Topper's Dance Club Dance October 2010 Page Five

Did you know? - The necktie (or tie) is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the bow tie, ascot tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck ties are generally unsized, but may be available in a longer size.

The necktie traces back to the time of Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) when Croatian mercenaries from the Military Frontier in French service, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the Parisians. Due to the slight difference between the Croatian word for Croats, Hrvati, and the French word, Croates, the garment gained the name "Cravat". The new article of clothing started a fashion craze in Europe where both men and women wore pieces of fabric around their necks. In the late 17th century, the men wore lace cravats that took a large amount of time and effort to arrange. These cravats were often tied in place by cravat strings, arranged neatly and tied in a bow.

Did you know? - The imagery of Halloween is derived from many sources, including national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula), and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy).[16] Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween.

Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, the occult, magic, or mythical monsters. Traditional characters include ghosts, witches, skeletons, vampires, werewolves, demons, bats, spiders, and black cats. Black and orange are the traditional Halloween colors and represent the darkness of night and the color of bonfires, autumn leaves, and jack-o'-lanterns

Did you know? - The United Country Western Dance Counsel (UCWDC) rules list the Two-step at 182-198 BPM for competition music, while the Country Western Dance International (CWDI) rules lists the Two-step at 160-192 BPM for competition music.

The Texas Two Step includes three steps: a quick step, a quick step, and then a slow step. The lead steps forward on his left foot, lifting his right heel for the first step, which is the first quick step. It can be danced to music with either a 2/4 or 4/4 time signature. The best effect is created when dancers achieve a smooth gliding motion in time to the music. Although three steps are taken the dancer only progresses two steps.

The 1939 book "Cowboy Dances" states that, "The real two-step should be smooth and beautiful to watch. But in a Western dance it is quite in kind to make it joyous and bouncy. In fact, the man will find that if he spins continuously to the right while he dances (that is, in the "right face" direction), it is good fun to lift the lady off the floor as he "slides" (or just before he "slides") with his right foot. As he leads with his left he does a regular two-step, but always as he leads with his right he lifts his partner as high as he dares without spoiling her rhythm or her step, for she must come down exactly on the beat. And the faster the spin, the greater the centrifugal force, and the easier the lift. The ladies, bless 'em, seem to like it.