Wrapping up my rather drawn-out examination of Albert W. Newman's Boston variations, here is an actual sequence mixing his Long Boston with various hesitations. As usual, it's not clear how he distinguishes between Boston and hesitation waltz. The Newman Hesitation Boston was published in Newman's Dances of to-day (Philadelphia, 1914) and later reprinted, with some minor edits, in F. Leslie Clendenen's Dance Mad (St. Louis, 1914).
Newman called his little sequence "one of the most popular dances at the present time", though I doubt that was actually true anywhere outside Newman's own sphere of influence. In Dance Mad, he edited his claim to "The most popular Hesitation Waltz in Philadelphia at present." He also described it in his own book as "very easy" and "most restful". It is not only simple to dance, it's actually quite lovely.
The starting position is a standard close ballroom hold. The gentleman starts on the left foot, the lady on the right.
Newman Hesitation Boston (32b waltz sequence)
4b Long Boston spin turn to the right
4b Newman's "hesitation step", twice
8b Stroll
4b Long Boston spin turn to the right
8b Jig-Saw step, twice
4b (tango position) Forward four steps along line of dance
The pieces, giving the gentleman's feet; the lady dances opposite:
- the Long Boston spin turn: step back left, then rock forward right, back left, forward right, turning clockwise. Described in detail here.
- Newman's "hesitation step": step left to the side (1), pause (2, 3), shift weight to right foot, bending slightly (4), straighten knee (5), bend again (6). Described in detail here.
- the Stroll: the Picket Fence in waltz time. Four steps back, one per measure, starting with the left foot, then four steps forward in Yale position on the left diagonal. Described in detail in one-step time here.
- the Jig-Saw step: one step per measure; back left, back right with dip, shift onto left, forward right with dip. Described in detail here.
- forward in tango position: both dancers face line of dance, joined hands extended in front; four steps, one per measure, beginning with left foot
Newman's instructions are perfectly clear and there are no issues with the reconstruction.
Variations
While Newman gave the above description as a full sequence, and it works nicely as a group dance for an entire room at once, dancing it that way is not mandatory. Newman also noted that
"After the step have been mastered n this particular form then it will become more interesting to vary the construction of the same by placing the steps in such a manner so as to be most practical for the various spaces upon the floor, thereby avoiding collision."
In other words, this sequence can be used by a single couple and the pieces can be mixed and matched in whatever way suits. His two specific suggestions:
- the Long Boston spin turn for two measures and then the walk in tango position, starting alternately with the left foot and the right. The foot change doesn't actually work if each piece is danced in full, since all the sequences start on the left foot, and in the Dance Mad reprint the alternating feet were eliminated. But alternating two measures each of spin turn and tango walk works fine, though depending on the amount of spin the dancers may head off in unexpected directions.
- alternating two measures of Long Boston spin turn and two measures of his hesitation step, reversing the spin turn the second time. For the reversed spin turn the gentleman steps forward on this left foot and then rocks back onto the right. This combination is a bit weird; the dancers will be hesitating at somewhat random angles, depending on exactly how much spin they put into the spin turn.
There are, of course, many other ways to combine and rearrange the steps.
In the Dance Mad reprint, there are some minor changes:
- the Long Boston spin turns were given as "Boston or waltz"; Newman's waltz was basically the box step, turning to the right. Choosing waltz would add a lot more travel to the sequence!
- the first variation changes from alternating Boston and walking every two measures to alternating waltzing and walking. The part about alternating lead foot was deleted.
Music
There is no specific music for this sequence. Newman recommended "any spirited waltz", meaning a fast waltz.
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