Steps for Other Dances

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When two people dance together, someone has to decide what steps to do and when.  When a man and a woman dance together, usually the guy is designated as the leader and the lady is a follower. However, in recent times dance has moved away from gender restrictions. Now it’s common for two women or two men to dance together. So when any two individuals dance in partnership, they have latitude on designating one of them as the leader and the other as a follower. And they can switch roles if they wish, during the dance although there always needs to be agreement between the partners on who is leading at a given time.

In any case, the skills involved in each of the roles are different but are equally important.  Followers have to learn to grasp and follow non-verbal cues smoothly and quickly.  Leaders have to provide those cues comfortably and in the proper timing.

The conventional wisdom is that the leader chooses the moves and the follower responds by doing what is led.  And in broad brushstrokes, that is what happens.  But a deeper understanding of what goes on is more nuanced.  As in all matters that involve two people doing something together, they both have to be sensitive to the cues, comfort, and needs of the other person.  A leader who attempts moves the follower cannot easily do, such as double or triple spins, will not find the dance to work out well.  A follower who is hesitant to move at the pace or with the size steps that the leader tries to initiate will inhibit the leader from orchestrating the dance. In reality, they both affect each other and both have a significant input on making the dance work.

These days, advanced dancers often have fun learning and dancing both roles.  Learning to lead helps ladies understand how better to follow just as learning to follow helps leaders better understand how to lead.  But whatever role one assumes in a dance, it is important to recognize that you have a significant impact on what your partner is able to do and try to be sensitive to making the partnership itself function well.

The dances covered here are all done to music with four beats to a measure.  A phrase is generally two measures, or eight beats.  If you think of a Salsa or Foxtrot song, and count eight beats, you will see that the first beat gets the greatest emphasis and the fifth beat gets the next strongest emphasis.  You can feel this musical pulse and that is the rhythm people dance to. 

Some dances like Salsa have a dance pattern that starts at the beginning and ends at the end of a musical phrase.  Some dances like Swing do not have a dance pattern that takes eight beats even though the musical phrase is eight beats.  That means you don’t start every dance pattern on beat one.  For example, many swing steps are a 6-beat pattern so if you start on beat one, the next pattern starts on beat 7 of the same phrase.  The following pattern starts on 5 and the one after that starts on 3 etc.  This may feel odd to dancers with a lot of musical training. But people get accustomed to it and generally this doesn’t cause a problem once they understand what’s happening.

In the dances covered here, steps are done by alternating which foot you step onto---from right to left, to right, etc. I mention this apparently obvious fact because I know from experience that beginning dancers sometimes make the mistake of taking two steps in a row with the same foot---without realizing it.  Hence dancers are advised to say “left” or “right” in their minds, and watch for a full weight shift with each step, to avoid this problem.

Another helpful hint is to lift your foot slightly off the ground as you step onto the other foot. What you want to avoid is putting your foot down to take a step without actually shifting your weight to that foot. The way to be sure you have shifted your weight onto one foot is to lift the other foot slightly off the ground.

It is very helpful for new dancers to take small steps. Any imperfection in your rhythm or how your weight is centered, etc. tends to be softened or minimized when the steps are small. As you learn increasingly complex moves, there will be some exceptions to this rule. But for beginners, small steps are generally wise.

With all this in mind, you can scroll down to read about basic steps in Latin Dances, Tango, Line Dances, Foxtrot and Foxy (with wedding choreographies), and Swing.

1. Latin dances

This video has a very basic introduction to Merengue, Salsa and Bachata: youtu.be/0Ln2zTErmS0. The video ends with music for each of these dances so viewers can practice moves.

2.  TANGO

First:  a few words about Tango dancing.  There are several styles of Tango (“Argentine,” “American,” “International,” etc.) as is the case in many dances.  These style differences could be compared to different dialects of the same language. That is, they are much more alike than different. They all have similar moves, hold, feeling, “drama,” and music, etc.

Most basic moves in American style Tango comprise 8 beats which means that each dance move starts on beat 1 of an 8-beat musical phrase.  This makes keeping the beat easier and gives the dance a more structured feeling both rhythmically and conceptually.

In Argentine Tango, the number of beats in a dance move can vary, and the leader might choose to wait 3, 4, or 5 beats etc. at any time, before starting the next dance step.  Leaders can also pause in the middle of one dance step.  So the timing of Argentine Tango can be quite variable.  In addition, Argentine Tango does not really have a basic step, although most dance teachers create a simple 8 beat pattern to start instruction with.

For all these reasons, American style Tango is well suited for beginning Tango students. Some basic American Tango patterns are outlined below.  The leader usually starts each move going forward on the left foot.  The follower starts usually going back on the right foot.  “Quick” steps below last for one beat; “Slow” steps last for two beats. The basic step is an 8-beat pattern: Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow.

Note that the footwork below describes what the leader does.  The follower meanwhile does the “natural opposite.” That is, when leaders move forward on the left foot, followers move back on the right foot, etc.

Beginning Tango Moves for Leaders  (All patterns are 8 beats)

a. Leader’s Basic Step  (SS QQS)
Forward on left  (slow)
Forward on right  (slow)
Forward on left  (quick)
Step to the right with right foot  (quick)
Slide left foot next to right foot, maintaining weight on the right foot  (slow)

b. Leader’s Curved Basic   (SS QQS)
This is the same as the basic step, but the leader curves left about 1/8 to 1/4 of a circle

c. Walks  (SS SS)
The leader just takes 4 “slow” steps going forward. Each step is 2 beats so this is an 8-beat pattern.

d. Rocks Going Forward  (QQS QQS)
Step forward on left
Step back on right
Step forward on left, replacing the left foot where it was
Step forward on right
Step back on left, replacing left foot where it was
Step forward on right, replacing right foot where it was on beat 5

e. Rocks Going Back  (QQS QQS)
This is the same as (d) above except leader moves backwards so it’s the follower who is going forward.

f. Stillness
Stand Still for beats 1 through 4 or beats 5 through 8.  Dancers can stand still for either the first or second half of the basic, but do the other portion of the basic in normal rhythm. Or they can even stand still for the entire 8 beat dance phrase. This sounds easy, but it’s important that dancers resume moving right on the correct beat, which may require counting in one’s head!

2. LINE DANCE INFO

The three line dances below are typical of basic line dances. There is a short relatively simple set of moves and you keep repeating them over and over until the music runs out. They usually turn you to the left, ninety degrees at a time. So you have faced all four walls in the room after repeating the pattern four times.

a.  Cupid Shuffle
Summary: 8 beats to right; 8 beats to left; 8 beats in place; 8 beats to turn.

To do the cupid shuffle, you do four steps to the right which are done “right, left, right left, right left, right tap. That totals 8 beats.  On the final beat, you don’t put your weight on the left foot so you can start on the left going the opposite direction on the next “beat one.”

Then you do the same thing but starting on your left and moving to the left (i.e. left right,….etc_.  That also takes 8 beats.  Again you tap on the 8th beat so you can step on your right foot on the next beat one.

Then do four heel steps starting with the right heel.  This means you put your right heel in front on the floor and bring the right foot back under you with a step on the next beat.  Do the same thing on the left, and then repeat on the right then the left.  This takes 8 beats.

Then you turn to your left over the next 8 beats so you are facing the wall that was originally on your left.

Repeat!

Note that you can move right and then left with any kind of step you like, as long as you move with others in your line so you don’t bump into anyone.  Likewise, you can step in place for 8 beats and then turn left over the course of 8 beats, doing any footwork you like. There is a lot of latitude!

b.  Wobble
Summary:   (each line is 8 beats)
Jump forward and wiggle, jump back and wiggle
Face left and groove, face right and groove
Step R, L Cha cha cha; step L R Cha cha cha
Turn to left
Repeat.

Jump on beat one going forward and “wiggle” for 3 beats. Then you jump back on beat 5 and wiggle for 3 beats.  So the two together total 8 beats.

Then face to the left and groove (undulate?) with your arms up and moving for 4 beats.  Then do the same thing facing to your right for 4 beats.  So the two together total 8 beats.

Then step forward on the right, back on the left and then step “cha cha cha.”  Then do the same thing starting with the left foot.  This totals 8 beats.

Then you turn 90 degrees to your left.  You can do this any way you want, spread over 8 beats.  Generally, you start on your right and either step on each beat or step on “and one, and two and three and four and five and six and seven and eight.” The latter is done by tapping on the right and then stepping on the right, and tapping on the left and stepping on the left, etc.  A tap is when your foot touches the ground but you aren’t putting your weight on that foot.

Repeat entire pattern above facing the new wall, and continue till the end of the song.

c.  Electric Slide 
Summary: 4 beats to right, 4 beats to left, 4 beats back, 4 beats leaning forward and back, (just) 2 beats to turn. Repeat.

Go to the right  --4 beats
Go left   --4 beats.
Go back   --4 beats.
Lean in/forward and tap, lean back and tap  --4 beats.
Take just 2 beats to turn 90 degrees left.
Repeat the pattern until the music ends.

The final 2-beat turn may feel rhythmically odd since everything else is done in sets of 4 beats.  This can be confusing to experienced Salsa dancers as it puts you starting your next pattern half-way through a musical measure.  But that is how this dance is done. Some other dances have this rhythmic issue as well, such as swing and foxtrot. In these dances, there are steps that aren’t as long as the 8 beat dance phrase. By contrast, Salsa and Casino patterns are generally always done in multiples of 8 beats so you start every new step on a beat one.

3.  FOXTROT & Related Slow Dances

Foxtrot is a slow dance that is done today at receptions and in ballrooms.  The step rhythm is "slow slow quick quick" where a "quick" step gets one beat and a "slow" step gets two beats.  Watch youtu.be/Ffk5zf8LbWo 0:01-10:30 for an overview of Foxtrot steps described below.

The Foxtrot basic step progresses forward but there are other moves like the Ad Lib step that can be done to change direction so you can go around the room. The box step keeps you in place and also alters the rhythm. That step is done in a "slow quick quick" rhythm. Dancers can move from the basic rhythm to this "box step rhythm." Then they move back to the basic rhythm as soon as the box step is done. The Progressive Step moves you forward or back continuously.

To practice using music that has a voice-over marking the beats when a step is taken in Foxtrot, visit: https://danceintime.com/miscellaneous-1/2017/3/22/cd-on-rhythm-and-timing. Listen to tracks 1 through 5.

a. Basic Step
(Slow Slow Quick Quick Rhythm)

The leader's basic step for foxtrot is as follows:
Walk forward with left foot (slow)
Walk forward with right foot (slow)
Side step with left foot (quick)
Close the right foot next to the left foot (quick)

The follower does the opposite as shown below:
Walk back with right foot (slow)
Walk back with left foot (slow)
Side step with right foot (quick)
Close left foot next to right foot (quick)

b. Left Turn (also called "Ad Lib")
(Slow Slow Quick Quick Rhythm)
This step enables you to change direction while dancing.

The leader's footwork is as follows:
Walk forward with left foot (slow)
Step back with right foot (slow)
Step side with left foot after rotating 1/4 or 1/8 of a turn left (quick)
Close right foot next to the left foot (quick)

The follower's footwork is:
Walk back with right foot (slow)
Step forward with left foot (slow)
Step side on right foot after rotating as led by partner (quick)
Close left foot next to the right foot (quick)

c. Box Step
(Switch to Slow Quick Quick Rhythm)

Most dances have some steps that involve a change in the underlying dance rhythm. Here we have included only the foxtrot's box rhythm as a variation on the basic rhythm pattern. In foxtrot, so many steps are done in the box rhythm (Slow-Quick-Quick) and the box pattern is so fundamental, that we felt it should be included.

The leader's footwork for the box step, which is done in the box rhythm, takes the leader forward on the left foot, then to the right side with the leader’s right foot. Next the leader brings the left foot to the right foot.  Then the leader steps back with the right foot, bring the left foot back and to the left side, and finally closes the right foot next to the left.  Followers do the exact opposite in terms of direction and which foot they are on since the two partners are mirroring each other.  This relationship is understandably referred to as doing the "natural opposite.”

Leader's Box
Step 1: Walk forward with left foot    (Slow)
Step 2: Step with right foot diagonally forward and to the right (Quick)
Step 3: Close the left foot next to the right foot    (Quick)
Step 4: Walk back with right foot   (Slow)
Step 5:  Step with left foot diagonally back and to the left (Quick)
Step 6: Close right foot to left foot   (Quick)
Repeat (if another box is desired)

Follower's Box (This is the mirror image of the leader's footwork…)
Step 1: Walk back with right foot  (Slow)
Step 2: Step with left foot diagonally back and to the left   (Quick)
Step 3: Close right foot next to the left foot   (Quick)
Step 4:  Walk forward with left foot (Slow)
Step 5: Step with right foot diagonally forward and to the right   (Quick)
Step 6: Close left foot to the right foot   (Quick)
Repeat (if another box is desired)

d. Box Step With Rotation
(SQQ Rhythm)

When doing the box step, each time before taking a "slow" step, the leader rotates a little to the left.  This "turns" the box so it looks much more interesting and advanced, and that rotation feels good to the dancers as well.  The amount of rotation can vary but is usually between an eighth of a circle and a quarter of a circle.

e. Progressive Step—Forward or Backward
(Either SSQQ or SQQ Rhythm)

The leader can keep moving forward for all steps. So this is simply like a steady walk forward. In other words, the leader keeps going in a straight line, while stepping in either of the Foxtrot rhythms.

Note that the leader can also do the Progressive Step moving backward—which means the follower will move forward.

NOTE: Another dance style that is related to Foxtrot is called “the Foxy.” I’ve seen two ways to do this. Dancers can do the exact patterns above but when they do the “slow” steps, they add a tap with the other foot on the second beat of that “slow.” This makes it adaptable for songs with such a slow tempo that they’d barely be moving if they took a lot of steps that last for two beats as we do in the Foxtrot.

The other approach I have seen for the Foxy is to alter the Foxtrot patterns in a different way. All the “slow” steps become “quick” steps. That is, they last for only one beat. And the quick steps become sways, involving some shift of weight from one foot to the other. A complete shift of weight between feet is a step. A sway is a partial but not a complete weight shift. Both the Foxtrot and these versions of the Foxy work well for dancing to slow tempos.

4.  SWING DANCING

There are many different forms of swing dancing (West Coast Swing, East Coast, Lindy Hop, Blues, etc).   East Coast swing is the easiest to learn.  Single and Triple Swing are both types of East Coast Swing. A few basic steps for those dances are described below. Note that as always, a "quick" step gets one beat and a "slow" step gets two beats.

Here is an interesting side note just for fun. If you take a look at the basic rhythm for both Single Swing and Foxtrot, you'll see that they are the same (slow, slow, quick, quick—“SSQQ”). This makes it possible to move from either of these dances into the other smoothly as long as the tempo of the music is appropriate.  So for example, if you are dancing to a slow Single Swing, then after a basic step, you can move into the Foxtrot basic step. After some Foxtrot steps are done in the SSQQ rhythm, you can go back to the Single Swing basic.

This works because a slow Swing and a fast Foxtrot are around the same tempo.  Switching from one dance to another is exciting and looks very fancy.  But it’s easy enough for complete beginners to do! I have taught this transition successfully in an introductory dance class.

Below a couple of simple swing steps are described.  Watch youtu.be/Ffk5zf8LbWo 13:56-16:48 for the basic step of Single Swing.  Watch 19:26-20:40 for the basic step of Triple Swing.

SINGLE SWING

a. Basic Step  (S S Q Q)The leader’s right arm goes around the follower's middle back and the follower’s right hand is held by the leader’s left hand. They create a 45 degree angle with their bodies.The leader's footwork is as follows:Step slightly forward and to the left with left foot  (Slow)Step in place with right foot  (Slow)Step back with left foot (behind right foot) (Quick)Step in place with right foot (Quick)
The follower's footwork is:Step forward and to the right with right foot  (Slow)Step in place with left foot  (Slow)Step back with right foot  (behind left foot) (Quick)Step in place with left foot (Quick)

b.  “Throw Out”The leader does the same footwork as in the basic step.  But on the first “slow” step, the leader leads the follower to turn about 180 degrees left, while moving in front of the leader.  The second “slow” step for the follower completes that 180 degree turn so that the two quicks can be done with partners facing each other.  The leader can then also bring the follower back to the leader’s right side, reversing the turn.  In that case, followers turn 180 degrees to the right starting on the first “slow” step, and partners side by side again for the two quick steps.

c.  Follower’s Underarm TurnThe footwork rhythm is the same as the basic step. However, the leader’s left hand which is holding the follower’s right hand, goes over the follower’s head on the first “slow” step while the follower is turned left. Both partners are switching places and they face each other squarely when they finish the two “quick” steps.

To practice using music that has a voice-over marking the beats when a step is taken in Single Swing, visit: https://danceintime.com/miscellaneous-1/2017/3/22/cd-on-rhythm-and-timing. Listen to tracks 6 to 10.

TRIPLE SWING

Most of the general comments above for Single Swing apply to Triple Swing as well.  However, Triple Swing doesn't lend itself to the transition to Foxtrot.

Triple Swing is essentially the same as Single Swing, except that each of the "slows" in Single Swing is replaced with three steps in Triple Swing.  These three steps are not the same amount of time. The first step is twice as long as the second step. And the last of the three steps is three times a long as the second step. (The second step is the shortest in length.)  All the same patterns for Single Swing can be done in Triple Swing with this simple step and timing adjustment.

Here is a helpful hint for doing Triple Swing. In executing the footwork, try to keep your body weight forward on the balls of your feet and relax your knees (i.e. keep them slightly bent).

To practice using music that has a voice-over marking the beats when a step is taken in Single Swing, visit: https://danceintime.com/miscellaneous-1/2017/3/22/cd-on-rhythm-and-timing. Listen to tracks 11 through 13.

5. cool combination of Foxtrot and Swing

A very nice hybrid dance can be created by blending Foxtrot and Single Swing. Note that the dance rhythm of both of these dances is Slow Slow Quick Quick. The sound of the music and the way dancers move in these dances is different. But since the timing of the dancers’ steps is identical, it’s possible to segue from one dance to the other and then back to the first.

This works best if done to a Foxtrot song is a relatively fast one. The swing dancing that would be done to that music would be on the slow side. To move from Foxtrot to Swing, the leader would have to position the follower so that the basic step of the Swing could be initiated at the end of a Foxtrot step. This hybrid dance can be done with just basic steps in both dances, so it’s feasible even for a beginner to do!

6.  WEDDING  DANCE CHOREOGRAPHIES

Many people take dance lessons in a traditional dance such as Foxtrot to prepare for the "First Dance" at their wedding reception.  However, increasingly, couples are opting to do a dance of their choice at weddings---often a livelier dance like Salsa.

DanceInTime has been called upon many times to prepare couples for wedding dances.  When the dance is Salsa, it's just a matter of teaching steps the couple can do comfortably.  But in the case of Foxtrot, even if you know the steps well, these dances can be tricky because they "sweep the floor" (unlike Salsa).  So leading either of them at a wedding reception requires not only knowing the moves but some "navigational skills."  In other words, the movement of many steps is progressive, meaning that you don't stay in one spot.  You move across the floor broadly if you keep on doing basic steps.  When you get near a wall (or a "wall of people") and you have to (artfully) change direction.

Below are Salsa and Foxtrot First Dance choreographies for those who want to keep it simple, using basic steps.  These are all designed to keep the wedding couple more or less in a central area since these choreographies keep turning the couple around after a short time of facing and moving in a particular direction.  In other words, these choreographies cause the couple to rotate so if they are ringed by friends and family, they'll face everyone at some point in the routine.

If the wedding couple prefers to dance one of the versions of the Foxy, they can just do the same moves as in the Foxtrot choreographies and make the adjustments described above in number 3 on Foxtrot step descriptions.

One other comment about wedding dances is that they can be short or long. If the couple wishes to dance to an entire song, that is fine but it’s not necessary.  A dance that lasts one minute or a minute and a half is just fine; you can do a lot of steps in one minute. This makes it easier for the couple if they prefer to keep the dance “low-stress.”

a. Basic Salsa Wedding Choreography

More experienced dancers have many beautiful moves they are well familiar with to choose from. So this choreography is aimed at dancers with a more basic knowledge who want a suggested list of steps that would look nice. There is no magic to this list; dancers can remove any steps they don’t care for or add any they’d like to include. Though this is a fairly basic list, it should make a nice presentation

Basic Step
Right Turn (or a right turn for the follower on 5 6 7, then for the leader on the next 1 2 3)
Cross Body Lead
Pa’ti Pa’mi
Echeverria
Enchúfala Doble y Quedate
Kentucky
Uno (or Uno y Dos)
Repeat as many times as desired
Ending: 3 options:
1- Leader rolls the follower out so they both face the audience; then they bow
2- Leader dips the follower and they they both face the audience and bow
3- Leader and follower finish their partnership steps and then stand side by side and do an identical shine pattern. You can the shine taught in this video youtu.be/uAz4sznNDlQ   0:01–17:47. A demonstration of that shine is here: 17:48–18:33. Or you can use any shine you like or make up.

b. Basic Foxtrot Wedding Choreography

Here is a set of moves for beginning dancers who want the simplest possible routine:

Start in the middle of the room. Then:
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step (or two Ad Lib steps will also work)
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step (or two Ad Lib steps will also work)
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step (or two Ad Lib steps will also work)
Two Basic Steps
One Ad lib step (or two Ad Lib steps will also work)
Repeat as many times as desired.
At the end, the leader should roll the follower out and gesture toward the follower as they both bow.

Note that if the one or two "Ad Lib" steps rotate the dancers 1/4 of a turn, then you can think of the first two basics moving you "north," the next two moving you "west," the next two moving you "south," and the next two moving you "east."  Then the final Ad Lib gets the couple moving north again.  So you are making a square more or less in the center of the dance floor and you won't bump into any walls.  This involves only two simple steps and would be easy to execute but look nice.

c. Enriched (but still basic) Foxtrot Wedding Choreography
The sequence below starts like the one above but adds more material so it is a little more sophisticated.

Part One: The Entrance
Do the Progressive Step with the leader moving forward and the follower moving backward as they “dance onto the floor.”  The couple comes from the edge and moves to the center of the room.  

Part Two:  Basic Choreography (same as above)
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step  (or two Ad Lib steps will also works)
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step  (or two Ad Lib steps will also works)
Two Basic steps
One Ad Lib step  (or two Ad Lib steps will also works)
Two Basic Steps
One Ad lib step  (or two Ad Lib steps will also works)

Part Three:  Additional Material
One Box Step Without Rotation
Three Box Steps With Rotation  (rotate about 180 degrees from the position at the start of part 3)
Three Ad Lib Steps  (rotate another 180 degrees, facing the same way as the position at the start of part 3)
Repeat Parts 2 and 3 as many times as desired.

Part Four:  The Exit
Leader can lead the Progressive Step again, this time moving from the center of the room back to the edge, to leave the dance floor.At the end, the leader should roll the follower out and gesture toward the follower as they both bow.