Waltz
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Waltz is a smooth
progressive dance characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous
turns, and rise & fall. It is graceful and elegant. Waltz
dancers seem to glide around the floor almost effortlessly. The Waltz
is unique in that it is the only dance written in 3/4 time. There are three
beats to each measure, counted as “1-2-3” or “quick-quick-quick.” To create
the graceful gliding appearance that distinguishes the Waltz from other
dances, it is essential to stand upright with your weight directly centered
over your feet.
Night Club
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The basic step is like
the whisk step in samba and the basic step uses slow, quick, quick step
timing. "The Lady In Red" by Chris DeBurgh and "Amazed" by Lone Star
are two examples of tunes that Night Club Two Step is suitable for.
The Nightclub Two Step
basic step takes eight beats. The leader rocks back on his
left foot, the follower on her right, for one beat. Then
both partners replace weight on the second part of the first
beat. On the next beat, the leader takes a step to the left
and the follower to the right. Then both partners repeat,
but on opposite feet (the man rocks back on his right foot
and moves to the right).
The "official" rhythm
for the basic step is quick-quick slow, although some prefer
to start on the slow, usually on beat two of the music.
Other rhythms for Nightclub Two Step rhythms are also
possible. Beginners should realize that the quick-quick slow
rhythm is just one possibility. Also, you don't have to keep
that rhythm going continuously. Several slow steps in
succession are often effective to evoke the romantic feeling
associated with nightclub dancing.
Hustle
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As in the Latin
dances, couples tend to move back and forth in a "slot" on
the dance floor, as opposed to following a line of dance as
in foxtrot.
The lead takes the rock step on his left foot; however, if
the dance is taught by counting, the rock step happens at
the beginning of the count – "and-one, two, three" rather
than at the end of the count as in swing – "left, right,
rock-step". One difference between hustle and
most other partner dances is that clockwise movements, for
both the individual and the couple, predominate.
Counter-clockwise movements predominate in most ballroom
dances.
Common steps
- Basic -
similar to the basic from single-step swing, except rock
step is at beginning
- Turn - 180°
clockwise turn taken between 2 and 3 count, followed by
a rock step
- Left Turn -
180° counterclockwise turn taken between 1 and 2 count,
followed by a rock step
- Side Break -
lead sends follow out still holding her left hand, then
picks her back up
- Wheel - couple
in double hand-hold pumps arms like a bellows; couple as
a whole rotates 180° clockwise
- Inside Turn or
Loop Turn - similar to the loop turn from swing;
follower twirls 360° counterclockwise
Cha Cha
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Cha cha cha is danced
over two measures of 4/4. Dancers usually use a pattern of 8
counts across two bars to describe the basic step. Count 1
is a step in place, leader's left foot, follower's right.
Count 2 the leader makes a break step backward on the right
foot, follower steps forward on the left. Count 3 the leader
steps in-place on the left, follower on the right. On
"4-and-5" the leader makes two quick steps and steps in
place: right-left-right. On 6 the leader breaks forward on
the left, on 7 steps in place on the right, and on 8-and-1
the small "cha cha" steps return to the start of the cycle.
As a matter of etiquette, many leaders start on 6 to avoid
the first step stepping away from the partner, symbolising
rejection.
The Cha-Cha-Cha falls on 4-and-5 and on 8-and-1. Because
this does not gel with the conventional ways of subdividing
rhythms, i.e. it spans the end of one bar and the beginning
of the next, some schools call it "Cha cha" enabling the
teacher to call out "1 2 3 cha-cha 5 6 7 cha-cha"
The Cha-Cha part of
the rhythm is a compact chasse.
The forward step of
the cha-cha is: instead of the male stepping forward on his
right foot he puts his left foot to his right while the
female does the same but she puts her right foot to her
left, then they both step back in and do the three steps on
the spot. This can be repeated as many times as you want
rotating sides. The backward step of the cha-cha is pretty
much the same as the forward step but instead of using
you’re inside foot and stepping forward you use your outside
foot and step backwards. The cha-cha turn is: the male does
a basic cha-cha step but when he does the three cha-cha’s on
the spot he does them while moving to the side then he does
it again moving back to his original position. While he does
this the female does a normal step but instead of the three
cha-cha-cha’s she does two quick turns whichever way the
male is going then she does it again to end up back in her
original position.
Cha Cha is most
frequently danced to medium tempo Latin music
The cha-cha was
created in Cuba by a Cuban violinist called Enrique Jorrin
in 1954 When dancing the cha-cha very small steps are needed
because of its rhythm. The cha-cha part of the rhythm is a
series of small gliding steps that barely touch the floor. A
huge variety of fancy footwork can be added to the dance.
Weight has to be moved carefully to make motions look
gliding. The cha-cha includes a lot of hip motion. The
pelvis is held in one position and left free for this
motion. Even though the cha-cha uses smaller steps, dancers
in competitions usually make their movement slightly longer
to travel across the floor. The Cha-cha became hugely
popular in the United States as did the mambo in the 1950s.
Dancers began inventing new steps and turns to win
competitions.
Polka
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The basic Polka step
is a continuous series of step-close-step “triple steps.” The
polka is a fast traveling dance that is generally danced around the
perimeter of the dance floor. Like Triple Two Step and Two Step, many
of the moves associated with this dance are able to be done in any one of
these three dances.
West Coast
Swing
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West Coast
Swing (WCS) is done with the follower in a 'slot' moving back and forth
along the slot while the leaders moves in and out of the followers way on
each movement. You can envision this by thinking about a set of
railroad tracks. The leader and follower begin the dance by facing
each other in the slats. The follower stays in the slats moving back
and forth while the leader moves up onto the right or left rail of the track
to get out of the way then coming back onto the slats.
WCS uses a 6
and 8 count rhythm patterns. The basic 6 count pattern is counted 1-2,
3&4, 5&6 (walk, walk, triple-step, triple-step or step, step, triple-step,
triple-step). The basic 8 count pattern is counted 1-2, 3&4, 5-6, 7&8.
(walk, walk, triple-step, walk, walk, triple-step or step, step,
triple-step, step, step, triple-step).
WCS music is
different than ECS music in that it is much slower and have a much
'smoother', 'slinky' feel to them. There are some faster WCS songs
that ECS can be danced to.
Salsa
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Similar to
mambo, Salsa has six steps danced over eight beats of music. The basic
steps of Salsa are a tap left on the first beat of music, a step forward on
the same foot, a rock back onto the right foot and the sequence is finished
by stepping back left to close. This is the FORWARD basic movement.
This is followed by the BACK basic movement. Tap right, step back
right, rock forward left and close right. The follower always mirrors
the leaders steps so this means that while the leader is doing a forward
basic movement, the follower does a back basic movement.
East Coast
Swing
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Another
staple on the Country dance floor, East Coast Swing (ECS) resembles and is
derived from the Jitterbug and Jive of days gone by. East Coast Swing
begins in a closed position with a slight opening at the leader's left and
follower's right, bodies forming a 'v' shape. The leaders right hand
rests on the follower's lower back, underneath the follower's left arm.
The follower's left arm rests on the leader's lower back over the leaders
right arm. The leaders left and followers right hands then join
together in a down (hip level) position with the follower laying her hand
into the up faced palm of the leaders. (Remember never to "grasp"
hands.) Both dancers feet are in third position.
The basic ECS
is a triple count step pattern is triple step (1&2), triple step (3&4), rock
step (5-6). Leaders shuffle forward left (triple step) then back right
(triple step) then rock back left and recover on the right foot (rock step).
Followers shuffle forward right (triple step) then back left (triple step)
then rock back right and recover on the left foot (rock step) - maintaining
the 'v' shape of both bodies..
ECS music is
usually upbeat although there are some slower ECS music where you can also
dance West Coast Swing.
Lindy Hop
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Lindy Hope is
a collection of dance movements that grew out of the improvisations of
dancers that was put together from dances of the day including Charleston,
FoxTrot, and Shag. It started forming in the mid 1920's and has made a
great comeback in recent years especially with the popularity of current
television shows such as Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can
Dance.
Basic Lindy
Hop is rock step, triple-step, step, step, triple step. The dance
starts with Beats 1,2 (Rock Step). Every Lindy move starts with this
rock step. Beats 3&4 are triple-step on the left. The lead
starts with the left foot and alternates left, right left in place.
The follower does the same but on the right (right, left, right) in place.
Beats 5,6 (step, step). This is a discrete step of about 15-18 inches.
The leader steps with the right foot about 15-18 inches to the right and
then steps with the left foot to bring the feet together. The follower
does the same but on the opposite foot - left foot about 15-18 inches to the
left and brings the right foot together. At the end, both partners are
facing each other about 15-18 inches from where they started. Beats
7&8 (triple on the right), the leader starts with the right foot and
alternates right-left-right in place. The follower then does the same
on the opposite foot with left-right left.
Triple Two
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The footwork timing is
often called out as triple step, triple step, walk, walk. The triple two
step is often called “swing on the move,” since the dance uses a progressive
version of the triple timing swing basic. Like the polka and like the
standard two step, the triple two-step progresses around the perimeter of
the dance floor in a counterclockwise fashion.
Compared to swing dancing, triple
two step has much less lilt. Instead, it’s essentially a smooth dance in
spite of the fact that it uses swing style footwork timing. The popular
figures of triple two step borrow both from swing and from the two step. In
fact, many two step figures are easily converted to triple two step by
replacing each slow step with a triple step, and by replacing each quick
step with a one beat walking step. Many triple two step figures can also be
danced in the polka.
Like the regular two step, triple
two step is driving, and exciting. The popular patterns require that you
constantly change positions with your partner. Many figures are designed
around there being a left track and a right track. In figures such as the
weave, the partners criss-cross, alternately changing from one track to the
other. Popular basic figures include weaves, lariats, pretzels, ducts,
tunnels, and free spins.
