What Is Round Dancing?

Round Dancing is a form of social ballroom dancing in which the steps are choreographed precisely to the music, and those steps are announced by a "cuer," as we dance. The presence of the cuer makes a round dance look different than the usual ballroom dance — all the couples are dancing in unison and the choreography can be relatively complex and interesting (since the man doesn't have to think it up as he goes) — but otherwise round dancers are ballroom dancing. We hold our partners in the normal way. We take the same kinds of steps. The rhythms are the familiar rhythms — waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha, rumba, and others listed in the navigation bar to the left. more

This manual describes how to round dance. The steps, figures, and techniques also work well at weddings, dinner dances, and other social ballroom functions.

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About Dance—

Or for a list of all educational articles on how to dance more smoothly and comfortably, see this TOC.

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It's easy to be too casual about swing dancing and think "it's all rock and roll to me." But even with a fast tempo, careful footwork and compact chasses or single rhythm can tame the dance, give us clean and attractive form, and make the dance more comfortable, too.

We have so many dance rhythms to choose among today—from the tango and rumba to the hustle and slow two step. How and when did these new rhythms arise?

Tips on some dance actions — Round Dance Tips by Tim Eum

In slow two step, we have again run into a figure called The Square. It has also been called a Switch Box.

A look at the foxtrot Switching Grapevine.

Should we dance the figures or dance the dance?

Using Your Hands — an essay © by Gert-Jan & Susie Rotscheid.

"The Look Alikes" and other articles on round dancing — Round About, by Roy & Phyllis Stier ©

Compare the Waltz Maneuver and Left Maneuver

When leading an Underarm Turn, get your joined hands up and over her head, but don't forcefully twirl her.

The Wheel is a figure danced in a variety of ways in many different rhythms. In the Tornillo and Ballerina Wheels, it helps to relax your frame.

Samba Styling and two other articles on Latin rhythms © by Shirley Aymé

How To Samba, a look at the woman's and the man's strategy, © by Alma Guillermoprieto

Three simple features of dance styling: lift your feet, look left, and smile.

International Tango is a flat dance with no regular rise and fall, and it is characterized by a staccato emphasis on each beat and alternating rests and actions.

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a dance with no idea of what figure you're doing and no idea of what figure is coming up, either? Don't panic. Keep dancing — something. Soon, you'll hear a cue you recognize, and you're back in the dance again.

There are three styles of Tango in round dancing. International or English, American, and Argentine. Out of the three, Argentine Tango is the playful one.

To dance well, we must respond to our partner, both physically, in the steps and figures, but emotionally, too. Fred and Ginger demonstrated this principle well.

Roundalab rates dance figures and therefore dances on a six-level phase system, an article by Annette Woodruff.

So often in dance, when you do something big, you end up doing something to your partner, small and controlled, you are dancing with your partner.

A Brief History of Square and Round Dancing by Veronica McClure ©

The Left Side Pass is a West Coast Swing figure in which the woman dances past the man. She can do it with strong feeling, running away, with moderate intensity, or even with a cozy closeness.

Men just learn differently than women — an essay by Annette Woodruff.

In taking a dance step,we must give as much thought to the movement of the body as we do to the movement of the foot. 

Smooth Dancing — If Fred and Ginger Can Do It, Why Can't You?—A good dance position keeps us on balance and leads to smooth dancing, an essay by Ralph & Joan Collipi.

In the Latin rhythms, the man’s lead is often solely through his left hand. One way to lead more comfortably is to keep those lead hands low. 

As you concentrate on your dance steps and figures, don't hunch forward and look down. Lift your chest. Look up and out.

What Is Natural About A Natural Turn?—Natural Turns are early and perhaps easier because the woman is already to the man's right and at the center of the turn. Reverse Turns are delayed so that we can first place the woman gently onto the pivot point for the couple and then do the turn.