Jackets and Dancing

I've recently arrived back from my first cruise with Cunard, on the Queen Elizabeth. My husband and I are keen regular dancers, although not particularly good. My husband is VERY fit (he was in the gym every day and did Spin classes on every sea day) but he also feels the heat terribly, so although he wears his jacket when walking around the ship he always takes it off once in the restaurant (he would not enjoy his meal if overheated) and as soon as he wants to dance. We were a little concerned about him doing this on Cunard, but it was fine, no-one said anything, and he was able to enjoy his evenings. I have to say that, even wearing a strappy dress, I also get very overheated myself so I would consider it extremely unfair for men to be forced to wear jackets all the time.

The dance hosts on our cruise seemed to treat the single ladies quite fairly, dancing with both the attractive and the good dancers equally with the not-so-attractive and not-very-good dancers, however the same could not be said of the dance teacher. He danced exclusively with a Taiwanese lady,who we presumed was having private lessons with him, and when they took to the floor there was little room for anyone else, they danced as if they were on "Strictly Come Dancing." It was quite intimidating for novices to be on the floor at the same time as them.

Another thing I found worrying was that some of the ladies, usually the younger ones, wore totally inappropriate footwear on the dance floor. Obviously the regular dancers had proper dance shoes, but others wore very high, spiky heels which could be lethal if they accidentally trod on someone's foot. There was one girl in particular (another of the Taiwanese party) who I avoided like the plague, I was terrified of her five inch spikes.

We do have Lady Dance Hosts occasionally on Cunard QM2 . I've been on two voyages where there have been female dance hosts ( August 2014) and the other week on the WB 175 celebration transatlantic . ;)

Do you mean a lady host who just hosts the dance and makes the announcements or lady dance hosts who are specifically employed by Cunard to dance with single men? If the latter then this must be a surprising change of policy !

Is it really 2015 😂

 

 

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I was thinking the very same thing.

Do you mean a lady host who just hosts the dance and makes the announcements or lady dance hosts who are specifically employed by Cunard to dance with single men? If the latter then this must be a surprising change of policy !

Yes I mean a Female dance host specifically employed by Cunard to dance with single men ,I have to admit it was a surprise for me too.

The first time I encountered a female dance host (from the UK) was in August 2014, it was my birthday cruise so I was in my element as there were no other single guys who were interested in dancing or visiting the Ballroom . I was fortunate to have a dance partner every evening for almost 14 days.

The other week ( transatlantic 175 celebration) I encountered a second female dance host ( from the USA) I felt a wee bit sorry for her as there were no single guys in Ballroom and I was fortunate to be travelling with a dance partner. She occasionally danced with one or two single ladies or assisted the male partners of other ladies during the midday dance lessons .

I think I may have a photo of one of them , I'll see if I can download it. :)

Yes I mean a Female dance host specifically employed by Cunard to dance with single men ,I have to admit it was a surprise for me too.

 

The first time I encountered a female dance host (from the UK) was in August 2014, it was my birthday cruise so I was in my element as there were no other single guys who were interested in dancing or visiting the Ballroom . I was fortunate to have a dance partner every evening for almost 14 days.

 

The other week ( transatlantic 175 celebration) I encountered a second female dance host ( from the USA) I felt a wee bit sorry for her as there were no single guys in Ballroom and I was fortunate to be travelling with a dance partner. She occasionally danced with one or two single ladies or assisted the male partners of other ladies during the midday dance lessons .

 

I think I may have a photo of one of them , I'll see if I can download it. :)

Thanks for this revelation Bell Boy.

Dancer Bob and Tangoll : Were you aware of this situation on Cunard ?

Thanks for this revelation Bell Boy.

 

Dancer Bob and Tangoll : Were you aware of this situation on Cunard ?

First I heard about this was on this thread. Then I read that on Crystal Cruises that they have had female dance hostesses since sometime last year. Not sure how well received it has been.

I will say this though: one Japanese lady who dances quite well and getting a lot of invites to dance, not only from GH's but other male dancers as well, mentioned that some ladies objected to her dancing with their husbands, and also from different ladies at lunch or dinner tables in the MDR, were not pleased with her friendly attitude towards the husbands. I certainly can understand the attitudes of some of the Western ladies of mid to later years, who by and large, are large, slow moving, and with skin texture showing signs of aging, being not pleased with Asian women of demure size, willowy walks, and well preserved skin texture, being friendly to the men.

So, I would think that female dance hostesses, if they are younger than 35, trim, attractive, sexy in dress, etc might not be viewed in a receptive manner by ladies who don't dance as well, etc as the hostesses.

Not quite sure why female dance hostesses would be required. Surely if you are a single male interested in dancing there will be enough solo lady travellers to go round. The very fact that the company employs male hosts points out the imbalance..

I have noticed that even when the Gentlemen Hosts are fully engaged there are still single ladies sitting out. I'm sure they would be delighted to have a partner even if he weren't a GH. (And even if, heaven forfend, he had his braces on display.)

Standards, Ah Me, Standards.

MM

The dance hosts on our cruise seemed to treat the single ladies quite fairly, dancing with both the attractive and the good dancers equally with the not-so-attractive and not-very-good dancers, however the same could not be said of the dance teacher. He danced exclusively with a Taiwanese lady,who we presumed was having private lessons with him, and when they took to the floor there was little room for anyone else, they danced as if they were on "Strictly Come Dancing." It was quite intimidating for novices to be on the floor at the same time as them.

Our paths must have crossed so many times on this holiday.

I was very impressed with the ability of three of the four hosts (especially Colin, the tall one) to dance so well with lots of different women. Not that the forth was bad, just not as good at getting the best from strange and varying partners as the others.

I danced with several of the Taiwanese group and in my opinion the one you mentioned may not have been the best dancer but was excellent at following a lead. Apparently the female profesional was off on maternity leave. I'm not sure what the policy is on the teachers dancing in the evenings, some of them help the gentleman hosts out some don't.

As for female dance hosts I'm not sure there's a need. If you run out of single lady passengers there's the cruise staff, and the waitresses. I've even been known to ask the female professionals to dance (when I was young and foolish).:D

Regards, Colin.

Due to my work schedule, I can only be away certain times of the year. Most years there is only one T/A crossing that fits into my schedule. Some years none. But this year I had a choice of two crossings.

One of them coincided with the end of the Blackpool. In fact, US dance magazines had ads for the QM2 "Blackpool" crossing back to New York City. That made my choice easy. No way was I going on that ship. It wasn't the dancers that concerned me, it was the dancers' parents. Having been a dance official years ago for ballroom comps, I pictured nice youth and junior kids with pushy, overbearing parents. While the overwhelming majority of dance parents are great, it only takes a few to ruin your day.

It's possible that when you get them away from competitions there are really nice people and fun to be around. And for all I know, none of them took that boat home. The only thing I know for sure: I wasn't there to find out.

Not quite sure why female dance hostesses would be required. Surely if you are a single male interested in dancing there will be enough solo lady travellers to go round. The very fact that the company employs male hosts points out the imbalance..

I have noticed that even when the Gentlemen Hosts are fully engaged there are still single ladies sitting out. I'm sure they would be delighted to have a partner even if he weren't a GH. (And even if, heaven forfend, he had his braces on display.)

Standards, Ah Me, Standards.

MM

"enough solo lady travellers to go around" I'm afraid that's not always the case Merry Maid. Most Solo ladies feel far more comfortable dancing and interacting with the ships Gentlemen Hosts, rather than a single male guest, I guess they feel they are in a very safe environment with the official dance hosts.

On many occasion I've been made to look a fool, having crossed over to the other side of the Ball Room floor only to be met with a refusal. :(

"enough solo lady travellers to go around" I'm afraid that's not always the case Merry Maid. Most Solo ladies feel far more comfortable dancing and interacting with the ships Gentlemen Hosts, rather than a single male guest, I guess they feel they are in a very safe environment with the official dance hosts.

 

On many occasion I've been made to look a fool, having crossed over to the other side of the Ball Room floor only to be met with a refusal. :(

Well that's a great shame Bell Boy. In my younger days, it was axiomatic that an invitation to dance was accepted even if for only one circuit. Obviously ballroom customs change like everything else, pity.

MM

I'm sorry to hear that Bell Boy. I have danced with quite a few male passengers when they asked me.

and also from different ladies at lunch or dinner tables in the MDR, were not pleased with her friendly attitude towards the husbands.

Women who feed their own egos at the expense of others aren't worth the thought process. :)

Women who feed their own egos at the expense of others aren't worth the thought process. :)

Don't really understand your comment. What is your point?

My point is that women who flirt with other's husbands are annoying, but not worth getting upset about.

My point is that women who flirt with other's husbands are annoying, but not worth getting upset about.

I think the problem is your misinterpretation of what I said. Japanese people are generally friendly towards everyone they meet, without any intention of "flirting". I'm sure the problem you alledged is due more to an overly receptive attitude of the husbands meeting for the first time with a very feminine Asian lady?

I think the problem is your misinterpretation of what I said. Japanese people are generally friendly towards everyone they meet, without any intention of "flirting". I'm sure the problem you alledged is due more to an overly receptive attitude of the husbands meeting for the first time with a very feminine Asian lady?

Oddly enough we had a delightful young Japanese lady who attended some of our social dances here in the UK and her friendliness and enthusiasm for dancing certainly altered many people's long-held perceptions of the Japanese. It's always nice to see an enthusiasm for ballroom dancing crossing the national divides. And the ladies admired her just as much as the men!

It's no surprise that Japanese ladies enjoy ballroom dancing on Cunard as some of the world's greatest ballroom dancers give regular exhibitions in Japan. This video excerpt was one of the earlier ones and shows Andrew and Lorraine Sinkinson dancing a world-class Slow Foxtrot before a predominantly Japanese audience.

The elegant Slow Foxtrot is without doubt the ultimate ballroom dance and very few dancers master it completely but when they do the result is well worth the many years of dedication. Click below to see.........

What a beautiful video. I love the fact that all ages seem to be enjoying watching.

Many thought-provoking posts here. A very interesting thread, even if we're going a bit off-topic.

I'll also defend Japanese ladies except a) very short, and b) very well trained and precise, they don't handle off-tempo music well. This can make it a bit awkward, something like doing Standard with a lady who's trained in Smooth. But that's what the hosts signed up for, and there's no excuse for latin. I suspect, as alluded to by Lakesregion and reading between the lines with fantasy, they're trying to excuse some unsavoury conduct. My two friends who tangoll met, also weren't very impressed by the hosts. It seems to me many simply refuse to do dances they don't like, especially Quickstep, which does at least avoid anybody falling down.

I'll agree with Bell Boy, as a general rule I only ask someone who's wearing dance shoes (I assume fantasy51 and other serious dancers always do). Q-Step's posts have been very interesting.

The cruise staff on Costa do dance with passengers, but I've rarely seen it on Cunard. The only instance I can recall was Jean LaBelle's wife, when she was Social Hostess, an excellent dancer. In reply to Merry Maid, it used to be you could count on there being one or two excellent dancers on any cruise, and several that you could help improve, but I'm afraid that's no longer the situation.

It's no surprise that Japanese ladies enjoy ballroom dancing on Cunard as some of the world's greatest ballroom dancers give regular exhibitions in Japan. This video excerpt was one of the earlier ones and shows Andrew and Lorraine Sinkinson dancing a world-class Slow Foxtrot before a predominantly Japanese audience.

The elegant Slow Foxtrot is without doubt the ultimate ballroom dance and very few dancers master it completely but when they do the result is well worth the many years of dedication. Click below to see.........

Foxy, the very first time Mrs Q & I ventured into open amateur we ended up in the same heat with Andrew and Lorraine (at that time Lorraine Barry.) When we came off the floor and I asked my coach what she thought, she said "sorry, I forgot to look at you, you were dancing next to Andrew & Lorraine." And I was paying her to watch!

Over the years we've been wiped off by the floor by Baricchi and Hawkins & Newberry back when they all were amateurs. I have the videos to prove it. And when I show them to people they say "wow - who was that who just flew by you guys? Do you have more footage of them?"

I do understand that Jackets are required on both formal and informal evenings, but can I take my jacket off while I am dancing? One can get quite hot...

 

Fr. Simon

I've been known to take mine off for a Cha Cha Cha but that was purely to aid movement which my wife refers to as pose mobility.

"enough solo lady travellers to go around" I'm afraid that's not always the case Merry Maid. Most Solo ladies feel far more comfortable dancing and interacting with the ships Gentlemen Hosts, rather than a single male guest, I guess they feel they are in a very safe environment with the official dance hosts.

 

On many occasion I've been made to look a fool, having crossed over to the other side of the Ball Room floor only to be met with a refusal. :(

I know what you mean Bell Boy. I know what you mean.

However, having said that I've encountered some pretty awful gentlemen hosts when in full flow with a quickstep. Grrrrrrr.

Foxy, the very first time Mrs Q & I ventured into open amateur we ended up in the same heat with Andrew and Lorraine (at that time Lorraine Barry.) When we came off the floor and I asked my coach what she thought, she said "sorry, I forgot to look at you, you were dancing next to Andrew & Lorraine." And I was paying her to watch!

 

Over the years we've been wiped off by the floor by Baricchi and Hawkins & Newberry back when they all were amateurs. I have the videos to prove it. And when I show them to people they say "wow - who was that who just flew by you guys? .....

Dancing in the same competition as Andrew Sinkinson is very impressive indeed. He's certainly a pleasure to watch regardless of which ballroom dance he does. And his elegant Slow Foxtrot is the stuff of dreams! If only.

Mr Quickstep, perhaps you can clarify a query as you have experience of ballroom dancing in America as well as England. It's been said on these forums many times that, in general terms, many American dance venues and dance teachers do not teach the Ballroom Quickstep. Why is this?

The Quickstep is a terrific ballroom dance and, in its basic form, not too difficult to learn. So, to British dancers, not teaching it seems a bit of a mystery. Perhaps you could elucidate? Thanks.

As an afterthought, one would not want to keep one's jacket on after several Quicksteps :)

Mr Quickstep, perhaps you can clarify a query as you have experience of ballroom dancing in America as well as England. It's been said on these forums many times that, in general terms, many American dance venues and dance teachers do not teach the Ballroom Quickstep. Why is this?

Foxy, They teach Quickstep in the U.S. And our ballroom comps include QS from bronze novice through open. The confusion comes from the two styles of ballroom we have here in the colonies. International style and American style.

The Int style here is the same as in England. We read Alex Moore, we look at popular variations and we follow the ISTD standard for competition levels and recommended tempos. Dress codes are enforced for novice (no tails/gowns, etc.) and couples started with W/QS and T/F. When you get to PreChamp & then Champ (open), they allow gowns/tails, non-syllabus dance steps and you are placed based on your marks over 4 or 5 dances. We noticed no differences when we competed in the US or in Europe.

The American style is a different animal. You can break apart, dance side-by-side and do underarm and other turns while dancing. They have their own syllabus, tempos, dress codes and formats. Quickstep is not included in American style comps. Most American style only schools do not teach it.

QS, Samba & Jive are included in Int Comps

Mambo, Balero and Swing and included in American Comps.

But many studios teach both styles. You just have to ask. If you don't plan on competing, most likely they direct you to American style. But if you ask, they will teach you Quickstep.

It was the first dance we learned and was our best scoring dance throughout our comp years. Sadly now we only dance it a few times a year. For the past 20 years we've been only social dancers. It's hard to find the room to dance open QS on a social floor. And we are no longer in the shape we were 20 years ago.