How to dance the stroll

The Stroll Dance Mixer How To

Posted on July 3, 2020July 7, 2020 by Holly Collins

The Fabulous fifties are a great period. From race cars to poodle skirts, this is a fun era. Films like “American Graffiti” and “Grease” paid tribute to the stroll dance mixer. After doing an “American Graffiti” photo shoot for the Historic Elitch Theatre, I thought I would share how to dance the stroll.

History of the Stroll

The stroll was reported in 1957 by Billboard as a new dance craze. That same year the Diamonds had a hit song named the “Stroll.” By 1958 the stroll was featured on a local TV show in Idaho as one of the biggest dance crazes from American Bandstand. From there It became the feature dance on the TV show “Soul Train.”

The Stroll Dance Mixer How To

The stroll begins with two lines of dancers, gentlemen on one side and ladies facing them. While in line they keep time with the basic stroll movement described below. When they get to the top of the line, facing partners will “stroll” to the bottom of the line improvising their favorite dance moves.

Stroll basic movement

Gentlemen

Side left foot tap right foot 3 times, (Step left foot side, tap right foot in front, side, front. Count 1,2,3,4,)
Side, cross behind right (Step side right foot, cross left foot behind right foot count 5,6)
Side right foot tap left foot 3 times. (Step right foot side, tap left foot in front, side, in front Count 1,2,3,4,)
Side cross behind left (side left foot, cross right foot behind left foot count 5,6)
Repeat from the top until you are at the top of the line
At the top of the line improvise your favorite moves down the line
At the bottom get back in line and repeat the basic movement.

Ladies

Side right foot tap left foot 3 times. (Step right foot side, tap left foot in front, side, in front Count 1,2,3,4,)
Side cross behind left (side left foot, cross right foot behind left foot count 5,6)
Side left foot tap right foot 3 times, (Step left foot side, tap right foot in front, side, front. Count 1,2,3,4,)
Side, cross behind right (Step side right foot, cross left foot behind right foot count 5,6)
Repeat from the top until you are at the top of the line
At the top of the line improvise your favorite moves down the line
At the bottom get back in line and repeat the basic movement.

Song:

“The Stroll” by the Diamonds.

Film Locations

We filmed in two locations. The dance demonstration was filmed in front of Local 46 on Tennyson street in Denver with the friends of Historic Elitch Theatre. Dancers included Tim Nikkel, Tawyna Studdard Sarah Mares Angelic O’Halloren, Collette Susman, Jessica Virgo, Craig & Holly Tomazin.

The dance tutorial was filmed in front of the historic Olinger Moore Howard Chapel on Tennyson street Denver. The narrator is Holly Tomazin, sporting her great aunt Nelle’s blue dress she wore as miss Trinidad in 1950. Holly is assisted by her handy husband, Craig.

Last of all is a photo from the American Graffiti shoot taken on the lawn of the Historic Elitch Theatre by Aaron Virgo. Featured in that photo were Michael Bliss, Tim Nikkel, Tawyna Studdard Jesse Lockwood, Amanda Blackwood, Sarah Mares, Ruiari Sussman, Jimmy & Angelic O’Halloren, Collette Susman, Jessica Virgo, George the poodle, Craig & Holly Tomazin.

Thank you to everyone for all you do.

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips,
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of:
The Knot Hall of Fame best wedding dance instruction,
top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
[email protected]
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

References

http://www.vintageinn.ca/tag/the-stroll/

http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/teen_dances.htm

https://dance.lovetoknow.com/The_Stroll_50s_Dance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stroll

1958 stroll mixer https://youtu.be/UrGLNtZ0rEg

Stroll 2 https://youtu.be/aEGMm0Dgsbs

This entry was posted in How to and tagged dance, How to, mixer, Stroll, The Stroll Dance Mixer How To. Bookmark the permalink.

What is the Stroll?

Art

Fact Checked

The stroll is a dance of American origin, though now more popular in European 50s rock and 40s swing clubs. The dance is done to slow swing, rock, or rhythm and blues music and was greatly popularized by the 1957 hit, “The Stroll,” written by the Diamonds.

Actually, the stroll dates back long ago to couples lining up opposing each other, while the couple at the top dances through the line. Such dances were a component of many of the European dances done in the 18th and 19th century. One can often see examples of these types of dances in period films.

The stroll as conceived by American dancers is often credited to having first appeared on the 1950s show American Bandstand. However, evidence suggests some variant of the stroll existed prior to this time.

In general, couples line up opposing each other, while a single couple dances, struts or grapevines through the line. Each couple gets a chance to have all eyes upon them, so the dance is often a time to express individual characteristics. This is exactly the purpose of the stroll as done in the movie version of Grease. As well, many reference, George Lucas’ American Graffiti as a good example of the stroll.

Sometimes, people use the term stroll to refer to line dances such as the Electric Slide. These dances are usually all dancers moving in unison, as opposed to the formed line in which individuals can have a chance to promenade.

Most commonly, though, the stroll refers to the dance as conceived in the 1950s. For beginning dancers the stroll is one of the easiest dances to learn, since it is short, and mistakes are generally tolerated. The stroll also provides a nice break from the more demanding footwork required by faster music. Since one is primarily just standing, or moving from foot to foot and snapping or clapping, the only real movement of the dance is the strut down the middle of the standing dancers.

The stroll also provided a way for dancers in the fifties to perform a dance to slow music that did not require embracing each other. Thus it was likely popular for high school dances as it maintained decorum and kept couples from what school administrators might have deemed inappropriate behavior.

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent MusicalExpert contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Tricia Christensen

This is the most common story of those who believe that the mere act of attending a pair dance class is enough to learn how to dance.
Absolutely not. If you want to really dance well, you have to make an effort outside of the dance class. A good teacher will definitely be needed, but the initiative should be on your side.

1. Listen to music

The most common and accessible advice that is given already in the first lessons. And it definitely works. Music creates a certain atmosphere of the dance and intuitively you want to move to it. It doesn't matter where you listen to music - in the car, on headphones while walking or doing household chores. nine0003

An addition that will help you dance better is your active participation in the music. Sing along, dance or simply beat musical accents with any free parts of the body. In the subway, for example, it is enough to tap out bright moments with your fingers, in the car to sing along with sounds, and at home you can jump for pleasure.

2. Watch videos of good dancers

It's complicated, but also obvious. It’s more difficult, because without recommendations from more experienced dancers, unfortunately, it’s not so easy to find a good quality video on the net (I mean not the resolution quality, but the content itself). nine0003

Meaningful video viewing is about building an understanding of HOW dancers make a particular impression on a partner or viewer. Technology is at the heart of everything. Understanding how the pros do it is a big step forward.

It is important to distinguish a show from a disco dance, a staged performance from an improvisation, a stylized dance from an authentic one, etc. Ask for recommendations and dance teachers will always throw off a couple of videos of worthy landmarks. nine0007

Tango Z. Showreel.

Online modern tango courses

Tango nuevo is the most advanced version of tango. We can quickly learn to dance from zero to a steep level.

View details

3. Dance in salsatecas/milongas/discotheques

A very delicate moment when it is worth coming to the first party. From a technical point of view, most students in 1-3 months have a sufficient set of figures and techniques to come and dance calmly. Psychologically, the same moment can be stretched out for an indefinite time. After all, it is imperative to “not lose face”, “learn more figures” and be sure what to do in case “there is an unfamiliar movement”. nine0003

In fact, the partygoers don't really care (except for a small layer of non-professional teachers who want to help inexperienced dancers by treating them as customers in the future). It is important to come and try dancing after a month of classes. You can only with friends or guys from your group. This will be enough to feel the adrenaline and inspiration from the dance.

4. Dance with partners or partners not of your level

The conventional wisdom that you need to practice in groups of your level does not withstand the test of experience. Perhaps now your eyes widened in surprise, and you want to meaningfully read the phrase again. Yes, you saw everything correctly: when you dance with a partner of your level, you don’t grow anywhere. nine0003

It's important to understand that not only does it work one way and you have to dance with cooler dancers, but it works even more effectively the other way. It is no coincidence that teaching pair dances dramatically raises the level of the teacher himself. You have an endless stream of very beginner dancers.

How it works. A more experienced partner needs to be "stretched". It's easy and obvious. With beginners, you need to take more initiative on yourself, see the general pattern of the dance more widely, turn on and insure more, try to be an example and be more careful. The quality of interaction begins to grow significantly. And wonderful partners too. nine0003

Dancing with partners of your level doesn't make you grow. Dance with both beginners and more advanced dancers

Dominican Bachata Women's Style Online Course

Want to learn how to hypnotize those around you with the most appetizing part of your body? On the course we will tell you all the secrets.

Interesting

5. Learn to dance for a partner and for a partner

Turks and Argentines are one of the best partners in the world. In Russia, partners are highly valued. Why? The answer is simple. In Argentina and Turkey, it is not questionable for men to ask another man to lead in one piece or another and give feedback on the quality of the lead. For them, it will be a great shame to hear moralizing from a partner, or even more so to be known in the community as an insecure partner. nine0003

In Russia, due to the constant, often far-fetched, opinion that there are more women in pair dances, partners calmly get up and study their partner's part. Such partners then grow into very cool dancers and teachers. In no case do this at parties, only in class. Here we are talking only about the learning strategy. At parties, be yourself.

6. Do not memorize the links

Always try to look deeper and understand the through principle and idea of movement. Understanding what and how is done will make it possible to independently generate any sequences and chips. nine0003

Human memory is limited and there will always be a moment when something will escape and your repertoire will be limited by the size of RAM.

In Argentine tango, for example, there are seven levels of movement construction that, when mastered, will allow you to make millions of combinations. And how many dance sequences can you really remember? In rueda, more than 150 figures dance in a rare circle. It's hard to keep more in mind.

7. Develop your body

Many years of experience in teaching couple dance shows that as soon as everyone pairs up in a class, any progress in individual style ends. But it is the individual style that distinguishes everyone at the disco: partners change, and style is always with you. nine0003

The body as the main instrument of dance must be very plastic, responsive and emotional. Surprisingly, not all pair dance schools have a general physical warm-up. It is vital to tune the body and understand how it works.

You can always train extra and concentrate more on the basic steps, as their true value is as body work. The sequence of steps is, in fact, the simplest thing that can be in pair dancing. The quality of individual performance determines the craftsmanship. nine0003

8. Try on the images of inspiring dancers

A psychological life hack for those who have already mastered the steps, but still feel that there is not enough brightness and drive. Most are terribly afraid of being someone else's "clone". Here the action is the same as under the influence of hypnosis - the more you resist, the more you plunge into an altered state of consciousness.

With a high degree of probability, you are already dancing like someone else's "clone". A meaningful fitting of someone else's image is that you mentally take the image of the one who inspires you (inspiration is critical in this case) and "put on" yourself. Then you start dancing and trying to feel in general how it is to be able, for example, to be the best partner or the sexiest partner in a disco. This is much more difficult than it seems. But it works extremely efficiently. nine0003

9. Dance to offbeat music

Habitual rhythms keep you tight. Tango salon or speedy timba leave little room for experimentation and fantasy. Pattern dancing is always noticeable and is reserved for beginners.

The truly new is born outside of the usual. Look for places to experiment. If there is no place, organize self-training. The main thing is not to get carried away, because music determines the style. We bring something new to pair dances, rather than trying to change them. nine0007

Search, improvise, don’t be afraid to go beyond, develop in different directions, be inspired by music atypical for the style

10. Try your hand at basic dance directions

dances exist according to their own non-choreographic laws.

This is the deepest delusion, which has turned into a ceiling for the qualitative development of partner dances. After all, all professional dancers, for example, in salsa or bachata, build their ideas on the basic choreographic principles. nine0003

Do not think that choreography is only applicable on stage. Any meaningful movement of the body can be choreographic. In general, try classical or modern choreography. Basically, hip-hop can work too.

11. Look for battle sensations

Pair dances return us to an active position of manifestation of our body. As in the days of our ancient ancestors, we impress the members of the opposite sex by how dexterous, hardy, sexy, etc. we are. Modern laws of the jungle in the entourage of large cities. nine0003

If you look around the dance floor, it becomes clear that the majority are clearly herbivores (not in the sense of vegetarians, but in relation to those around them). I am sure that predators are always more interesting in terms of the attractiveness of the image - try to find a counterbalance among herbivores, for example, a cat woman or a lion man.

The conversation is about an internal position, not about aggressiveness. Lability and lack of control are inherent in adolescents, and not in adult self-sufficient people.

Accordingly, even a training or friendly battle gives, on the one hand, practical skills - to make a bright sequence of movements, bring an idea to a climax, show a spectacular feature, on the other hand, develops the psychological basis of the dance - self-confidence, resistance to extraneous attention, self-control and self-control in complex elements. nine0007

12. Communicate with professionals

The environment shapes the internal position. Basically, real passionaries of the dance community are ready to openly talk, discuss and support the development of dance in every possible way. Universal principles and the ideas they articulate have a much longer and more practical perspective than meets the eye.

Accept that, for example, behind the words "listen to your partner" is not only a beautiful metaphor, but also a practical skill to literally listen to your partner. At the same time, always treat every thought, even the most respected teacher, as a private opinion. nine0003

Your skill will lie in finding the scope of the idea even in conflicting opinions. Most often, the contradiction is speculative and the truth lies in the angle of perception or situationality.

Your dancing growth will stop sooner or later. This can happen at the level of three basic steps or years of experience in teaching and show performances. Regardless of your level, the suggested 12 life hacks can get you off the ground and greatly accelerate your dance growth. There is no way here without your motivation and activity. Take your dance development into your own hands. nineOl000 Dangerous sexuality

Salsa: destroyers of stereotypes

Couple dancing as a source of strength.

Self-destruction of the couple dance community

The Salsa series as a mirror of the community

Mamita Fridays: salsa, bachata

Destroying the myths about leading pair dances

Does dancing make us better?

The seven deadly sins of teachers

Why we will never dance bachata like the Dominicans

Why tango?

Dispute over musicality

Selection of dances according to alcohol preferences

Where to find inspiration for dancing? nine0003

Terrible tango nuevo

Distribution of roles in a salsa party

Argentinean tango through the eyes of a salsa dancer

Is there a predisposition to dancing?

Which is more effective: individual or group lessons?

Sexual overtones in pair dances

Al Pacino at 81 dances with headphones on a walk - everyone admires and wants to live the same way

#Al Pacino

February 12, 10:11 pm

Al Pacino turns 82 in April. How does he feel? He seems to be absolutely fine. Here are his latest health interviews:

🍓 “Every morning I wake up, sing Lee Ann Womack's 'I Hope You Dance' right in front of the mirror and start my day. But there is a huge difference between wishing for the kind of joy that inspires a casual dance and actually breaking free from the clutches of a monotonous life. I just live happily." nine0003

🍓 Interview last November: “Am I 81? Wonderful! I feel just great. Yes, recently a couple of wrinkles and gray hairs have been added. But I am young at heart - this determines my condition.

🍓 “I'm just constantly on the move. It gives me pleasure and prolongs my life.”

🍓 “Age is just a number. It all depends on where life takes you and how you feel. Especially when you're dealing with fame like me. I don't feel old, I can't even describe how I feel. Of course, as long as I have an appetite, I intend to keep working.” nine0003

And this is how he was photographed on February 12 - Al Pacino was walking around the neighborhood in Beverly Hills and dancing, listening to music on headphones:

@crocinoo

AL PACINO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 😭😭 https://t. co/ujwBtxm2Sl

22:52 - 11 Feb 2022

nine0002 @bestofpacino

He's the best https://t.co/UOMShw6Sjr

08:12 - 12 Feb 2022

In social networks, he is massively admired.

“This is the best video of 2022. Al Pacino walks and dances to his music. What a king."

@AllyKeyoni

This is the best video ever, 2022 Al Pacino happily dancing to his music what a king 🥺❤️ Legit makes me so happy to see https://t.co/j6zOw6TERM

Hard to explain the type of calm happiness that this video of 81 year old, dance-walking Al Pacino has brought me this morning https://t.co/8lTeRHOv68

07:32 - 12 Feb 2022

"How I think I look when I go out for a workout VS How I really look. "

@nadia_detriment

How I think I look when I'm out for exercise VS What I really look like https://t.co/UUadIS0Jw3

18:33 - 12 Feb 2022

"I want what Al Pacino has."

@kirkpate

i want what al pacino has https://t.co/ACwxNgPTpA

nine0002 21:49 - 11 Feb 2022

"Al Pacino is the level of carelessness I strive for."

@REGINAVGEORGE

al pacino is literally the level of unbothered i want to be https://t.

How to dance the stroll

The Stroll Dance Mixer How To

Film Locations

References

What is the Stroll?

You might also Like

Recommended

AS FEATURED ON:

Al Pacino at 81 dances with headphones on a walk - everyone admires and wants to live the same way

Learn more