FOLK DANCE FEDERATION OF CALIFORNIA DANCE RESEARCH COMMITTEE: LET'S DANCE

Stan Isaacs May/June 1990

Maxixe
(United States-Brazil)

The Maxixe (mahk-SHEESH) was one of the most popular ballroom dances of 1914. It was
sometimes called the "Brazilian Tango" or "Tango Bresilenne". There was no agreement on
how to pronounce it. Besides the above, it was sometimes called mah-SHEESH, mah-CHEE-
chee, along with other pronunciations. Vernon Castle claims the "mah-SHEESH" pronun-
ciation is from the Brazilians themselves. The dance is basically a Two-Step, with body
bends and many different arm positions. This arrangemant was presented by Richard and
Melanie Powers at the 1989 University of the Pacific Folk Dance Camp.

CASSETTE: R. Powers special cassette (S) "Buenos Dias Maxixe" Side A/IO (with intro.);
R. Powers special cassette 113 "Down in Zanzibar" Side A/ll (no intro.).
2/4 meter

FORMATION: Cpls, in Ballroom pos, M facing LOD.

STEPS: Two-Step (L): Step on L to L side (ct 1); step on R beside L (ct &); step
on L to L side (ct 2); hold (ct &). Step alternates.

Maxixe Two-Step (turning): While starting to rotate CW (as a cpl), step on

L very slightly to L side (almost in place) and begin to bend body to R
(ct 1); step on ball of R ft slightly behind L ft~ continuing turn and bend
(ct &); step on L to L side (ct 2); hold, completing turn and ending with
body bent as far to R side as possible, M L (and W R) hands fairly high in
air and arched over head (ct .&). Repeat to R side, continuing rotation CW,
but bending to L side with hands coming down. (Description for M; W beg with
R ft and bend body to L side.)

Heel-and-Toe Singles (also c~lled Les ~.COte)~. Semi-open 'po~, facing ~nd
moving in LOD: step fwd on L heel and slightly to R (ct 1); bring R ft up
to L, taking wt (ct &); step on ball of L ft fwd and slightly to L (ct 2);
bring R ft up to L, taking wt (ct &). R ft moves in' a straight line, while
L ft points from side to side. W step on ball of R ft fwd/R and on R heel
fwd/L, doing the counterpart of the M step.

Sliding Step: Step on one ft to the side (ct 1); bring other ft up to it,
taking wt (ct &). Two per meas.

Long Singles with Stamps: Step diag/fwd on heel of one ft (ct 1); bring
other ft up to the heel of the first, taking wt (ct &); repeat cts 1,&
(cts 2,&). Step diag/fwd on first ft (meas 2, ct 1); stamp twice (no wt)
with the other ft near the first ft (cts &, 2); hold (ct &). Can be done
with either ft, moving diag/L when starting with the L ft and diag/R when
starting with R ft.

Short Singles with Stamp: Step diag/fwd on heel of one ft (ct 1); bring
other ft up to the heel of the first, taking wt (ct &); step diag/fwd on
first ft (ct 2); brushing stamp (fwd) with other ft (ct &). Can be done with
either ft, moving diag/L when starting with L ft and diag/R when starting
with R ft.

POSITIONS: Ballroom: "Dancers stand directly in front of each other, the lady's right
hand in the gentleman's left. The elbows should be slightly bent. The
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Maxixe - pg 2

gentleman's right hand should be a little above the lady's waist-line, more
or less over her left shldr-blade. The lady's left hand should rest lightly
on the gentleman's right shldr."*

Semi-open: Stand with arms as in Ballroom pos, but ptrs turn about 1/4
away from each other to face fwd in LOD.

Skating: Ptrs stand side by side, W to R of M, slightly in front. L hands

are joined out to L side, R hands joined at W R waist.

Back-to-Front: W stands in front of M with her back to him, holding her

hands in front of her chest, palms down with fingertips touching, elbows out
to side. M stands behind her and holds his hands under hers, palms down.

STYLING: Dance is somewhat on heels, as much as is comfortable. The body should be

very flexible and the bending as much as can be done gracefully. The
Castles recommend being very conservative at first. "Get the steps and fig-
ures so that you do not have to think about them, and acquaint yourself with
the music and rhythm of the dance; after this you may sway the body and try
to be graceful. If you feel easy and graceful, you probably are; but if you
feel stiff or awkward, go back to the way you first learned and do the dance
simply and plainly. For, let me assure you, this dance, with all its bends
and swaying, will make a woman appear very attractive or very ridiculous."*

*Modern Dancing by Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle, Harper & Brothers, New York, 1914.

MUSIC 2/4 meter PATTERN

Measures

INTRODUCT ION (May vary according to music.)

1-4 No action.

)-8 Walk 8 steps in LOD in Ballroom pos. M start L ft moving fwd, W start Rft
moving bkwd. On meas 8, lower clasped hands and start to turn CW so that M
ends with his back to ctr.

PART I (Steps described for M; W opposite)

I. MAXIXE TWO-STEPS IN LOD, TURNING

1-4 Starting L, 4 Maxixe Two-Steps; start by raising

joined hands on meas 1 and bending to M R. Rotate 2
complete times (turning CW and moving in LOD ), end-
ing with M back to ctr.

)-7 Starting L and moving LOD, Heel-and-Toe Singles,

three times.

8 Step on L to L (ct 1); keeping wt on L, touch R heel

in RLOD while bringing joined hands arched over head
and leaning to the R, facing RLOD in Scorpian pose
(pictured at R)(ct 2).

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Maxixe - pg 3.

II. MAXIXE TWO-STEPS IN RLOD, TURNING

1-4 Four Maxixe Two-Steps moving in RLOD, rotating 2 complete times, turning CWo
Start M Rand W L ft, lowering joined hands on meas 1. End with M back to
ctr.

5-7 Six Sliding Steps to M R. M brings W R hand slowly behind her back and takes
it in his R. Then both bring free L hands out and above heads, to join in
an arch.

8 M: One more Sliding Step to R (ct 1); turn to face LOD while stepping back
on R (ct 2).
W: Step L in place, turning to face LOD (ct 1); step back on R (ct 2).
Cpls end in Skating pos, facing in LOD.

PART II (Same ftwk for M and W.)

III. SINGLES WITH STAMPS IN SKATING POSITION

1-4 Beg L ft, Long Singles with Stamps, to diag/L and diag/R.

5-6 Beg L ft, Short Singles with Stamp, to diag/L and diag/R.

7 One Two-Step to L side.

8 M: One Two-Step to R side. At same time, release R hands and turn W once
around CW, placing her directly in front in Back-to-Front pos.
W: Turn CW once around, stepping R,L,R (cts 1,&,2) to Back-to-Front pos.

IV. TWO-STEPS IN BACK-TO-FRONT POSITION

1-7 Seven Two-Steps, rotating CW in place, both starting L. These should be done
leaning to L side when starting L and to the R side when starting R.

8 ~: With R hands joined, step L,R,L in place (cts 1,&,2) and help W to turn
CWo End in Ballroom pos with back to ctr.
W: With 2 steps (R,L) turn [/2 CW to face ptr and take Ballroom pos (cts 1,2).

Simple Version: Meas 1-6: Dance 6 Two-Steps rotating CW, ending M back to
ctr. Meas 7-8: M step L,R,L,R (cts 1,2,1,2). W step L,R,L, touch R ft
(cts 1,2,1,2) while turning 1/2 CW into Ballroom pos.

32 meas Repeat PART I and PART II.

Optional Ending: On repeat of dance, end Fig IV, meas 6 with M facing LOD.

(31-32) M: Take W L hand in R, step L on L ft (ct 1); step R on R ft (ct 2); step L
on L ft (meas 32,ct 1); place R heel on floor pointing twd W, bending sdwd
and looking twd ptr. End in pose with L hand on hips or L arm' diag/up to L.

W: Step L on L ft (ct 1); turn 1 full CW turn with 2 steps (R,L), moving to
M R side (ct 2; meas 32, ct 1); step on R to R side, leaving L heel out twd
M and looking at him (ct 2). End in pose looking at ptr, R hand on hips or
R arm diag/up to R, matching ptr.

@ Folk Dance Federation of California, Inc. March 1990

14
THE MAXIXE by Stan Isaacs
The Maxixe was the fad dance of 1914. In the advertisements for dance
schools in the New York Times, Maxixe had the biggest type fonts
(followed closely by the Tango, still popular after two years of
"fad-dom".) The Maxixe seems to have originated around the 1870's, in
Brazil, as a combination of the polka with some hip movements. As is
so often the case, what eventually got to the American ballrooms (via
Paris, of course) was a much refined and changed version of the
Brazilian dance.
In the "Dicionario do folclore Brasileiro" (Vol 2, 1962),
Luis de Camara Cascudo says (in rough translation):
"It (Maxixe) resulted from a fusion of hapanera for rhythm, polca for
footwork, with the adaptation of African syncopation. It was a dance
of the ballroom of a united couple, demanding extreme agility for
rapid figures and steps. The maxixe danced by professionals, in the
cabarets, was almost a gymnastic dance. It appeared in the second
half of the 19th century.
"People spoke of "to bend the Maxixe", instead of "to dance the
Maxixe."

David P. Appleby says in J:The Music of Brazil" (1983):

"The term "lundu" in the nineteenth century was applied not only to
songs and dances but also to poems and by the mid-century to
instrumental compositions. As an instrumental form, it can be
considered the parent of the "batuque", "maxixe", "samba", and
other forms of urban popular music.
"The "lundu" (sometimes "londu", or "lundum") has been defined as
an African song and dance of Angolan origin, brought to Brazil by
Bantu slaves.
"The polka was first introduced into Brazil in 1845 and its
popularity there soon equaled its popularity in Europe.
"In addition to musical and stylistic changes in European dances, a
choreographic ch~nge Gonsisted c~ a ~haracteristic suggestive hip
movement called a "jeitinho". A polka danced with a "jeitinho" was
called a "polca-maxixe" (pronounced mah-she'-she), a polka danced
in the manner of a "maxixe."
"The most frequent subtitle to Nazareth piano music is "tango" or
"tango brasileiro." The most frequently used rhythmic patterns of
Nazareth's tangos relate to the habanera, but historically
Nazareth's tangos relate to a popular Brazilian dance, the
"maxixe." Behague states that "Nazareth's tangos can be considered
authentic "maxixes."
"Natzareth preferred the designation tango to "maxixe", which he
considered a vulgar dance. The tangos of Nazareth were a salon
dance, whereas the "maxixe" was danced in various popular
festivities and differed in choreographic representation. The
Nazareth tangos also bore a historical relationship to the polka.
The fusion of various styles is expressed in the double designation
"polca-tango," first used in a piece called "Rayon d'Or" in 1889."

In ballroom dancing, the successor to the Maxixe was the Samba

(which still has a Maxixe step in it.) And todays new dance fad, the
Lambada, seems still to have movementa suggestive of the Maxixe (as
well as other suggestive movements.)
In Folk Dancing, we have seen two related dances. The first
is a dance called Maxina which was invented for a competition for
new dances in Britain, in 1917, and won first prize. It has movements
based on the Maxixe (mostly some heel-and-toe steps, with some body
bending) but the music was completely different.
Another version of the Maxixe was introduced several years ago,
researched by E. W. Bischoff and adapted by Glenn Stubblefield, of San
Francisco. This version comes from the book "Dances of Today", by
Albert W. Newman, published in 1914. Newman, in turn, credits the
dance to Mr. Fred W. Sutor, Instructor at the Newman Studio,
Philadelphia, Pa. The original Sutor version used a popular Maxixe
tune called "Dengozo"; the Folk Dance version used a tune called
"Chicken Reel".
15

, J