Steps
Actions
Other Notation
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Common Abbreviations
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Description Of Step Or Action
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| and |
& |
In timing notation, an "&" represents half a beat, as in the cha example above. A step on an "&" count is very quick. |
| comma |
, |
In abbreviated descriptions of dance steps (as opposed to complete sentences), a comma indicates the end of one beat of music. For instance, "fwd, fwd, cl;" represents three dance steps on three beats of music, perhaps a waltz measure: step forward on the left foot, forward right, and then close left to right — a Forward Waltz. |
| dash |
- |
A dash usually represents a pause, nothing happening during a beat of music, at least no step. For instance, a rumba half basic is "fwd, rec, sd, -;" There are four beats in this measure (3 commas and 1 semi-colon) but only three steps. The third step (the side step) occurs over beats 3 and 4. |
| slash |
/ |
A slash is used to indicate a split beat of music, two steps or actions occuring in a single beat, a kind of syncopation. For instance a cha half basic is "fwd, rec, sd/cl, sd;" In this 4-beat measure, two things are happening on beat 3 (the "side/close"). The "count" is 1, 2, 3/&, 4;
The 3/&, 4; is your "cha-cha-cha."
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| semi-colon |
; |
A semi-colon represents the end of a measure of music (see example above). In abbreviated descriptions, one often finds two or more semi-colons together. This is a concise way of saying that the previous figure took two or more measures to execute. For instance, in the sequence: "waltz away; pickup; left turning box;;;;" the first two figures took one measure apiece, and the third figure took four measures to complete. |
| ah |
A |
An "a" represents only 1/4 beat. In a fast jive, a basic rock is danced "1, 2, 3/a, 4; 1/a, 2,
The third step (count 3) is quick, only 3/4 of a beat, but the fourth step (the "a") really allows you to take only partial weight before you have to bounce off and into the fifth step (count 4). If an "&" is very quick, I guess an "a" is very very quick.
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| Acknowledge |
Ack |
Recognizing your partner with an implied "thank you for gracing me with your company." One standard acknowledgement is an apart, -, point, -; (see above). A bit more old-fashioned is the bow and curtsey. |
| Across |
Acrs |
Movement across the direction of dance. The step is taken in front of or behind the supporting foot (usually with "contra" body movement - see below). |
| Adjust |
Adj |
Modifying the size of the step, the amount of turn, or any other feature in order to achieve grace and comfort. One adjusts to the movements of one's partner and in preparation for the next figure. |
| Apart |
Apt |
Step away from partner and shift weight to that foot. |
| Around the World |
Arnd… |
Lean outside your base of support and rotate the upper body in a broader arc than in a Body Roll. |
| Ball |
B |
The part of the foot just behind the toes. When dancing "up" one would step, "ball-flat." |
| Ball Change |
B chg |
Quickly step on ball of free foot and close again on newly free foot; two changes of weight in one beat of music. |
| Butterfly Position |
BFLY |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Banjo Position |
BJO |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Bolero Position |
BL |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Bolero Banjo Position |
BL BJO |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Bolero Sidecar Position |
BL SCAR |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Body Roll |
Bdy roll |
Lean outside your base of support and rotate the upper body in a broad arc. |
| Back (backward) |
Bk (bkwd) |
Step in the direction opposite to that in which you are facing and shift weight to that foot. |
| Blend, blending |
Blnd, blndg |
Gently adjusting to a new dance position. For instance, the cue might be "back half box blending to sidecar." You would dance the half box in closed position and slightly adjust so that you end the figure in sidecar position. |
| Break |
Brk |
Release your position or hand hold. |
| Broken Sway |
Brkn sway |
Lean or tilt the body from the waist upward. |
| beat, count |
Bt, ct |
One unit or accent in the recurring rhythm of a piece of music. In most dance music, you can count four instances of emphasis per measure. Waltz beats recur in groups of three. |
| Contra Banjo Position |
CBJO |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Contrary or Contra Body Movement |
CBM |
Step forward or back, turning the opposite side of the body in the direction of that movement. |
| Contra Body Movement Position |
CBMP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Contrary or Contra Body Movement Position |
CBMP |
The static position in which one foot is forward or back and the opposite side of the body is turned in that position. The position your body is in at the end of Contra Body Movement.
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| Center |
COH |
To the left, as one faces line of dance; toward the center of the room. |
| Closed Position |
CP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Counter Promenade Position (=RSCP) |
CPP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Contra Sidecar Position |
CSCAR |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Challenge Line |
Chal ln |
In Promenade position (semi-closed), step side and forward on the lead foot, stretch trail side of body forcefully and so rise and sway toward supported foot, lead arms up, looking out. An aggressive Promenade Sway. |
| Change Pont |
Chg pt |
Quickly close free foot and pont new free foot to side. Done as one movement in one beat of music. |
| Change Sway |
Chg sway |
From any Sway position, stretch the opposite side of the body, tilt in the other direction, change head position (look the other way), and usually rotate the body. |
| Chair |
Chr |
A step in which you check your motion and lower into the supporting knee such that the thigh is close to horizontal. |
| Chase |
Chs |
One partner pursues the other. |
| Circle |
Circ |
Move forward in a circular pattern. |
| Check |
Ck |
A step in which you stop and prepare to change direction. |
| Checking |
Ckg |
The process of stopping and getting ready to change direction; no additional step. |
| Close |
Cl |
Bring the free foot to the supporting foot, and step or take weight. |
| Closed Turn |
Cl trn |
A turn in which the second or third step is a closing step. Contributes to body "fall;" typical of waltz. |
| Cross |
Crs |
Step in front or behind the supporting foot such that the thighs cross. |
| Curve |
Crv |
Dance in a small arc but maintain the initial forward or backward direction of dance. You might begin facing diagonal wall and dance forward, curving to end facing diagonal center. |
| Count |
Ct |
The beats per measure. |
| Diagonal Center |
DLC |
Half to the left, as one faces line of dance; between line of dance and center. |
| Diagonal Wall |
DLW |
Half to the right, as one faces line of dance; between line and wall. |
| Diagonal Reverse and Center |
DRC |
Half to the right, as one faces reverse line of dance; between reverse and center.
"On the diagonal" means facing or moving along one of these four diagonal directions.
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| Diagonal Reverse and Wall |
DRW |
Half to the left, as one faces reverse line of dance; between reverse and wall. |
| Drag |
Drg
|
In a stretched up body position, touch the toe to the floor relatively far from the supporting foot and move it toward that foot; no weight. |
| Draw |
Drw |
Touch the toe to the floor relatively far from the supporting foot and move it toward that foot; no weight. |
| Flat |
F |
The entire bottom of the foot. A forward step may be taken, "heel-flat." |
| Fallaway |
Falwy |
Step back in semi-closed position. Outside foot moves back in CBMP. |
| Flick |
Flk |
Move free foot sharply backward; no weight |
| Flare |
Flr |
Flex supporting knee, extend free foot and point toe, and move free foot forward or back in an arc with the foot slightly off the floor. |
| Free Foot |
Free ft |
The foot that is not supporting the body's weight. |
| Free Hand |
Free hnd |
The hand not in contact with the partner, not resting on hip (man), not holding skirt (woman) |
| Feather |
Fthr |
A step outside partner while maintaining parallel shoulders, usually with the right foot to a contra banjo, but also with the left foot to a contra sidecar. Usually begun in closed position. |
| Feather Finish |
Fthr fin |
Again, a step outside partner to contra banjo, having begun with a back step. For instance, from closed position, diagonal reverse and wall, trail foot free, step back turning LF, side L turning, and forward R to contra banjo diagonal line and wall. |
| Forward |
Fwd |
Step in the direction you are facing and shift weight to that foot. |
| Heel |
H |
Extend foot forward and touch back of heel to the floor; no weight. |
| Heel Lead |
H ld |
A feature of a forward step in which the heel contacts the floor first, followed by the rest of the foot. |
| Heel Pivot |
H pvt |
Turn on heel of supporting foot; no weight change. |
| Heel Turn |
H trn |
Step back and turn on the heel of that supporting foot, feet together, shift weight to heel of previously free foot, then to toe of that foot; one weight change. The purpose of a heel turn is to change places; afterwards, the man should be in the woman's previous spot and she should be in his. It is important not to change weight early, because your partner will be moving through the unweighted side (as one pushes through a turnstyle) during the turn. If you have taken weight early, your partner won't be able to push through your weighted hip. |
| Hook |
Hk
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Cross free foot in front or in back of and near supporting foot; no weight
This term is also used to direct one partner (usually the woman) to wrap one foot or leg behind the foot or leg of her partner.
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| Hover Sway |
Hvr sway |
Lean or tilt the body from the ankle upward in a direction away from the supporting foot. Stretch the supported side of the body. |
| Hovering Action |
Hvrg |
Check the moving or the turning of the body and rise a little. The feet remain stationary. |
| Inside Foot |
Insd ft |
The foot nearest the partner when not directly facing partner or directly facing away. |
| Inside Hand |
Insd hnd |
The hand nearest the partner when not directly facing partner or directly facing away. |
| Kick |
Kck |
Raise knee straight up and then straighten leg with toe extended; no weight. |
| Left Side Lead |
L sd ld |
Moving with the left side of the body ahead of the right. Sometimes referred to as a "slicing" movement.
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| Loose Closed Position |
LCP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Left Face or Counter Clockwise |
LF, CCW |
Turning to the left |
| Line |
LOD |
The line of dance is forward, counter-clockwise, around the dance floor. Generally, the man directs the progression of dance. The center of the hall will be to his left, and the walls of the room will be to his right. In both freestyle and rounds, go with the flow and avoid interfering with other dancers. |
| Left Open Facing Position |
LOF |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Left Open Position |
LOP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Latin Cross |
Latin X |
Cross one leg in front or behind the other so that the toe of the back leg is turned out, the knee of the back leg is just behind the knee of the front leg, and the heel of the front leg is near the toe of the back leg. The two feet make a figure "7." |
| Lead Foot (or Hand) |
Ld ft (hnd) |
Man's left, woman's right |
| Lead Hand |
Ld hnd |
Man's left, woman's right |
| Leading |
Ldg |
The act of directing the woman through a figure or a dance. It is solely the man's responsibility.  |
| Lunge |
Lun |
Step forward or side, bending knee and checking the movement. |
| measure |
Meas |
A short section of music in the regularly recurring rhythm, usually marked by an initial stronger accent and then one, two, three, or more lesser accents. For instance, a waltz measure consists of one strong downbeat and two lesser beats: 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3; |
| Natural |
Nat |
Turning right face, in a clockwise direction |
| Open Position |
OP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Open Turn |
Op trn |
A turn in which the third step is a passing step, instead of a closing step. Contributes to "flight;" typical of fox trot. |
| Opposite Footwork |
Opp ftwk |
Stepping with opposite feet free, for instance the man's left and the woman's right: both step with the lead, then both with the trail. |
| Opposition Points |
Opp pts |
In a facing position, lower on supporting foot, extend free foot to the side, point toe, and stretch supported side, swaying toward pointed foot. Partner points in opposite direction, thus man and woman are pointing the same foot, usually the left. |
| Outside Foot |
Outsd ft |
The foot farthest from the partner when not directly facing partner or directly facing away. |
| Outside Hand |
Outsd hnd |
The hand farthest from the partner when not directly facing partner or directly facing away. |
| Overturn |
Ovrtrn |
More than the normal amount of turn. If the spin turn takes you to the wall, an overturn might take you to reverse and wall. |
| Promenade Position (=SCP) |
PP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Progressive |
Prog |
Movement forward or backward along line of dance. A progressive dance moves; a spot dance is mostly danced in one place on the floor. |
| Pretzel Wrap |
Prtzl wrp |
With a double hand hold, wrap, unwrap, and/or rewrap one partner at a time using left and right turns. Details vary with the choreography. |
| Point |
Pt
|
Extend foot forward side or back, toe to floor, ankle stretched and instep arched, but do not step or take weight. |
| Pivot |
Pvt |
Rotate on the ball of the supporting foot by turning upper body. The free leg is extended forward or back. Amount of turn can be very little or 1/2 turn or more. |
| Quick |
Q, qk |
A step taken on a single beat or on a fraction of a beat and followed by another step withoug pause. |
| Right Side Lead |
R sd ld |
Moving with the right side of the body ahead of the left. Sometimes referred to as a "slicing" movement. |
| Right Face or Clockwise |
RF, CW |
Turning to the right |
| Reverse Line |
RLOD |
Opposite of Line, in a direction clockwise around the dance floor. |
| Reverse Semi-Closed Position |
RSCP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Recover or Replace |
Rec, rplc |
Return weight to previous supporting foot. |
| Reverse |
Rev |
Turning left face, in a counterclockwise direction |
| Rock |
Rk |
Change weight to free foot. |
| Running |
Rung |
Often, used as an adjective to describe a figure executed with an extra step, with syncopated timing, such as 1, 2/&, 3; in waltz or S, -, Q/&, Q; in fox trot. |
| Slow |
S |
A step taken on two beats of music (in 4/4 timing, or one beat in 2/4); often danced as a step followed by a pause before the next step is taken. |
| Sidecar Position |
SCAR |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Semi-Closed Position |
SCP |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Skaters Position |
SKTRS |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Side (sideward) |
Sd (swd) |
Step to the side and shift weight to that foot. |
| Slip |
Slp |
On lead foot and slightly lowered, begin a small, left-face body rotation, rise, slide free foot back, and take weight so woman swivels LF and steps on her left foot just outside man's right foot, ending in closed position.
If the man wants to turn the partnership more, say, 1/4 LF, then he will guide her to step L between his feet. This will allow him to turn LF and end in closed position. If she had slipped outside his feet, the turn would have put them in banjo, which we don't usually want.
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| Spin |
Spn |
Rotate on the ball of the supporting foot. The free leg is usually held under the body. Again, the amount of turn varies up to a full turn or maybe more.
One of the stumbling blocks to a good spin is Curt and Tammy Worlock's "Black Hole," the space between your top lines that can suck in everything within reach. Actually, this graphic metaphor simply refers to the tendency for the man to pull his lady to him in a desperate attempt to get far enough around. In both pivots and spins, it feels as though you will be better off if you make yourselves as small as possibel, but the truth is that you need to extend yourselves and seperate your top lines even more. Extra momentum will actually help you around.
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| Spiral |
Sprl |
A solo action. Turn in place on ball of supporting foot in direction opposite to supporting foot (on left foot, turn right). 7/8 turn; ends with the legs quite tightly twisted, ankles together. Usually, you will take a "step/spiral." Don't make the mistake of anticipating the turn. Step, get your body stably balanced over that supporting foot, and only then sharply turn on that spot. |
| Spot |
Spt |
Dance the figure on one point on the floor, with no progression. |
| Spot Pivot |
Spt pvt |
As a couple, pivot about one point; no progression. May involve any number of steps. |
| Spot Turn |
Spt trn |
As an individual (solo), turn or pivot about one point; no progression. |
| Swivel |
Swvl |
Turn the body, causing the foot or feet to rotate on the floor. The rotation can be slight or up to 1/2 turn or more. |
| Swivel Walk |
Swvl wlk |
Step forward on ball of foot and rotate on that point of contact. |
| Syncopation |
Sync |
Stepping or acting between two beats of music, on an & count, such as 1, 2/&, 3; in waltz or S, -, Q/&, Q; in fox trot. |
| Toe |
T |
The most forward part of the foot. A backward step might be taken, "toe-flat." |
| Toe |
T |
Touch the toe to the floor; no weight. |
| Toe Spin |
T spn |
Rise to toe of supporting foot, commence turn, bring free foot to supporting foot, continue turning on toes; one weight change. As in a heel turn, delay the weight change. Counting the beats, you will step heel to toe on beat 1, spin on the right toe/ continue to spin on 2, and close to left toe/ and finally step forward on right toe on 3; |
| Tandem Position |
TNDM |
for a definition, see Dance Position |
| Touch |
Tch |
Bring free foot to the supporting foot, and touch the floor, but do not step or take weight. |
| Through |
Thru |
Bring free foot between you and your partner and take weight. |
| Together |
Tog |
Step toward partner and shift weight to that foot. |
| Transition |
Tran |
In a figure, an extra step or one fewer steps by the man or woman. A couple transitions from opposite footwork to same footwork or from same to opposite. |
| Traveling |
Travg |
Progressing or moving forward. Sometimes used as an adjective to describe a figure executed with an extra step, or with syncopated timing, such as 1, 2/&, 3; in waltz or S, -, Q/&, Q; in fox trot (see "running") |
| Trail Foot (or Hand) |
Trl ft (hnd) |
Man's right, woman's left |
| Turn |
Trn |
A change of direction. |
| Turn Away |
Trn awy |
An individual movement turning away from partner. |
| Turn In |
Trn in |
An individual movement turning to partner. |
| Turn Out |
Trn out |
An individual movement turning away from partner. |
| Turn Toward |
Trn twd |
An individual movement turning to partner. |
| Tumble Turn |
Tumble trn |
On the lead toe in closed position, turn left and lower with a strong left sway, checking. |
| Twinkle |
Twkl |
Step in a given direction. Then close and step in another direction. A two-directional chasse and a 1/4 to 1/2 change of facing direction. |
| Twist |
Twst |
Turn the upper body; no weight change. |
| Underturn |
Undrtrn |
Less than the normal amount of turn. |
| Unwrap |
Unwrp |
From wrapped position, release lead hands, and the woman turns right face. |
| Weight |
Wgt |
To change weight or to take weight is to transfer the weight of the body from one foot to the other. The alternative is to "touch," to place the foot or a part of the foot but not transfer weight to that foot. One can also take partial weight, usually on one beat, preparatory to taking full weight on the next beat. |
| Wrap |
Wrp |
In an open or butterfly position, the lady turns left face to face the same direction as the man. Hold trail hands, so the man's right arm is wrapped around her back, and the woman's left arm is wrapped in front of her body. Join the free lead hands in front about chest height. |
| Cross Walk |
X wlk |
Step forward and place foot in front of the other, crossing thighs and with a little swagger. |
| Cross In Back |
XIB |
Step in back of supporting foot and take weight. |
| Cross In Front |
XIF |
Step in front of supporting foot and take weight. |
| Cross left foot in back of right foot. |
XLIBR |
|
| Cross left foot in front of right foot. |
XLIFR |
|
| Cross right foot in back of left. |
XRIBL |
|
| Cross right foot in front of left. |
XRIFL |
|
| Extend, Extension |
Xtnd |
The exageration of any pose or posture, involving lowering, or stretching up, or rotating a little more, leaning back farther, arching a bit more, or extending the arms and fingers. Usually done to develop a particular body line and to use additional time at the end of a picture figure. |
