The Huron Expositor, 1978-05-18, Page 1SWIMMING TEAM STAR The five senior
members of the Vanastra SynchrOnized Swimming
Club who are forming this star are Debra Bennett,
Elizabeth Thompson and Terry Flowers, all of
Clinton, and Carol Dougall of Exeter and Wendy
Beaver of Crediton. (Expositor Photo)
Folk dance tradition carried on
Lila Storey tells secrets of step dancing
[by Alice Gibb]
The "exact origins of step
dancing are lost in time--while
many credit the Irish with the
invention of the art, others
believe it was actually English
settlers who transported the art to
Canada. But originS" iSide",-to"day
there are Scotch reels, Irish jigs,
some distinctly FrenCh-Canadian
step dancing influences and
country square dancers who do
some fine stepping between calls.
Although Lila Storey, R. R. #1,
Seaforth, isn't any more positive
about the origins of step dancing
than anyone else, over the years
she's become something of an
expert in performing and
teaching the steps of jigs,--reels
squaie dancing and the Highland
Fling.
Mrs. Storey learned the art of
step dancinS when she started
public school in Staffa--a
community which was "quite a
dancing community!"
Mrs. Storey's teacher was Ross
MacKay, a long time, school
teacher and a Cromarty native
who was a devoted step dancer.
Iii the winter, when outdeot
athletic activities were impossible
Mr. MacKay, a brother of Oliver
and Charles MacKay of Seaforth,
wore off his students's ekcess
energy by teaching them to step
dance. Then 'in the spring,.
students would demonstrate their
new talents at a large concert held
in the Staffa Hall.
Mrs. Storey recalled the only
time her step danctng catteer was
threatened was following a local
tragedy.
Mrs. Storey said her father was
"diddling" or huniming a tune
for an older neighbour girl who
was practising the Highland
Fling. Suddenly the girl fell over,
and died from a heart seizure.
Although the girl's family had a
history of heart problems, for
some time people the
community blamed her death on'
the strain of step dancing and
didn't want their own children to
keep .dancing.
But after the scare was over,
Mrs. Storey . continued . her
dancing accompanied on. the
violin by Harry Norris.. a. cousin
%Nilo lived near Kippen.
Mrs. Storey said when she--
practised, she danced the paint
tight ,off..-Mr. Norris' floor.
Now as the popularity of
fiddlers' contests grew in Canada
step dancing competitions were
included as part of the show.
While the fiddlers demonstrated
their skill in handling a bow,
dancers would do a waltz, reel
and a jig.
Mrs. Storey, accompanied by
the fiddle of Harry Norris and the
piano of Mary Broadfoot, entered
a. Major Bowes Talent Show in
Seaforth held in Cardno Hall.
The girl who placed first in the
overall competition was moved
into the semi=professional
category and Mrs. Storey was
named best of the amateur
competitors.
while step dancing, was
traditionally done with a soft
shoe, today taps have been added
to many dancers' shoes, partly so
judges can hear if competitors are
in beat with their music and
partly for the entertainment
value.
Mrs. Storey said she was
starting her dancing career in the
depression, when money was
scarcer, and her brother
reminded her recently of her first
pair of tap shoes. a
The taps were marbles, which
Mrs. Storey held between her
toes while she danced on the
stone steps at her home and while
it wasn't • easy holding the
marbles hi' place, the clicking
sound -made it all worth it.
Teaching
Although Mrs. Storey's own
method of learning to step dance
was watching Mr. ' MacKay
dance, and she had never
formally learned how to break
down the steps to the beats of the
music, neighbours persuaded
Mrs. Storey to start teaching the
'folk dances to their children.
lion for years--both as a
competitor and teacher—her own Over the years, Mrs. Storey has
firSt competition is memorable. " watched her pupils win numerous
4.1.•44444.44444..4....404•4,4444.4444.44,46.4444.4.44*.w...444.....414 44
competitions, appear on a variety
of television shows from the Barn
Dance Show to Circle 8 Ranch and
the Tommy Hunter Show, and
become teachers like herself.
•Ross Mann, a fiddler-with the
CKNX Circle 8 Ranch, is one man
Mrs. Storey credits with
rekindling people's interest in
step dancing when he started
-featuring it on a local television - show.
Step dancing is an art which is
best learned when dancers are
young. ,mrs, Storey's own
daughter Sherry started dancing
when she was three years old and
her mother said dancers •achieve
better' movement the younger
they start.
Clapping
'Mrs. Storey starts teaching her
pupils by clapping out the beat of
the music, so the beat becomes
second nature to her students.
_Reels are clanced to 4/4 time and
jigs to 6/8 time.
As the students gradually
become accustomed to the
rhythm and learn the basic steps,
Mrs. Storey plays the piano to
accomfany them.
Although at one time, a silver
dollar was considered a major
prize in a step dance competition,
today the awards have grown in
importance.
This year, the two top winners
at the 21st Annual Dundalk Open
Square Dancing Competition, a
major step dancing competition,
held on the fast. Thursday and
Friday in June received trips to
tslash;ille, as well as a trophy and
money.
Now while 'many people
confuse. step dancing and tap
dancing, Mrs. Storey said there
are definite differences between
the two styles.
Now admittedly, Mrs. Storey is ,
biased, but she prefers step
dancing, and said she likes to see
.achild up high in the air, dancing
the light speps.
_.-- Also, once a step dancer learns
erect, they can perform the steps
to any reel music, "since the ear
is trained more for the beat than
for a specific piece of music."
She said in tap dancing,
dancers 'work on the heels more
than the ball_oi the foot, which
means the steps are more solid
and not as smooth as the steps in
a Teel:"
She added tap dancers tend to
learn steps to go with a specific
piece of music.
At one time Mrs. Storey taught
students in 'Brussels, Seaforth
and Mitch ell, but now that her
daughter Gail Glanville is also
teaching, Mrs. Storey is confining
her pupils to the Seaforth area.
The teacher has watched her
own daughters perform on
television and she's about to
perform in a three generation
step dance in an upcoming show
with her daughter and grand-
child.
While some of our folk dances
have been lost forever, step
dancing in this part of the country
is alive and tapping—paetly due to
Mrs. Lila Storey.
•4444•44*
First Competition
Although Mrs. Storey has been
involved in step dance competi-
.,„
Performances used to be three
minutes inlength for the dancers.
and 'as Mrs. Storey says, "that
takes a lot of wind."
With a 'reel in particular, the
secret of step dancing is to danc
on your toes, keeping the weight
off the heel. The trick is_ that it
takes ever more wind for a dancer
to work on this part of their foot.
Mrs. Storey said partidipaction
Canada should investigate step
dancing, since it takes more wind
and strengthens the muscles and
ligaments in the leg far more than
jogging does.
Lila Store'y
4
(' ,
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, MAY la, 1978 [ Second Section Pages 1A — 8A1
Huron synchro swim club pla how
WATER Joan Pinder, of Seaforth, coach of
the -Vanes inchronized Swim Club, looks on as
club members rehearse one of the numbers for the
upcoming water show. (Expositor Photo)
[by Alice Gibb] • '
When is a flamingo not a bird
and a star not in space? The
answer is when they're figures in
synchronized, swimming, a sport
that's big at the Vanastra
Recreation Centre.
Joan Pinder of Seaforth, who
coaches the synchronized
swimming club at the centre, said
the sport was started in the early
1900's at universities across the
country for women swimmers
who couldn't compete on a speed
level but were still interested in
more than ordinary swimming.
Synchronized swimming,
usually done by- two or more
swimmers, involves doing a
series of stylized figures in unison
to the accompaniment of music.
— _ Synchronized swimming' is`t he
more creative side of swimming,
just as figure skating iskhe more
creative side of skating.
Mrs. Pinder said she asks that
members of the swimming club
are at least junior level swimmers
who can swim four lengths of the
Presently there are four junior
members of the club; and five
dder girls, all of whom haVe
competed in competitions held in
southwestern Ontario.
In the most recent
synchronized swimming
competition, held in Tillsonburg,
Debra Bennett of the Vanastra
group,' placed second in the
novice, figures.
Elizabeth Thompson placed
sixth, Terry Flowers was eighth,
• Welad_y_Beaver ninth and Caro)._
Dougall placed twelfth.
To date, synchronized
swimming has never been
university or jobs, and there
junior haven't been swimmers to
move up and fill the gaps. '
The club will be holding a water
show to demonstrate their skills
at - the—. vahastra Recreation
Centre on May,. 28 it 8 -pAn. with
tie admission price $1 for adults
and children free. The club
members hope to, raise enough
money with their show to
purchase a record player.
The show will feature both solo —numbers, dirers—afidtlfe senior —
team swimming to the overture
from Star Wars.
•
included in Olympic competition,'
but this may be changing with the
next Olympics.
Under Olympic regulations,
there must be at :least 15
countries entering t team in any
given sport. Mrs. Pinder said
there are now exactly 15 countries
• competing internationally in
synchronized swimming, but they
would all have to guarantee to
• enter a team in the upcoming
-Olympics before the,,, governing
' body would recognize the sport T`r.
Five Levels
'Synchronized swimming
involves five star . levels of
proficiency, and each star level
W ...consist of'six different figures to
be.learned by the swimmers,
Although boys do take up the
sport, they can usually earn only
their second 'or third level star
before their body build makes the
sport too difficult for them to
While • the Vanastra club
doesn't have any. male members
now, , club member Wendy
Beaver said, "we wouldn't mind
some."
Mrs. Pinder started experi-
menting with • synchronized
swimming in the Seaforth. Lions
pool where she has taught, and
was later asked to start a club at '
Van astra.. : .
She is now qualified as a coach,
level one, and Debra Bennett, one'
of the club members, is qualified
to coach the jun'or synchronized
swimmers.
• One. Pr91?kM that has plaited
the club from the start is that
senior swimmers often :go on to
LEGS AWEIGH—Elizabeth Thompson and Terry
Flowers demonbtrate one of the kicks in their duet, in
the upcoming' water show at the Vanastra Recreation
Centre.
FLAMINGOES — The members of 'the Vanastra swim club demonstrate •the
flamingo,. one of, the figures performed in their upcoming water show. Members of
the club are: Carol Dougail, Elilabela khompson:r-Debra-Berthett-,-Werrdy--Beaver7—
Viand. Terry Flowers. •
JUNIOR BATHING BEAUTIES—Susan Bail and Andrea Pinder, both of Seaforth,
junior members of the Vanastra Synchronized Swimming Club, demonstrate one of
lh-e-TiTures from their number in the upcoming water show. (Expositor Photo)
•