New Vogue Style Dance

New Vogue is a uniquely Australian version of ballroom dancing. The New Vogue style is recognised in Australia and New Zealand dancesport along with International Standard (Ballroom) and Latin styles. Dancers can study for practical tests "medals" in New Vogue or compete. It is common in Australia and New Zealand for New Vogue dancers to also dance Standard and vice versa.

New Vogue dances are choreographed for all the Standard and Latin dance rhythms plus a march time. As sequence dances there is just one routine lasting for either 16 or 32 bars of music. There are 15 standard New Vogue dances used in competitions and medal tests: they include 5 waltzes (fast waltz slightly slower than Viennese Waltz), 5 foxtrots, 3 tangos and 2 marches.

HIstory of New Vogue Style Dancing

New Vogue developed in Australia in the 1930s and 1940s from English Old Time dancing. Old Time is a sequence dance too, but uses a more turned out foot position which limits the amount of movement that a good dancer can get. New Vogue uses ballroom technique - for example the waltz turns at the end of many New Vogue waltz sequences are normal waltz natural turns - so a good dancer can really make the dance move a tremendous distance.

The technique for both are identical to Standard ballroom for the footwork, but with more room for artistic expression with the arm lines. New Vogue is a great exercise for balance as partners are often at arms-length or out of contact so have to hold their own balance precisely.

For beginners, the woman may feel more out of her comfit zone as a lot of the easier dances have the women dance in front of the man, backing him, in shadow hold. She also often has a free arm "to do something with" which a bit scary if you flunked Ballet Beginners! In fact as the dancers improve the free arm become a natural extension of the body shape, but until the body shape is developed it is probably best to put the arm inoffensively either straight out or on the hip, out of harms way! For the beginner male dancer New Vogue is relatively easy who does not have to remember extra choreography or learn to manoeuvre around the floor - just keep going anti-clockwise will work!

The key features of New Vogue which makes it a unique dance style and of enduring popularity are:

• a huge variety of dances: even when restricted to the 15 used in competition this is a lot dances;

• good variety of difficulty from simpler to more difficult;
• can fit more couples on the floor as everyone is dancing in sequence

• there is more freedom of expression for competitive dancers as the variety of holds with the women in front of the man to the side allows a lot more body shape than is technically possible in standard ballroom hold.
• predominantly standard speed music is used so there is a some nice modern music to dance to.

• although a sequence there is a surprising variety of body lines, shapes and arm lines particularly when watching higher level competitors which makes it a popular spectator dance form

For more details on New Vogue Style Dances please see:

New Vogue Waltzes

New Vogue Foxtrots

New Vogue Tangos