Cinderella

Cinderella is a short hesitation waltz sequence that appeared in both the first and second editions of the collection Dance Mad, or the dances of the day, compiled by F. Leslie Clendenen and published in St. Louis, with the two editions both coming out during 1914.  

The dance was created by St. Louis dancing master W. T. Clark.  I expect that it was named after the then-brand-new Cinderella Dancing and Skating Palace shown at left (photo from the Pinterest collection of Scott McIntosh; click to enlarge), where Clark was the manager and dancing master.  His role there is mentioned in the December 16, 1913, issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which also noted that Professor Clark would be demonstrating and teaching the Cinderella at the Post-Dispatch Christmas Festival Fund benefit the next evening, and that it would then be included on the evening's dance program, along with the Wave, the tango, the Castle Walk, the Norfolk and the Dream Waltz.

Cinderella may be done to any waltz music.  Since it is a hesitation waltz, the tempo should be brisk or the dance will feel tedious.

The dancers begin in a normal ballroom hold, opened so that both face line of dance.  The steps below given are for the gentleman; the lady dances opposite.

Cinderella
1b    Balance forward onto left foot
1b    Rock back onto right foot
1b    Step forward onto left foot (1), swinging the right foot forward (2) and hopping on the left (3)
1b    Step strongly forward onto right foot, bending the knees in a dip, and hold, rising at the end of the bar
2b    Step left to the side, along line of dance, and close with right foot (1b); repeat, closing without weight
2b    Step right to the side, against line of dance, and close left foot (1b); repeat, closing without weight
8b    Waltz or hesitation

The first half of the dance is very straightforward, a simple sequence that briefly moves against the line of dance and thus needs to be done with care in a crowded ballroom.  It is not, strictly, a sequence dance, however, since the last eight measures are to be improvised by the dancers, with some combination of waltzing or hesitation steps.  The waltz would be the box-step-based "new waltz" in its gliding 1910s style.  The hesitation would probably be the basic "hesitate for one measure/waltz for one measure" combination that was one of the most basic hesitation patterns.

The option to waltz or hesitate gives  rise to some interesting opportunities for improvisation.  The waltz could be turned either to the right (natural) or left (reverse).  It could even travel without turning, with either the lady or the gentleman going backwards.  And, of course, the waltz could be mixed up via the many possible combinations of direction and turn.

Adding the hesitation pattern to the mix provides even more options.  The hesitation step itself can be made forward, backward, or to the side.  The following waltz step can be made forward, backward, or turning either naturally or in reverse, depending on whether, where, and how much the gentleman turns before, during, or after the hesitation step.  Combining the waltz with the hesitation pattern (four of one and four of the other, for example) opens up even more options.  I can't even begin to cover them all, but I'll make a quick list of how to set up various possibilities:

• To begin a natural waltz turn, the gentleman needs to step backward on his left foot
  
  
• To begin a reverse waltz turn, he needs to step forward on his left foot
  
  
• To hesitate and then do a natural waltz half-turn, the hesitation step (left foot) needs to leave the gentleman positioned to step forward on his right foot
  
  
• To hesitate and then do a reverse waltz half-turn, the hesitation step needs to leave the gentleman positioned to step backward on his right foot

The starting position for the waltz options should be set up on the eighth measure, the final draw step to the right.  The gentleman should swing himself behind the lady (facing line of dance) on this step or in front of her (back to line of dance), depending on which direction he wants to begin turning or whether he prefers instead to travel forward or backward without turning.

The hesitation pattern add a complication: the waltz step will always be made on the right foot.  That means that rather than a full turn, the dancers will tend to oscillate, doing half-turns first one way and then the other.  The hesitation step itself can be forward, backward, or sideways, and along or against the line of dance or across it.  However it is made, the dancers must be able to then swing into position for either a waltz step with the right foot, as noted in the last two options above.

Because of its combination of simple sequence and brief opportunity for improvisation, Cinderella would make a nice class exercise.  Improvising for eight measures is not too strenuous, and beginners at hesitation waltz would have the comfort of regularly returning to the choreographed section. 

Cinderella
1b    Balance forward onto left foot
1b    Rock back onto right foot
1b    Step forward onto left foot (1), swinging the right foot forward (2) and hopping on the left (3)
1b    Step strongly forward onto right foot, bending the knees in a dip, and hold, rising at the end of the bar
2b    Step left to the side, along line of dance, and close with right foot (1b); repeat, closing without weight
2b    Step right to the side, against line of dance, and close left foot (1b); repeat, closing without weight
8b    Waltz or hesitation

The first half of the dance is very straightforward, a simple sequence that briefly moves against the line of dance and thus needs to be done with care in a crowded ballroom.  It is not, strictly, a sequence dance, however, since the last eight measures are to be improvised by the dancers, with some combination of waltzing or hesitation steps.  The waltz would be the box-step-based "new waltz" in its gliding 1910s style.  The hesitation would probably be the basic "hesitate for one measure/waltz for one measure" combination that was one of the most basic hesitation patterns.

The option to waltz or hesitate gives  rise to some interesting opportunities for improvisation.  The waltz could be turned either to the right (natural) or left (reverse).  It could even travel without turning, with either the lady or the gentleman going backwards.  And, of course, the waltz could be mixed up via the many possible combinations of direction and turn.

Adding the hesitation pattern to the mix provides even more options.  The hesitation step itself can be made forward, backward, or to the side.  The following waltz step can be made forward, backward, or turning either naturally or in reverse, depending on whether, where, and how much the gentleman turns before, during, or after the hesitation step.  Combining the waltz with the hesitation pattern (four of one and four of the other, for example) opens up even more options.  I can't even begin to cover them all, but I'll make a quick list of how to set up various possibilities:

• To begin a natural waltz turn, the gentleman needs to step backward on his left foot
  
  
• To begin a reverse waltz turn, he needs to step forward on his left foot
  
  
• To hesitate and then do a natural waltz half-turn, the hesitation step (left foot) needs to leave the gentleman positioned to step forward on his right foot
  
  
• To hesitate and then do a reverse waltz half-turn, the hesitation step needs to leave the gentleman positioned to step backward on his right foot

The starting position for the waltz options should be set up on the eighth measure, the final draw step to the right.  The gentleman should swing himself behind the lady (facing line of dance) on this step or in front of her (back to line of dance), depending on which direction he wants to begin turning or whether he prefers instead to travel forward or backward without turning.

The hesitation pattern add a complication: the waltz step will always be made on the right foot.  That means that rather than a full turn, the dancers will tend to oscillate, doing half-turns first one way and then the other.  The hesitation step itself can be forward, backward, or sideways, and along or against the line of dance or across it.  However it is made, the dancers must be able to then swing into position for either a waltz step with the right foot, as noted in the last two options above.

Because of its combination of simple sequence and brief opportunity for improvisation, Cinderella would make a nice class exercise.  Improvising for eight measures is not too strenuous, and beginners at hesitation waltz would have the comfort of regularly returning to the choreographed section.