Tuesday Dance Trivia: Why do Balboa followers wear high heels
by Alain Wong
Last week’s answer
Who topped the Billboard magazine top ten dance bands for 1940? As a bonus, name the top 3.
ANSWER: 1. Glenn Miller 2. Kay Kyser 3. Tommy Dorsey 4. Benny Goodman
5. Orrin Tucker 6. Jan Savitt 7. Guy Lombardo 8. Sammy Kaye 9. Hal
Kemp 10. Jimmy Dorsey
Freddie, you were so close. Three out of the top four. Thank you for the educated guess! Kudos to Sarah as well for getting two of the top three.
This Week’s Tuesday Trivia Question: Balboa dancers and high heels
Balboa is a dance originating from Southern California in the 1920’s. It was contemporaneous with Lindy Hop - both were danced to swing music. This week’s question: why do Balboa followers wear high heels?
Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.
Although we use the title “Lindybloggers”, we definitely appreciate the support of Balboa dancers who read our blog. This should be an easy one for those of you who bal, and maybe not as easy for the Lindy Hoppers out there who haven’t tried it yet. For those of you who haven’t, I definitely recommend learning this dance, as it will open up your dancing to a whole new world. For more information, check out Bobby White’s interview with Balboa Mastermind Nick Williams and read BalboaNation.com
uh, this is a trick question right? Followers always want to wear high heels.
Follows definitely look great in the heels. In addition, the follows who originally danced balboa would wear heels. Balboa is mostly stationary and hence the shoes that a woman would go out in (heels) were sufficient also for dancing. Most of all, it is recommended that follows wear heels in order to put their weight sufficiently forward to get a chest to chest connection. This connection enables guys to lead adlibs and variations through their body. A few follows have been able to get the proper connection without the use of heels. Sylvia Sykes does not wear heels but even for such a wonderful dancer it took years of practice and she didn’t wear heels not out of her preference but for health issues.
Same reason dudes put custom rims on their cars.
[...] Last week’s answer Why do Balboa followers wear high heels? ANSWER: Here’s a quote from an original master of the dance, Willie Desatoff, taken from BalboaNation: “Question—Why highheels? I’ll try to keep the answer on a simple plane—several reasons why heels were worn —among which is basically the kind of shoes worn by Balboa dancers—the heels gave the lady a natural (with knees straight and good posture) forward lean to the balls of the feet. Flats and tennies just do not show the real Balboa!!! High heels were the fashion of the day and still worn by dancers. Many’s the time that I said exactly the same thing that my good friend Maxie did—Bless him!!” Willie Desatoff (1921-2005) [...]
From the beginning of partner dance, the follower has always primarily worn a heel.
In All dances, even Lindy Hop. Even whitey’s dancers when not working, performing wore some type of heel. It was Herbert White’s rule that the Girls wear flats when performing, this like most trends spilled onto the social floor but only in small numbers.
Shag dancers were the all around exception, the Teenagers in their saddle shoes and bucks. But like all teenagers growing up, their came a time when they wanted to be grown up and started wearing Heels…check out the movies, check out the pictures and you will be surprised…
I think Balboa dancers and Bal-swing dancers immediately feel the positive effects of wearing a Heel, where in Lindy Hop only the best wear a heel…