Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (American Ballet Theatre) [VHS]

The American Ballet Theater version of the Tchaikovsky classic, a 1977 studio rendition directed by Tony Charmoli, has become a holiday perennial on PBS stations and home video. It's a favorite of parents who want to give their kids the gift of culture--and with good reason. There's a loose fairy tale plot to keep dance neophytes interested, and Boris Aronson's eye-candy production design is a series of lavish dioramas. From an imperial-era Russian Christmas party out of Tolstoy, a young girl named Clara (Gelsey Kirkland) is whisked in dreams to an imaginary world populated by the animated creations of the wizard toy maker Drosselmeier (Alexander Minz), who prances on his stick-thin limbs like a Dickens illustration come to life. The main attraction is, of course, Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the greatest classical dancers of the century, at his absolute peak of athleticism and precision. An opening slow-motion montage diagrams his fabled smoothness of execution, elegant airborne trajectories that have a feather-light perfection. Music lovers who know only "The Nutcracker Suite" will relish the chance to hear this great score all the way through, conducted with lilt and vigor by Kenneth Schermerhorn. --David Chute

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The six main styles of American ballroom dance

Ballroom dancing is an elegant art with some styles, covering back hundreds of years. Ballroom dance is popular Today, with the American people, partly due to the underlying stream network television show showcasing dances such as the "Waltz and Tango, Foxtrot.
In this article I want to look at the six main styles of American Ballroom and give you a little story about each one.
Valse
The oldest of all the styles of ballroom dance, waltz is said to have arisen at the beginning of 1830 from German folk dance known as the Lander. The first version of waltz was known as Waltzer and is considered one of the favourite Dancing Queen Elizabeth. Today it is an elegant dance, done in a very formal parameters.
Tango
Younger then Waltz dance, tango, an Argentine, often referred to as the Argentine tango. He first started gaining popularity in the early 1900 until the first world war, when it was introduced into Europe. This is a very exotic dance, said to start it in the ghettos of Buenos Aires. American Tango is more structured version of tango dancers interpret more illustrations.
Swing
There are several styles of swing. Most of the standard of the West Bank and East coast swing. Usually when you think swing, this style more precise dance that first became popular in 1920. Although there are some specific styles of dance swing, taught in separate classes around the country, East coast swing is the most popular in the majority of dancing.
Rhumba
Originating as a mixture of several Cuban dances she had danced in American is dancing after the second world war. Hip movement of this dance is the most significant point and the main part of the dance that's stuck in the style of the Cuban roots.
Cha Cha
With deep roots in the West Indies and a plant that is used to manufacture Cha-Cha, MARACA type instrument, played in bands, Hatian Cha Cha emerged as a style of dance, danced together music bands typical Voodoo. Closer to Mambo it Latin origin and first appeared in the United States around 1954. Since he was a principal product style Ballroom.
Foxtrot
This is one of the smoothest styles of Ballroom and enables the entire dance floor. Foxtrot is supposed to have been developed from dance act in New York around 1914. It was one of the first dance, music and dancing partners closer Ragtime are included in the room. To this day, Foxtrot is the favorite, is often seen as the first dance at a wedding.



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