HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Subject: Re:  Restricted syllabus
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Reply-To: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Organization: None
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 17:48:17 GMT
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list

     
     Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 10:25:12 -0500
     From: death@alexandria.lcs.mit.edu (Mark A. Sheldon)
     
     One thing that you are probably finding, at least I am, is that
     *simplifying* a group often helps my partner and me look better:  more
     musical and more at ease.

I suspect that simplification of any group, Latin or Standard, 
involves going back to basic figures.  Of course we will look 
better... we spend a lot of time working on those basic steps, 
for the very reasons you outline below.

     Often, a coach will illustrate a particular aspect of technique using
     one or more syllabus figures in which this feature is of special
     importance.  This helps abstract away certain distractions while we
     attempt to fix whatever the problem was (body position, shape, etc.).
     Then we go back and employ the technique in whatever figure brought the
     problem to the coach's attention.  As you can imagine, prior knowledge
     of at least a core set of syllabus figures is very helpful in these
     situations.  I don't know whether this is as common in Latin, but it
     certainly is in Standard --- especially if you have just a few hours
     with some visiting coach.
     
I second that!  In any dance form, from ballet to ballroom to 
modern (modern dance), freedom, ease of movement, and look 
comes from a mastering (or intuitive physical understanding 
for those who are naturals) of a "few" basic steps or positions.
In ballroom, it applies equally to Latin and Standard.  I'm sure
that all of us who have taken lessons with visiting coaches have
had the experience of starting off a Waltz (or Cha-Cha) and having
them stop us after two measures and say something like, "let me see
that again," and then proceed to work on your 1/2 natural (or forward
break) for 20 or more minutes.  I certainly have never regreted the 
work or the money spent on a lesson like that.

I like the part where you say, "Then we go back and employ the 
technique in whatever figure brought the problem to the coach's 
attention."  That is the tough part!

	-Turtle
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
From: death@alexandria.lcs.mit.edu (Mark A. Sheldon)
Subject: Open Material - and ??
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Reply-To: death@alexandria.lcs.mit.edu (Mark A. Sheldon)
Organization: None
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 19:36:01 GMT
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list


   From: Sven Doerr <sd@i32s5.ira.uka.de>
   Date: 12 Nov 1992 11:24:12 GMT

   death@alexandria.lcs.mit.edu (Mark A. Sheldon) writes:
   > 
   > The standard technique, which is what the
   > syllabus restrictions are supposed to force you to concentrate on,
   > applies to open material --- that's why it's the standard technique ;-)

   I guess 'open material' refers to the Revised Technique, the
   Popular Variations, and the like.  But what is the 'closed material' ?
   How 'closed' is it, how much is it, who has it, how much written,
   and what does it cost :-) ?

`Open' means `not in the syllabus.'  `The syllabus' here in the US for
most international style competitions is the ISTD syllabus, which is
just a list of figures divided into the Bronze, Silver, and Gold
categories.  I always got copies of the syllabus from my coaches ---
it's just a one-page list.  The figures listed are understood to be the
ones in the Revised Technique.  Not all Revised Technique figures may be
listed (anyone know?).  The Revised Technique (an ISTD publication)
gives the standard technique including footwork, amounts of turn,
alignments, and even example amalamations.  The syllabus will sometimes
impose restrictions of the form `as in amalgamation 2', which imposes
the restrictions we all seem to find puzzling.

There is no complete list of open figures, because, as the definition
implies, any figure not in the syllabus (or any syllabus figure done
with non-standard technique) is `open.'  The best resource is probably
your coach.  Video tapes can give you ideas, but you can't really learn
from them (IMHO).  There is a book called something like `Popular
Variation' that provides descriptions (in the style of the Revised
Technique) of a rather large collection of open figures.  I got mine at
a competition, and I believe it was around 10 US$.

-Mark
From: boyd@rabi.uchicago.edu (Glenn Boyd)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Subject: Untitled mail message gatewayed from ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list
Date: 10 Nov 92 23:32:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnews.1992Nov11.020212.9526
Reply-To: Glenn Boyd <boyd@rabi.uchicago.edu>
Organization: None
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu


    Is anyone familiar with the ballroom dance scene in St. Petersburg, 
Russia? I have the opportunity to attend a physics conference there in 
late January, and would like to spend a week or two afterwards enjoying 
the strong US dollar by taking as many International Style private lessons 
as humanly possible. 
   I understand that studios are located in "Palaces of Culture."  Is there
more than one such building in St. Petersburg? So far, I have the name and
number of one English speaking instructor, but I've been unable to communicate
with his wife (I do not speak Russian). If anyone knows the names, addresses,
or phone numbers of English speaking dance instructors in St. Petersburg, 
please let me know.  I'd also like a rough idea of the cost, both to a 
native and a foreigner, of private lessons. How do the quality and expense 
of Russian tails/gowns compare with Western ones?  
    A couple who is competing in Moscow in December is going to mention me
to the St. Petersburg dance crowd, but I'd like as much independent information
as possible.  Thanks in advance for any factual or anecdotal information.

   -Glenn 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
From: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Subject: Re:  Restricted syllabus
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Reply-To: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Organization: None
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 22:58:06 GMT
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list

Mark,
	Thanks for expanding my knowledge on the subject of
closed events.  
	I myself have not gone through the whole Bronze through
Gold syllabus (although I plan to do so in the future) and
learned each step.  I am learning them in a more haphazard
manner - my competition groups that I get from my coach.  I
think that learning steps in this manner is beneficial but
in a completely different way than learning each of the 
syllabus figures.  I am learning the figures in ways that
promote the sense of continuity and flow of the dances, _for
my and my partner's particular style and feeling of dancing_.
I don't do figures if they don't feel right to me and do
do them if they do feel right to me AND look good to my
coach.  
	Hmmm... I guess what I am really talking about
is how figures fit together, not how the steps are done.
In this last process, I can learn how to do each step in
the syllabus but at this point learning how to do the step
in the syllabus manner would probably be detrimental to
my competition dancing.  (I can hear groans from all over the
ballroom community after reading that statement. :-)
To a certain extent my coach thinks so and for now I am willing 
to go along with it.  Oh well, I think I will just continue 
along the way I do now and feel slightly inferior to 
those of you who have learned the syllabus.  (Note: 
However, since we have started studying with our current 
coach we have jumped up a full level in competition.)
	Upon rereading the above I come to the conclusion that
a lot of it is babble.  I think that I have been trying 
to justify the way in which I am learning.  The only
necessary justification needed is how much fun and
satisfaction I get out of it.

-Turtle

.______________________________________________________________________.
|Reid (Turtle) Alyn Brennen       |"Her only convert was a black dwarf |
|Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center| named Chico, who betrayed her faith|
|UC Berkeley                      | in him by roasting her favorite cat|
|rbrennen@iron.berkeley.edu      /  alive over the kitchen fire".      |
|                              / -Edward Rice, Bio of Sir R. Burton    |
`----------------------------------------------------------------------'
From: sd@i32s5.ira.uka.de (Sven Doerr)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Subject: Open Material - and ??
Date: 12 Nov 1992 11:24:12 GMT
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: i32s5.ira.uka.de
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list

In article <1992Nov9.153740.7276@cbnews.cb.att.com>, death@alexandria.lcs.mit.edu (Mark A. Sheldon) writes:
> 
> The standard technique, which is what the
> syllabus restrictions are supposed to force you to concentrate on,
> applies to open material --- that's why it's the standard technique ;-)

I guess 'open material' refers to the Revised Technique, the
Popular Variations, and the like.  But what is the 'closed material' ?
How 'closed' is it, how much is it, who has it, how much written,
and what does it cost :-) ?

 Sven.
From: boyd@rabi.uchicago.edu (Glenn Boyd)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Subject: Untitled mail message gatewayed from ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list
Date: 10 Nov 92 23:32:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnews.1992Nov10.234024.7297
Reply-To: Glenn Boyd <boyd@rabi.uchicago.edu>
Organization: None
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu


    Is anyone familiar with the ballroom dance scene in St. Petersburg, 
Russia? I have the opportunity to attend a physics conference there in 
late January, and would like to spend a week or two afterwards enjoying 
the strong US dollar by taking as many International Style private lessons 
as humanly possible. 
   I understand that studios are located in "Palaces of Culture."  Is there
more than one such building in St. Petersburg? So far, I have the name and
number of one English speaking instructor, but I've been unable to communicate
with his wife (I do not speak Russian). If anyone knows the names, addresses,
or phone numbers of English speaking dance instructors in St. Petersburg, 
please let me know.  I'd also like a rough idea of the cost, both to a 
native and a foreigner, of private lessons. How do the quality and expense 
of Russian tails/gowns compare with Western ones?  
    A couple who is competing in Moscow in December is going to mention me
to the St. Petersburg dance crowd, but I'd like as much independent information
as possible.  Thanks in advance for any factual or anecdotal information.

   -Glenn 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 1992 15:59:32 MST
From: <AGLAP@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Subject:    Help - Waltz music

I need help in finding an appropriate song for a 2-minute waltz
performance for the final project in a beginning ballroom
dance class that I'm taking.  I'd like something with a slow to
moderate tempo and a very obvious beat (my partner and I are
improving but we're still clutzes).  I'd prefer something
contemporary, or at least not too obscure, that I can find
easily at the local Tower Records on cassette.  I've already
listened to some classical waltzes (Blue Danube, Tchaikovsky, Mozart),
and these were much to fast for us.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.
From: stepan@natinst.com (Stepan Riha)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
Subject: Sewing Pattern for Mens Dancing Suit
Date: 12 Nov 1992 12:08:08 -0600
Organization: National Instruments, Austin, TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: falcon.natinst.com
Keywords: ballroom dance suit pattern

I'm looking for a sewing pattern for a competition ballroom dance tail suit.
Does anybody know where such a pattern can be baught?  I've heard that most
competitive suits are made in the UK.  Any addresses or contacts would be
appreciated.

	- Stepan
	
-- 
   Stepan Riha -- stepan@natinst.com

Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
From: troyer@ips.id.ethz.ch
Subject: Restricted syllabus
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Reply-To: troyer@ips.id.ethz.ch
Organization: None
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 00:51:37 GMT
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list


Timed perfectly with the release of the movie 'Strictly Ballroom' the
Swiss Dance Sport Federation has decided to check the syllabus restriction
in the lower grades (D,C) more strictly. I consider a restricted
syllabus for the low grades (these grades are about the prenovice and novice
level in the U.S.) a good thing.  It helps the beginning dancers to
concentrate more on the basic actions instead of eye-catching steps.

To give more information one is restricted to the steps in the
'Revised Technique of Latin American Dancing' in grade D and to
these steps and the steps in 'Popular Variations' in grade C. While
these choices may be debatable I can still accept them.

The problem arose two months ago. They started to check the restrictions in
detail.  One is allowed to dance the steps only exactly like they are given in
these books. Any variation on handhold for example is forbidden. And that's
where it starts to get ridiculous. They want to see the steps only in this exact
form, no variations possible, no combination of two steps possible.

Today we now had the Swiss championships in the Latin American section.
Two couples were disqualified as they did not exactly follow the restrictions.
In fact no couple really followed the exact rules, but to disqualify a couple
based on correct handhold is ridiculous. At an earlier competition a couple
was warned that they will be disqualified the next time. But they did only
dance steps that are allowed. They just did not know the exact technique
and danced a wrong alignment. When a beginner can be disqualified just
because he makes a mistake while dancing a step then the restrictions
are no longer justifiable.

I was further angered by the fact that these disqualifications resulted in
a three hour wait for the results of the champs while we all longed to get
home. Some people had a long drive home and it was nearly midnight when
we could leave.

I just wanted to get rid of my anger at today's championships. 
How are restrictions in the syllabus checked in other countries?
I hope that it is handled in a better way in your country.

Matthias

--
Matthias Troyer - troyer@ips.id.ethz.ch
Newsgroups: rec.arts.dance
From: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Subject: Re:  Restricted syllabus
Gatewayed-From: ballroom@athena.mit.edu
Reply-To: rbrennen@iron.Berkeley.EDU (Reid "Turtle" Alyn Brennen)
Organization: None
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 21:32:28 GMT
Keywords: ballroom, mailing list

I don't know much about this subject but to get
the ball rolling I can comment that, in the
local competitions here in the San Francisco Bay
Area, when there is a "closed syllabus" event
we have "penalty" judges.  Since I have never
seen anyone completely disqualified from one
of these events, I assume that their placings
are penalized when there is a syllabus infraction.

Anyone else have any comments on this?  I would like
to hear more.

-Turtle

.______________________________________________________________________.
|Reid (Turtle) Alyn Brennen       |"Her only convert was a black dwarf |
|Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center| named Chico, who betrayed her faith|
|UC Berkeley                      | in him by roasting her favorite cat|
|rbrennen@iron.berkeley.edu      /  alive over the kitchen fire".      |
|                              / -Edward Rice, Bio of Sir R. Burton    |
`----------------------------------------------------------------------'
From: hist1261@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: Help With Cape Fear Question PLEASE!!
Date: 12 Nov 92 13:30:43 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1992Nov11.194314.53114@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu>, dd00@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (DARIUSH DERAKHSHANI) writes:
> This has been bugging me forever.  Does anyone remember what film was playing
> at the theatre Nolte and DeNiro were at soon after DeNiro's release from
> prison?
> -- 
> 
> Surrealincerely Yours,
> 
>           ====)------------------- Dariush
> 
>                                         "Whatever."
>                         "Life is just an annoying side effect of sex."

I could be wrong, but I think it was "Problem Child".

Richard.

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: david@datamark.co.nz (David Rowland)
Subject: Re: Movies you heard sucked and did
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 05:09:15 GMT
Organization: Datamark International Ltd.

thomas@datamark.co.nz (Thomas Beagle) writes:
>But seriously, a film that sprang to mind was "The Addam's Family".
>The trailer was really good. Everyone told me the film was crap. I saw
>it anyway. It was crap.
>Great production design. Truly inspired casting. Not bad photography.
>Pity about the script really...

Ive got one!!!
Try Highlander II for size.  Now did that suck or what!!!

There was no story line to it, and, it did not seam to follow on from
The Highlander which I really enjoyed.

-- 
| David Rowland       | The British are using New Zealanders.  They must |
| Datamark Intl Ltd   | really mean business !                           |
| Wellington          |      -  General Rommel During Northern African   |
| NEW ZEALAND         |         Campaign WWII.                           |
From: tal691@huxley.anu.edu.au (Tonio Loewald)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: Jackie Chan films
Date: 11 Nov 92 02:49:21 GMT
Organization: Australian National University
NNTP-Posting-Host: 150.203.2.12

hist1261@waikato.ac.nz writes:

>In article <1992Nov10.222456.21680@wam.umd.edu>, dika@wam.umd.edu (Ting Lin) writes:
>> Other Jackie Chan Movies are:
>> 
>> 	Police Story I,II,III
>> 	Ms Rose
	Mr Canton and Lady Rose?

>> 	Drunken Style   (really old)
>> 	
>> 
>> Damn it, I can't think of the names of the others.
>> 	There is a movie similar to Double inpact where twins, Jackie (street-
>> 	wise) meets up with his long lost brother (accomplished musician &
>> 	non-fighter).

Yeah -- I know the one you mean and I can't remember its name either. I
missed it when it was here, but hope to see it next time around. (We are
lucky here to have Chinese films screened once a week late on Sunday
nights.)

>> 
>> 	There is another one . . . 
>> 
>> 	Project A 
>> 	Project A,II
>> 
>> 		I just remembered the above.
>> 
>> I highly recommend the ones I mentioned above.  There are others but they 
>> aren't as good.

While it is just a matter of opinion, there are *lots* of others, many
of which are pretty good. Among his more recent, high budget films:

	Dragons Forever
	Armor of God
	Armor of God II

Armor of God is a film that nearly killed him, and they had to finish
the film really quickly and without many stunts after he came out of
brain surgery. The sequel is much better.

>Do you know how many films Jackie Chan has directed?  After seeing "Police
>Story" I wouldn't mind a list.

Almost all the films listed. Most of the films he has been in since 1982 (say)
he has also directed. Notably NOT including Canonball Run II and Battlecreek
Brawl -- American films in which he was totally wasted.

Tonio Loewald
-- Canberra, Australia - one of many places claiming to be Jackie Chan's home
			 town :)

-- 
Tonio Loewald            | Ph  06 290 1594 | 13 Sabine Cl. Garran
tal691@huxley.anu.edu.au | Fax 06 290 1595 | ACT 2605   AUSTRALIA
"You can lie/You can cry/For all the good it'll do you, you can
die/But when it's done/And the police come/And they lay you down
From: Gordon.S.Witter@dartmouth.edu (Gordon S. Witter)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies,alt.cult-movies
Subject: Re: CHRISTMAS movies?
Date: 6 Nov 92 02:46:23 GMT
 <Bx728D.GnG@ra.nrl.navy.mil> <1992Nov5.160234.12832@RedBrick.COM>  
 <1992Nov5.232247.22643@news2.cis.umn.edu>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a5@newshost.dartmouth.edu

In article <1992Nov5.232247.22643@news2.cis.umn.edu>
donnell@tuna.micro.umn.edu (BogusMan) writes:

> >>>My all-time favorite is Bob Clark's _A Christmas Story_ (1984). 
> >>>Absolute classic.
> 
> 
> Isn't that the same Bob Clark who made "Porky's", "Deathdream", "Deranged", 
> "Black Christmas" and others?
> Just checkig....
> 			
> 					--Judex--

Yep, same guy.

-dino
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: dsy@psych.toronto.edu (Desiree Sy)
Subject: THE STUNT MAN ending
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 18:23:30 GMT

Query: What film might possibly suffer the most by accidentally
not taping the last ten minutes of it?

Answer:  I'm not sure.  But with the help of various netters, I'd
like to know if THE STUNT MAN is in the running.

I've never seen this film before, but I was definitely gripped
(in spite of some really offensive dubbing to try and remove
obscenities), and I've rarely been so annoyed as I was when my
tape stopped short of the end of the film.

I am planning to rent this, but I'm going to be swamped for the
next few weeks.  Therefore, if someone could put me out of my
misery and describe what happens after...


... Lucky does the stunt, sees Cross and Nina from above, and
emerges from the water, I'd be incredibly grateful.

thanks,
desiree
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies