Suitable for beginners (perhaps)
06/20/1998
(2 out of 5 stars)
"BALLROOM DANCING - Chris Kalogerson & OrchestraExperienced ballroom dancers, read no further--this CD is not for you. The tempo on most of these selections is painfully slow, suitable for beginner's practice. One can almost hear the dancer counting "1-2-3" in the waltz (85 BPM), or "slow-slow-quick-quick" on the fox-trots. The Latin selections lack the fire and energy associated with this type music. On the two rumba selections (Spanish Eyes & Day in the Life of a Fool) the tempo is OK. On the cha-chas the rhythm is understated, and difficult for an inexperienced dancer to follow. A tip-off should be that this CD has "Dance Instructions Enclosed." Descriptions of the basic step of seven dances (with numbered foot-diagrams) is enclosed. A novelty is the inclusion of the "Butterfly" dance word-description. Track # 8, "Little Brown Jug," is labeled "Butterfly," and has the expected repeated changes of tempo from 3/4 to 2/4."