Murderous Looks On The Dance Floor

[Oscarsgrandad]

My wife and I were on the QV this June, we watched the dancers in the Queens Room and thought better of going on the floor whilst all the experts were doing their bit.

We noticed the mix of people dancing, some highly proficient, to a professional standard but a little rigid, some more senior dancers that were there purely for the dance with no regard for perfection, just the enjoyment and pleasure and there were those performing a dance routine which had absolutely no correlation with the tune or tempo of the music, in fact during our week aboard those people would do the same routine repeatedly to every song.

 

My wife expressed her wish to do at least one circuit of the floor before we disembark and I granted her that wish as it was her birthday. Very late one night after we left the Red Lion, she and I passed through the Queens Room and stood there looking at the dance floor, I took her gently by the hand and guided her to the edge of the empty floor. I asked her to dance with me but she said there was no music, I said I would sing to her and we shall have that last dance, she looked at me with longing in her eyes and I took her out and started to sing

 

"Every body Conga, come on and do the congaaa!" We did our one circuit but we did get some funny looks...I thought she was going to pass out laughing......I know how to treat a lady!

[BobBranst]

That said, there is NO excuse for bad floorcraft or bad manners.

Unfortunately, inexperienced ballroom dancers may not know about dance floor etiquette. The website ballroomdance.org has a page on etiquette that will help those new to ballroom dance particularly floormanship. The following is from that site.

 

"If you are just starting out, it is especially important for you to learn to observe the line of dance. In traveling dances such as waltz, tango, foxtrot, samba, Viennese waltz, and quickstep,couples always move counterclockwise on the floor. Faster, more experienced dancers should always be in the outermost lane, intermediate dancers in the middle lane and inexperienced dancers in the center of the ballroom. By following this placement you will ensure your own safety, prevent collisions and save yourself a lot of stress."

 

Bob

[suzyed]

We are just back from our first QV cruise and we enjoyed it a lot more than we thought we would. It wasn't as 'formal' as we were expecting and were a little intimated before we went but it had the right level for us..... Except for one area.

 

What is up with the majority of the dancers in the queens room? The looks that people dancing give to other dancers!!! And God forbid there is an accidential collision on the dance floor. I felt some couples may come to blows the words and looks being passed back and forth after any incidents.

 

I have to say because of this me and my other half wouldn't even attempt to dance in the queens room. We haven't had any ballroom lessons and just wanted a little twirl and dance but would not even dream of stepping onto the dance floor for fear of being burnt at the stake for not being able to do a waltz or whatever the dance was. What if we just wanted a slow dance? The looks another couple got for doing just that put us right off.

 

We felt unless you were of an intermediate level then the dancing was not for you other than on party night where anything went. A shame really. I saw a lot of other couples saying the same. I wish people wouldn't make it so intimidating for mere mortals like us who can't dance but want to still enjoy a nice dance with our partners.

 

I soooo agree!! It's lovely that the "real" dancers have a venue where they can showcase their talents, but I have observed the same thing you did. NO way would we even attempt to get out and do a slow dance! :(

[suzyed]

My wife and I were on the QV this June, we watched the dancers in the Queens Room and thought better of going on the floor whilst all the experts were doing their bit.

We noticed the mix of people dancing, some highly proficient, to a professional standard but a little rigid, some more senior dancers that were there purely for the dance with no regard for perfection, just the enjoyment and pleasure and there were those performing a dance routine which had absolutely no correlation with the tune or tempo of the music, in fact during our week aboard those people would do the same routine repeatedly to every song.

 

My wife expressed her wish to do at least one circuit of the floor before we disembark and I granted her that wish as it was her birthday. Very late one night after we left the Red Lion, she and I passed through the Queens Room and stood there looking at the dance floor, I took her gently by the hand and guided her to the edge of the empty floor. I asked her to dance with me but she said there was no music, I said I would sing to her and we shall have that last dance, she looked at me with longing in her eyes and I took her out and started to sing

 

"Every body Conga, come on and do the congaaa!" We did our one circuit but we did get some funny looks...I thought she was going to pass out laughing......I know how to treat a lady!

 

Lucky lady!! My DH would probably do something similar!! :D

[fantasy51]

I saw something worse than all of this last night. There were little kids out on the dance floor, twirling around, until well after 11pm. They were in the centre of the floor during a Viennese Waltz. Only two couples took to the floor. There was no way I would dance that when a child might unpredictably dash out into the line of dance. So dangerous - for both the child and the couple who might fall over while trying to avoid them, and end up breaking a bone.

 

The Social Hostess spoke to the parents or grandparents and they were sectioned off into a corner, but again they moved to another corner while we were doing a fast quickstep! At other times their father danced around with them in his arms, but again he was not observing the line of dance and so he was a traffic hazard.

 

They may have looked cute but they were a danger! One couple actually ran into one of the children and they were not allowed alone on the dance floor after that. Such a pity that it took a minor accident to slightly curtail their activities.

 

I love children - but the programme says 'Latin and ballroom dancing' - not 'time for children to cavort'.

[Slow Foxtrot]

I saw something worse than all of this last night. There were little kids out on the dance floor, twirling around, until well after 11pm. They were in the centre of the floor during a Viennese Waltz. Only two couples took to the floor. There was no way I would dance that when a child might unpredictably dash out into the line of dance. So dangerous - for both the child and the couple who might fall over while trying to avoid them, and end up breaking a bone............

 

I love children - but the programme says 'Latin and ballroom dancing' - not 'time for children to cavort'.

 

'Little kids on the dance floor of the Queens Ballroom twirling around until after 11pm' !!

 

Sadly this is indicative of some of today's parents to whom common sense seems to be an unknown quantity. For the dancers' safety this needs to be immediately addressed. An authorative MC is a help at all social dances but on occasions it seems that some of the Social Hostesses or whatever they are called are held back by the thought of possibly offending somebody.

Fantasy51 rightly says that someone could fall and break a bone. If that should happen then Cunard may find themselves responsible.

On a P & O cruise we once saw small children causing chaos by running around the dance floor and then running amongst the musicians on the stage. Their parents seemed unperturbed and thought this was very funny.

Afraid it's a sign of the times!

Edited August 11, 2015 by Slow Foxtrot

[davyjones]

On our first Costa cruise children were using the dance floor as a playground and during a tango I stepped back onto something soft that later turned out to be a child's hand. The crying boy was paraded past me after the dance but the look from the mother was of 'I told him not to play there...' On our last Costa cruise the daily program explicitly stated that the dance floor was not a playground.

 

We were lucky enough to be on the first cruise where the Wilfried and Ilona, the ex-European Ten Dance champions, were the professional dance couple. Before we knew who they were they stood out from the crowd in the way they glided around the floor with no histrionics; so clearly a good dancer doesn't need to be a showy dancer to be noticed.

 

DJ

[KarenR_UK]

Unfortunately, inexperienced ballroom dancers may not know about dance floor etiquette. The website ballroomdance.org has a page on etiquette that will help those new to ballroom dance particularly floormanship. The following is from that site.

 

"If you are just starting out, it is especially important for you to learn to observe the line of dance. In traveling dances such as waltz, tango, foxtrot, samba, Viennese waltz, and quickstep,couples always move counterclockwise on the floor. Faster, more experienced dancers should always be in the outermost lane, intermediate dancers in the middle lane and inexperienced dancers in the center of the ballroom. By following this placement you will ensure your own safety, prevent collisions and save yourself a lot of stress."

 

Bob

 

 

which takes us back to the general impression that the 'general public ' shouldnt dance unless they have 'prepared' for it :(

[Dajo5601]

Wow, some interesting and contentious posts on this subject. I must add my own comments on the subject of the dancing in the Queens room. Yes, you can spot the real dancers a mile away and my wife and I try to spot the couples who appear to want to take over the floor and obviously "want to be seen" and who carry on in the same vein throughout the cruise - and good luck to them, they've practiced their dancing and they enjoy it. In fact I enjoy watching them.

 

However, it must be said that on most cruises that we have enjoyed, in a very few days, if not on the first night, there appear to be "cliques" who do take on an air as if the Queens room is theirs and theirs alone. As one previous poster says, they may be members of a dance club, hence the appearance of a clique.

 

My wife and I (both in receipt of state pensions) get up and jiggle about to any modern music played and when we're in the mood, we'll have a go at a waltz. Yes, we're awkward, yes we may get in some peoples way (not deliberate) but as has been previously stated, we're all fare paying passengers and we all have the right to be on the dance floor in the Queens room whatever our dancing skill or ability.

 

Personally, I have never had a "dirty look" - they'd get one back, and I think that there's room for us all enjoying the Queens room on our cruises.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm married to a non-dancer, so we just watch the dancing in the Queens Room sometimes. Some are better than others, but most that I watched had taken lessons. I could tell because the ladies all had "proper" dance shoes.

 

We went to tea in the Queens Room one afternoon and found that they were doing a tea dance. I didn't see any murderous looks. But I didn't see any smiles. What's with that? Do dance teachers tell you not to smile? Before the "social dancers" became intimidated by all the "serious" dancers, I used to see people enjoying themselves on the dance floor. I miss that.

[Bell Boy]

You're quite right 3rd Gen, whatever happened to smiles on the dance floor ? ... My dance teacher often tells me, "Even if your feet don't know what they should be doing, Just make sure you look good from the waist up" !;)

Edited August 11, 2015 by Bell Boy

[suzyed]

Wow, some interesting and contentious posts on this subject. I must add my own comments on the subject of the dancing in the Queens room. Yes, you can spot the real dancers a mile away and my wife and I try to spot the couples who appear to want to take over the floor and obviously "want to be seen" and who carry on in the same vein throughout the cruise - and good luck to them, they've practiced their dancing and they enjoy it. In fact I enjoy watching them.

 

However, it must be said that on most cruises that we have enjoyed, in a very few days, if not on the first night, there appear to be "cliques" who do take on an air as if the Queens room is theirs and theirs alone. As one previous poster says, they may be members of a dance club, hence the appearance of a clique.

 

My wife and I (both in receipt of state pensions) get up and jiggle about to any modern music played and when we're in the mood, we'll have a go at a waltz. Yes, we're awkward, yes we may get in some peoples way (not deliberate) but as has been previously stated, we're all fare paying passengers and we all have the right to be on the dance floor in the Queens room whatever our dancing skill or ability.

 

Personally, I have never had a "dirty look" - they'd get one back, and I think that there's room for us all enjoying the Queens room on our cruises.

 

Right!

We saw a couple where the woman would "twirl" her way onto the dance floor! She literally started twirling by the seats and then on toward the dance floor!!:rolleyes: It looked ridiculous to me, but maybe I was just jealous? LOL!

She really put on a show! And the funny thing was, her husband appeared to be a far superior dancer.

We never got a dirty look but we never had the nerve to "get up and jiggle" (love that expression!), so we didn't put ourselves in harms way! ;)

 

On our first QM2 sailing, we met a couple at the airport before our sailing and got friendly with them on the crossing. At the Black and White Ball, we did dance and the man asked me to dance during the part where the man dances with two woman (one on each side- kind of "promenade" style)(you can tell I know nothing about this by my lack of the proper terminology). Then he asked me to foxtrot and it was THEN, that I got the filthy look!! LOL! His wife was NOT happy. :p

[fantasy51]

The children did not appear last night. I spoke to the social hostess and she said it had been a difficult situation. She is not allowed to touch the children so could not physically remove them from the floor. All she could do is look around until she could identify their parents, and then point out the dangers. She said they could dance with an adult or be kept in one corner of the ballroom. She actually had to speak to the parents three times!

 

I did feel that it came down to one aspect of health and safety (stranger danger) against another (being stampeded by a fast dancer).

[edwardh1]

Does Cunnard hire couples to dance on the QV in the Queens room?

There were a few couples that to us looked pro, in that they were there all night every night, danced every song, had the studio pose at the start, including the mandatory big smile and flew around through the other slower dancers. were they good dancers- yes. But they seemed to be perhaps hires, does cunard do that? or are these people available for private lessons?

[Shamrock990]

This is an interesting thread. On our recent first cruise (p&o)we didn't know about ballroom dancing until the second from last day. I wish we'd have realised earlier.We watched for a little while and whilst there was only three couples dancing they knew their stuff and it took us a while to pluck up the courage to have a go. The hosts and other couples were fab and helped us out and congratulated us on our effort. I don't know if this is because we did a good job or because they felt sorry for us as we were the youngest on the ship(30!) I decided then that I would probably develop my dance skills for my next cruise as we had a lot of fun. We are looking to book Cunard for next year and I am looking forward to the dancing. I will try not to get in anyone's way and but do intend to get up and have a go filthy looks or not![emoji3][emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Solent Richard]

While I can't speak for the group on your cruise, I find really good dancers will adapt to the space and the crowd. It's possible you had one of the many dance clubs that frequent Cunard due to the size of the Queens Room floors. Sounds like they were not good dancers.

 

As my screen name implies, we are dancers. We book Cunard for the dancing and can be found every night in the Queens Room. I would be mortified is we had a collision with another couple. It would be a bad reflection on my leading skills. We can dance in very small spaces and sometimes practice on a 3x3 square with a ballroom frame no wider than our shoulders. But we can also open up and use the whole floor if it's available. We usually try to dance early, before dinner, or very late when it's near closing time. When the floor starts getting crowded we do the same shuffle as everyone else, or we sit down and have a Pimms Cup.

 

Everyone has a right to the floor. Just get up and dance. The good dancer should adapt. They will dance smaller and closer to the edges. Or they will sit down.

 

But it seems like you are saying that you are intimidated by the good dancers. I guess it could be considered intimidating to a non-dancer, just like a non-singer not wanting join in to a song. But I'm not sure what I can do to help you there. I work hard on my floorcraft skills just to be sure we both can have a good time on the floor. So, please - get up and dance. Just don't listen to me sing.

 

You make some valid points particularly about adapting to the space.

 

I too am mortified at a collision: they do happen because of the problem being discussed.

 

I also can sympathise with Bell Boy: on very good reason we don't use the Queens Room on 'Big Ball Nights' till much later.

 

The biggest problem I usually find are the gentlemen hosts giving 'virtual' dance lessons and having little floor awareness.

 

Whatever happened to 'line of dance'?

Edited August 13, 2015 by Solent Richard

[Solent Richard]

PS to the above.

 

I never have any problem maintaining my space during the Cha Cha Cha.

 

As Erin Boag once commented..."Richard, that routine is unique" :)

[Camgirl]

This is an interesting thread. On our recent first cruise (p&o)we didn't know about ballroom dancing until the second from last day. I wish we'd have realised earlier.We watched for a little while and whilst there was only three couples dancing they knew their stuff and it took us a while to pluck up the courage to have a go. The hosts and other couples were fab and helped us out and congratulated us on our effort. I don't know if this is because we did a good job or because they felt sorry for us as we were the youngest on the ship(30!) I decided then that I would probably develop my dance skills for my next cruise as we had a lot of fun. We are looking to book Cunard for next year and I am looking forward to the dancing. I will try not to get in anyone's way and but do intend to get up and have a go filthy looks or not![emoji3][emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Go for it Shamrock! As I mentioned earlier, we are still beginner's but we have received encouragement from others, including people speaking to us around the ship away from the dance floor commenting on our dancing. It is lovely to receive such comments as we know we are not very good but have a lot of fun trying. We have never been glared at on the floor and we have definitely (but not on purpose) got in peoples way whilst dancing although we obviously try not to.

[Bell Boy]

As I posted earlier, I only took up dancing just over two years ago and it wasn't until I bought my first pair of dance shoes that my dancing appeared to improve.There something about the correct shoe that improves ones dancing.

 

So for any newbies out there, if you want to make a start do come the Ball Room in sensible foot wear. I'm amazed at how many females attend the practise lessons (held around midday) arriving in either , huge 'killer Heels or Flip Flops'...no one will be able to do a Cha Cha in flip flops. :)

[Solent Richard]

I posted something like this before and I will say it again. Anyone who decides the QR is their own personal ballroom show is %#!!&^@%$*@%^:mad::mad:

 

I am a figure skater and I am at what I would call "advanced for an adult". I jump, spin & compete but I am certainly not an Olympian at 40. I skate on sessions where I am with other figure skaters who are doing the same thing. Different story, different rules.

 

BUT......

 

I also skate on sessions with the general public, especially other adults who are beginners. I would never expect them to get out of my way even if I am practicing hard. They don't know my program, they don't know my patterns, and they don't have the skill to move quickly without hurting themselves or me. If they are beginner skaters trying to enjoy themselves and get the hang of things, as a skater with a higher skill level, it is my responsibility to watch out for them. I may be frustrated on the inside, yes, but they won't see it. They paid the same $$ I paid to skate and they have a right to that space at a public session. And frankly the skater OR in this case dancer who crushes someone else's sense of enthusiasm for the fun of the sport is (I hope I don't get in trouble for this) an idiot.

T

here is no reason that in the QR where everyone paid to dance, that anyone should feel intimated, or unworthy. When I started skating AND dancing I was a beginner. I honed my dance skills on the ship. To me, everyone - even the beginners - deserve that chance to learn and practice with that wonderful big band. If a professional dance cruise is what you are after, then there are lines who do that. So - OP...please get out there and dance!!

Okay rant over. Now if they would just put an ice rink on the QM2...:D

 

Sorry Axelskater but I cannot accept your argument.

 

You clearly imply that you have a choice of different sessions with different levels of expertise. No such choice exists in the Queens Room and one has to accept that an awful lot of Cunard's guests also paid their fare with the expectation of being able to ballroom dance to a reasonable standard.

[Slow Foxtrot]

......

 

The biggest problem I usually find are the gentlemen hosts giving 'virtual' dance lessons and having little floor awareness.

 

Whatever happened to 'line of dance'?

 

After many cruises on Cunard one cannot help but observe the varying abilities of the 'Gentlemen Dance Hosts'. Some are very efficient at what they do whereas others leave much to be desired. Some years ago we noticed one Gentleman Host taking his partner the wrong way round the dance-floor!! The auditions can't be up to much, can they? But one has to admit they have a difficult job.

 

At the next refit perhaps Cunard should build twin ballrooms with half the Dance Hosts and plodders on one and passengers who can actually dance on the other.

Then everybody's happy :)

[3rdGenCunarder]

After many cruises on Cunard one cannot help but observe the varying abilities of the 'Gentlemen Dance Hosts'. Some are very efficient at what they do whereas others leave much to be desired. Some years ago we noticed one Gentleman Host taking his partner the wrong way round the dance-floor!! The auditions can't be up to much, can they? But one has to admit they have a difficult job.

 

At the next refit perhaps Cunard should build twin ballrooms with half the Dance Hosts and plodders on one and passengers who can actually dance on the other.

Then everybody's happy :)

 

This is exactly the intolerant attitude that scares social dancers away from the floor. :mad:

[vagporto]

Well, I also have to disagree with the OP about the "intimidating looks in the dance floor". I was at the QV 1-8 aug segment, and although I cannot tell my right foot from my left, I danced a couple of times in a couple of nights, rightly bumped into several couples in those occasions, and no one killed me with their stares. And in one day, there was a pair of girls doing much less-than-perfect sequence dancing (ultimate sin!!!), and they were having a blast (and if someone thought differently about this, it's their problem).

On the contrary, I think I will get myself a crash-course in ballroom dancing, so that I can fully enjoy the QR in future cruises.

And about the dance hosts, the comments are true: they do not approach any accompanied lady. However, when asked they danced with my wife (she's a good dancer, and was standing at the sidelines because of my clumsiness), and were glad to have one more "choice" of dance partner. So, if they do not approach you, it's up to you (or your partner) to let them know of your thoughts because they are good dancers but cannot read minds.

[Slow Foxtrot]

This is exactly the intolerant attitude that scares social dancers away from the floor. :mad:

 

Don't know about America but in the UK if you describe yourself as a 'social dancer' it usually intimates that you have an acceptable knowledge of dancing. And can you not distinguish a sense of humour when you see it?

[Q-step]

Everyone just wants to have fun. The proficient dancers, the weekend plodders, the clutchers, the one don't seem to move at all and the ones I call the "Y-dancers." These are the people who look like they're making out of the floor and I wonder why (Y) they just don't get a room. We all just want to have a good time.

 

The QM2 has the largest dance floor at sea. We will all fit.

The key is that someone (ED,CE,band leader/singer) takes charge and reminds (or instructs) that slower dancers keep to the middle and the faster dancers to keep to the edges. It should be part of their routine. At the start of each band set, mention the flow of the floor to everyone.

 

There is no reason to expect a newbie dancer will know this is how a large dance floor works. And proficient dancers need to be reminded that they don't own the floor. Share the floor. I hear told that it's the largest at sea.