary. Nor do you need a partner to sign up. The cost will be $30 which includes all 4 classes for October.

For questions about Sharon's class, please email sharonshaw48@yahoo.com

Dance the Night Away with Rick Archer's Social Dance Lessons at Chapelwood

A variety of Country Western/Ballroom Lessons taught by Rick Archer, former owner of SSQQ Dance Studio
 

At a Glance:
7:00-8:30 p.m. on Monday nights
Room YB 100-101 at Chapelwood 
Cost:  $30 per person per month  

Under the gracious sponsorship of Chapelwood Methodist Church, Rick Archer has been teaching here since 2010.  Over the years, our class has taught people how to partner dance in social situations such as weddings, rodeo events, visits to nightclubs and dancing on cruise trips.  During the instruction, we emphasize enjoying friendship in a relaxed, laughter-filled atmosphere.  

Starting at 7:00 p.m. every Monday, the class is taught by Rick Archer, former owner of Houston's SSQQ Dance Studio.  In its day, SSQQ was the largest independent dance studio in Houston as well as the United States.  In its heyday each week 1,400 students walked through its doors in search of dance training, exercise, fun and friendship. 

Following his retirement from full-time teaching in 2010, Rick brought a similar magic to Chapelwood.  Thanks to the assistance of Harriet Daniel and a team of experienced assistants, this ongoing class covers a wide range of different dances.  With the featured dance changing from month to month, the class covers Western, Ballroom, Swing and Latin dance patterns.  Past topics include Two Step, Polka, Western Swing, East Coast Swing/Jitterbug, West Coast Swing, Night Club Two Step, Western Waltz, Ballroom Waltz, Rumba, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, and Salsa.  If a particular dance is popular with the current group, typically an Intermediate level is added in the following month.  Rather than dictate what's next, Rick prefers to let his students tell him what they want him to cover from month to month.  While on the surface the class is about learning the art of partner dancing, the class is secretly more about Community.  It does not matter whether someone is single or married.  Come one, come all. 

This ongoing class consists of veteran dancers and newcomers.  There are students in this class who have been taking non-stop for many years due to the camaraderie and mutual love of dance.  To accommodate the newcomers, we offer Beginning-level classes four to six times a year, then advance the class over the next few months.  We encourage our students to rotate partners.  This allows the Volunteer Staff to offer suggestions along the way.  In addition, changing partners gives the students a chance to get to know each other and make friends.  

Rick's class runs till 8:30, sometimes later, with a break in between.  The age range starts with college students and extends to Seniors.  As long as a person wishes to learn, age does not matter.  Class size varies from month to month, but over the years it has stayed within the 20'40 range.  In this time, the boy-girl ratio has remained remarkably close.  Thanks to our volunteer staff to even things up, it is rare for someone to stand out for more than one rotation. 

The dance class typically meets in Room YB 100'101.  However, Chapelwood is a busy church, so periodically the class may meet in another room on a temporary basis.  If there is a last-minute change, Rick and Harriet will use email to offer updates.  We also use email to inform past and present students of our upcoming classes.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Rick Archer, rick@ssqq.com or Harriet, hhdan5@hotmail.com

Trip to Bahamas organized by Sharon in 1988

After a twelve year absence, Sharon returned to my life in 2022.  Recently Sharon and her husband Bill had become members of the Hey Lollies Square Dance organization.  Practically overnight Sharon assumed a leadership position.  Was it her dance ability?  No.  It was her integrity.  She is one of the most responsible human beings on earth, the kind of person you trust immediately.  They made her Treasurer.  No surprise there.  Sharon was good at it. 

Unfortunately, the Hey Lollies membership was decimated by Covid.  Once the panic passed and the coast was clear, Sharon and Bill invited Marla and me to consider joining and help the rebuild process.  Over the past year Marla and I have fallen in love with Square Dancing.  One of the best parts of my adventure has been renewing my friendship with Sharon and Bill.  Bill likes having me around.  This time he's the better dancer.  Thanks a lot, Bill. 

country western
COUNTRY-WESTERN DANCING

 

TWOSTEP, POLKA, WESTERN SWING

Western music and Western dancing is a long-time Texas tradition. Unlike other areas of the country where Line Dances are popular, Houston has had a historical preference for "Partner Dancing."

Western music has long been a major part of Texas tradition. As the largest city in the state that loves Western music the most, over the years Houston has emerged as the national leader when it comes to Western Dancing. There are more people who can dance the Texas Twostep in Houston than any other city in America.   If you would like learn to Western Dance, the best place to start is our Beginning Two Step/Polka class.

Beginning Two Step/Polka

Based on the speed of the music, most C&W music is handled by either the Texas Two Step or the Polka.  Beginning Two Step/Polka covers the leads, footwork, and timing to both dances.  The Beginning-level teaches a basic pattern known as Transition Twostep and Polka.  In the old days, the lady danced backwards pretty much the entire song.  The arrival of Urban Cowboy in 1979 changed that.  Practically overnight the overall appearance of Western dancing changed.  For the first time, it became fashionable for the man to take turns dancing forwards and backwards.   Transition Twostep/Polka begins with the man going forward, then soon the man passes the lady and goes backwards.  After traveling backwards for a while, the man swings the lady back in front of him again so that now he is going forward.  Soon the man passes the lady to start the Transition cycle all over again.

Intermediate Two Step/Polka

Another development created by popularity of Western dancing here in Houston (thanks again to Urban Cowboy) was the introduction of Ballroom Foxtrot patterns into Twostep and Polka dancing.   These new patterns included Circle Turns as well as Promenades, Crossovers, Conversations, Zig Zags, and Sweetheart patterns.  

(Note: These moves are typically taught in an Intermediate Twostep/Polka class offered as a follow-up to the Beginner course.) 

The next major change involved the introduction of Single and Double Turns in Twostep and Polka.  Prior to Urban Cowboy, Twostep and Polka were danced exclusively in Closed Position, a term for the woman dancing with the man's arms wrapped around her.  Given that Disco dancing was still popular here in Houston when Urban Cowboy made its debut, a new look emerged where the lady and man danced apart, i.e. Open Position.  Open Position allowed women to try underarm turns known as Single Turns. 

Beginning Western Swing

The Single Turns opened the door for a major innovation known as Double Turns.  This is a move where the man spins the lady twice.  This new style of Twostep and Polka dancing is often referred to as "Western Swing", the mixture of East Coast Swing patterns combined with the traveling movement of Twostep and Polka. 

In space of few months in 1980, Western Dancing had become a lot more complicated... and a lot more fun as well.  From here on, experienced dancers would alternate dancing in Closed Position and Open Position throughout the song. 

These eye-catching Double Turns use the same timing Polka and Two Step.  Teasingly referred to as "Twostep with Turns", the man twirls the lady with one or two hands as they circle the floor.  Although Western Swing is a very popular dance, it is difficult to learn just by watching.  Fortunately Beginning Western Swing covers the mechanics of leading the double turns for the men while teaching the ladies how to turn properly.

Texas Honky Tonk Music

Excerpted from James Rice's book,, 1985

On the frontier real professional musicians were hard to come by. There was considerably more call for people who could punch cattle or farm or make things or fix them up after they had broken, but there were places and times that the demand was high for entertainment of any kind. If a body could make music or run a game or bring in liquor his future was made.

Or if it was a woman she didn't need any particular skills at all. She could entertain just by being herself.

The main places were Texan by population and spirit even if they were sometimes outside the borders - the big crossroads trading posts, the shipping centers at the railheads, and active mining towns. The times were when a job ended at the end of a cattle drive or a strike was made or whenever there was a slack time that one had change in the pocket.

The rough range workers went one place for entertainment - the saloon. There they could drink, gamble, listen to music, and usually meet a woman without formal introduction. The saloon girls ranged from downright homely to kind of pretty - depending on the number of drinks that preceded the meeting, the amount of light, or the time spent on the trail before reaching town or how close it was to closing time. A woman could help separate a cowboy from a big part of a season's earnings in a few hours and just leave him with something to dream about on his next rail drive as the only return on his money.

Two'Steppin' Texas Memories Written by Jerry Flemmons,  Travel Editor of the Fort Worth Star'Telegram, Looking back it seems that in Texas, 18 was considered the proper age at which to dance in public, meaning at a beer joint. Perhaps that was simply the ritual's legal threshold and custom really had nothing to do with it, but regardless, I remember well my first turn on a dance floor. I was 18, finally, and the beer joint was Saturday'night full and boisterous. My partner was much older, perhaps 25, someone's sweetheart or wife who had agreed to dance with me while he - a largish, dour man - leaned against the bar and watched. The music, doubtless a country and western dirge of woe, came from two unamplified guitars and a scarred upright bass. And - because this was Texas - we, of course, danced the Twostep. A rigid etiquette governed this coming'of'age ceremony, and while dancing in public with someone else's woman, I made certain to observe it. I held my left hand cupped as a rest, not a grip, for her right hand. I held my free right arm around her, but kept the hand well above any notion of impropriety, allowing only my thumb to lie against her back. Our bodies almost ' but not quite ' touched. We spoke little because he was watching, and familiarity at such establishments always seemed to breed fistfights. We danced only once and I returned her to him and found other women, all with hims of some relation, either blood or choice. But when the night was all over, I felt, well, manly.  I had danced before at school things and in friends' living rooms, but this was a manhood event for me, this publictwo'step dancing. (We pronounced it "daincing" in the nasal prairie patois that passed for English in West Texas.)  Two'stepping had been the common shared experience of Texan men for a century or more, the unifying occasion of socialization for state rich in space and distance but poor in available proper women. In early times, there were few unmarried women and no place to meet them except public dances. Then, in my time, nice girls didn't go alone to beer joints; they came with their families - and so was born that familiar ritual of watchfulness. It's useless to explain the foot movements of two'step dancing. You kind of slide'shuffle, and either you can do it or you can't. Maybe it's in the genes, but I don't remember not being able to two'step. This peculiarly Texas dance developed, my theory goes, because it fit fiddle and guitar music played in simple two'four time (one'two, one'two, slide'shuffle). And, I surmise, because a dance it required little space. Done traditionally, couples do a lot of stationary turning. "The Texans," observed an English visitor, Mary Jaques, in 1893, "cannot be described as graceful dancers, although they have some power of expressing the poetry of motion; their figures are supple, and they swing and sway a great deal."

Miss Jaques made her observations at a Central Texas ranch dance, where she was properly courted and two'stepped by the cowboys, as all single women were. Back then that was the socially correct two'step venue'ranch and farmhouses to which cowboys would come from everywhere just to dance. ("Rode 20 miles, danced all night, rode 20 miles back," reads an 1881 diary entry of one cowboy who met his future wife at just such a dance.) 

Dances moved from house to house and took place about every three months. Families would come in wagons and buggies, men by horseback. Fiddles and guitars would strike up in a corner and dancing commenced, usually not ending until dawn, while babies slept clustered on one big bed and young children played together on the front porch.

Ranch dances brought two noticeable things to the two'step. First, that economy of movement. You danced where you stood because there was no space in small rooms for long'distance dancing. Second of all, hatless cowboys. After all, it was considered poor taste to wear your hat inside somebody's house.

The dances ended, I suppose, when public drinking finally was allowed in Texas. Beer joints became the places where young men and women could go to meet one another. By my time, however, the mechanics of the two'step had long since become stamped onto the collective psyche; Texas feet just knew, instinctively, what to do. And the traditional rite of passage, that firmly held introduction to manhood, adapted itself to a new social scene: 18, in Texas, you danced in public. 

Change, though, I've found is no respecter of convention. Real beer joints are about gone, I believe, replaced by bars I find less convivial. The music, I'm happy to say, remains country and western and danceable, however loudly electrified. Young men, no longer in someone's home, do dance with their hats on, and I doubt they feel a need for any kind of formal passage into manhood. The two'step, well, it's still done, but loosed from its claustrophobic limits of cramped rooms, it covers a full dance floor. 

One more thing I've noticed: Couples hold each other closer because there is no he watching by the bar. Now, that appeals to me. I was always in favor of closer dancing.