Balboa (dance)
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Balboa is a form of a swing dance that emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. It is danced with the lead and follow dancing where their chests touch for a body lead connection. The art of Balboa is the subtle communication between the lead and follow, like weight shifts, that most viewers cannot see. So, Balboa is a dancer's dance, more than a viewer's dance.
Balboa is danced to a wide variety of tempos. Because the basic is so simple, Balboa is danced to fast music (over 300 bpm). Balboa is also danced to slow music (under 100 bpm), which allows more time for intricate footwork and variations.
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Forms
Balboa has two main forms.
- Pure Balboa: In this form, dancers stay together, their torsos touching, doing variations based on footwork, turning as a couple, and moving as a couple.
- Bal Swing: In this form, dancers separate their bodies for individual turns and moves, much like in swing dance, in addition to Pure Balboa moves.
History
Balboa was invented in the 1930s and 1940s in California. Balboa is named for the Balboa Peninsula, in Newport Beach, California where it was invented.
A small, active Balboa community has always existed in the Los Angeles area. Today, Balboa is resurging world-wide.
Some of the original Balboa dancers once said, "We can't tell you how to dance Balboa, but we can tell you when you are not dancing Balboa."
Comparisons to Lindy Hop
Balboa is a contemporary of Lindy hop, so comparisons are hard to avoid.
- Both dances evolved at the same time with the same swing music. The center of Balboa was Los Angeles, while the center of Lindy Hop was New York City.
- Most Balboa moves are simple and lack the flash and exaggeration of Lindy Hop moves. Balboa can be danced to much faster music than is possible with Lindy Hop.
- Balboa had a steady community over the last 70 years. Balboa never died out the way Lindy Hop did.
- Today, Balboa moves are commonly used in the Lindy Hop and vice versa.
Description
Body Position
The dancers stand close, touching from hip to upper chest. This makes communication with body language very easy. The man's right front torso (rib cage) touches the woman's center front torso (rib cage). They are offset by about 45 degrees.
Body Lead
There are many variations on how dancers move during the basic step. Each variation looks different. Each variation communicates movement to the follow differently. Dancers do all of the following (from the lead's point of view):
- Stay in place while doing the footwork.
- Move back and forth between 2 positions on the floor, about 4 to 8 inches or 10 to 20 cm apart.
- Walk forward and backward in a line: back, back, forward, forward, forward, back.
- Move in a box: back - side - middle - forward - side - middle.
Basic footwork
The basic footwork is typically like this: (assuming both dancers alternate between two positions on the floor 4 to 8 inches or 10 to 20 cm apart).
Lead:
- Step back left.
- Step together right.
- Kick forward left.
- Step together left.
- Step forward right.
- Step together left.
- Kick back right.
- Step together right.
Follow:
- Step forward right.
- Step together left.
- Kick back right.
- Step together right.
- Step back left.
- Step together right.
- Kick forward left.
- Step together left.
Footwork Variations
Dancers vary their footwork, to respond to the music or their partner.
Many footwork variations can be done independently of the partner. The three most common footwork variations are single, double, and triple time.
- Single time or down hold: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are step-holds.
- Double time or up hold: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are kick-steps. This is the most common variation.
- Triple time: Counts 3-4 and 7-8 are triple steps.
- Fan step: In single time, the left foot fans out to the left, on the 3-4 for leads or 7-8 for follows.
- Slide step: When moving the left foot back or the right foot forward, slide it.
- Dig Dig Step: Counts 3-4 or 7-8 are kick - kick - step. This move crosses double time motions with triple time timing.
Some footwork patterns require cooperation with the partner.
- V Slide: On the 3-4 or 7-8, slide both feet out in a V to hit a break. Use the following 1-2 or 5-6 to return to the basic pattern.
Main Variations
Five loose categories of variations are pure, throwouts, lollies, crossovers, and fancy. Balboa also borrows moves from other dances, especially Charleston.
- Pure: In pure Balboa, dancers stay in contact torso-to-torso. There is a lot of freedom to change direction, to change footwork.
- Paddles: Clockwise, counterclockwise. For counterclockwise paddles, the lead begins with the usual back left, togther right, step left, hold. During the step hold the lead starts turning. The lead then turns with a step right - step left - step right - step left. The lead continues turning with this pattern, until he changes to another variation. Clockwise paddles begin by starting with the hold on counts 7-8.
- Move Forward and Backward: Normally, on the 1-2 the lead steps backwards, and on the 5-6 the lead steps forward. The lead can simply keep going backward or forward for as many steps as desired.
- Move Sideways:
- Shuffle Step:
- Crab Walk: This variation keeps the step - together footwork pattern of the 1-2 or the 5-6 going. From the 1, this would be back - together - forward - together - etc. From the 5, this would be forward - together - back - together - etc. This can be exaggerated from the 1, back - together side - forward - side - back - etc. Exaggerated from the 5, forward - together - side - back - side - forward - etc. After doing 8 counts, one can return to the basic pattern.
- Snake: This is like doing paddles for 3 steps in ont direction, then paddles for 3 steps in the other direction. The lead tends to slowly back up. Usually, the lead start with a large backward step with his right on 7.
- Come Around: This is the first part of many variations, especially throwouts.
- Throw Outs: See also Throwouts (dance).
- Swing Outs:
- Lollies: Kick step, kick step. Usually, the lead slowly walks around the folow, who spins in place. See also Lollies (dance)
- Crossovers: Crossovers have an in-out feel. See also Crossovers (dance).
- Push and Pull: with twists
- Swivels:
- Fall off the log: By default, the kicks occur on the 3 and 7 counts. Both step in front and behind variations.
- Fancy: These are special variations that are part of the history.
- Texas Tommy: The follow spins away with a Texas Tommy, which the lead does a heel slide.
- Pop Turns: The follow does rock - step - spin - spin. The big difference is that the lead closes and moves forward on the 5-6.
- V Slides: The follow does standard footwork. The lead pushes the follow a little bit on the 5-6 to create some space between them. Then the lead does a V Slide on the 7-8.
- Charleston: It is very common to add Charleston variations.
As a rule, transitions between moves are made on the slow (3-4 or 7-8) counts, because there is more time to signal and make adjustments.
Famous dancers
External links
- History of Balboa (http://www.lindycircle.com/history/balboa/)
- Balboa Nation (http://www.balboanation.com/)sv:Balboa (dans)