Western promenade dances are a form of partner dance traditionally danced to country-western music, and which are stylistically associated with American country and/or western traditions.
Specific dances are often associated with a specific song or songs, for example "San Antonio Stroll", "Orange Blossom Special" and "Cotton-Eyed Joe".
In promenade-style partner dancing the partners (dance couple) dance side-by-side, maintaining a connection with each other through a promenade handhold. The man dances traditionally to the left of the woman. There is no leader or follower, as in ballroom-style partner dancing, because both partners execute the steps identically. However, the man does function as a leader in a limited capacity, when and if there is undertaken turns, twirls and other fancy arm maneuvers.
Famous quotes containing the words western, promenade and/or dance:
“It is the place where all the aspirations of the Western World meet to form one vast master aspiration, as powerful as the suction of a steam dredge. It is the icing on the pie called Christian civilization.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“The day of the sun is like the day of a king. It is a promenade in the morning, a sitting on the throne at noon, a pageant in the evening.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“There are those who dance to the rhythm that is played to them, those who only dance to their own rhythm, and those who don’t dance at all.”
—José Bergamín (1895–1983)