We came across this video last week from a dance camp held in Poland.
The video shows impromptu Slow Foxtrot demos featuring world champions from different eras dancing together. It’s absolutely lovely.
First we see Loraine Barry dancing with Mirko Gozzoli. Loraine won the WDC Professional World Championship in 2001 with then-husband Luca Baricchi. Mirko won four times partnered with Alessia Betti, before moving over to the less prestigious WDSF PD with Edita Daniute, where the two won additional World Championship titles. Now that he has retired from competition, he has returned to the WDC. He plays with the music, so in a sense it is not a “true” Slow Foxtrot as some purists might want to see, but it shows the impeccable partnership skills and technique of both partners. Notice how both bodies transfer their weight continuously between the feet. Loraine performs exquisite heel turns and waits before she moves on, never allowing her feet to extend ahead of her partner. This enables the couple to use creative timing as if it was planned by both partners.
Next, Loraine dances with Britain’s Christopher Hawkins. He won the Professional World Championship three times, partnered with Hazel Newberry. You can see the difference between the more dynamic Italian style of Mirko, heavily influenced by WDSF, and the more formal British style of Christopher. The latter uses a more traditional musicality and doesn’t apply the extreme shapes that Mirko uses. Yet both gentlemen are complete experts in their quality of movement. Watch the consistent rolling of the feet, both in forward movement and the Continuous Reverse Wave.
Loraine looks equally comfortable with both men. She matches herself to each one and moves brilliantly throughout both performances.
Have a look.
