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ROUND DANCING — CHOREOGRAPHED BALLROOMEDUCATIONAL ARTICLESby Harold & Meredith Sears
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BASIC DANCE STEPS
A dance consists of a sequence of dance figures, but each figure consists of a sequence of individual steps and actions. For instance, the figure "Waltz Box" consists of the six steps, Forward, Side, Close; Back, Side, Close. Below, I list and describe many different basic dance steps and actions, the fundamental units of dancing.
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StepsActionsOther Notation |
Common Abbreviations |
Description Of Step Or Action |
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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. | |||
| Aerial Ronde | Flex supporting knee, extend free foot and point toe, and move free foot forward or back in an arc above the floor. Low = level with ankle; Medium = level with calf; High = level with knee; or you can raise the foot as far off the floor as conditions allow. | ||||
| 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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| And | & | In timing notation, an "&" represents half a beat, as in the cha example above. A step on an "&" count is very quick. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Back (backward) | bk (bkwd) | Step in the direction opposite to that in which you are facing and shift weight to that foot. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Banjo Position | BJO | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Blow a Kiss | Press the finger-tips to your lips, and then move your hand toward your partner, extending the fingers, as if wafting the kiss toward her or him. An alternative acknowledgement at the end of a dance; from open position, you might step side, -, and blow a kiss, -; | ||||
| Body Ripple or Body Wave | Lower your body by flexing your knees. This of course moves your knees forward. Next, move your knees back, and move your hips forward; bring your hips back, and move your torso forward. Finally, move the torso back, and move your head forward slightly. This is kind of a tough one, but it can look like a smooth ripple starting low at your feet and moving steadily up your body
I remember one teacher focusing on the middle part of the ripple and saying that you should pretend you are standing with your hips against the edge of a low shelf. Now, raise your hips up as if you were trying to put them on the shelf, and then slide them back off again. Another of our teachers suggested that the upper part of the ripple might look like you are spitting watermelon seeds. You lower, rear back with your head, and then throw your head forward, as you try for good distance. But the head movement is small, and don't get carried away and make the spitting sound. Over one measure of music (1,2,3,4;) you might gracefully present knees, hips, torso, head; and then step into the next measure. |
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| Body Roll | bdy roll | Lean outside your base of support and rotate the upper body in a broad arc. | |||
| Bolero Banjo Position | BL BJO | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Bolero Position | BL | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Bolero Sidecar Position | BL SCAR | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Bounce | A quick rising and falling movement, usually to a syncopated rhythm. | ||||
| Bow | The man stands with his feet together, toes slightly apart (1st position), hands at his sides, and inclines his body gently toward the lady.
For a more polished bow, step to the side with the left foot, close right to left with right heel to left instep (3rd position), and draw the right arm across the body at waist level as you incline forward. |
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| Break | brk | Release your position or hand hold. | |||
| Broken Sway | brkn sway | Lean or tilt the body from the waist upward. | |||
| Brush | Touch the toe to the floor and move it short distance toward supporting foot or move it against supporting foot; no weight. | ||||
| Bump | Bump hips together. | ||||
| Butterfly Position | BFLY | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Buzz | Rotate on the ball of the supporting foot by pushing with the free foot. There is no weight change unless separately cued. | ||||
| Canter | Particularly in waltz, taking two steps in a three-beat measure - usually step, hold, step. | ||||
| Center | COH | To the left, as one faces line of dance; toward the center of the room. | |||
| Chair | chr | A step in which you check your motion and lower into the supporting knee such that the thigh is close to horizontal. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Chase | chs | One partner pursues the other. | |||
| Chasse
(pronounced "shah-say") |
Used in several different rhythms, the chasse consists of three steps, usually in two beats of music: side/close, side. One foot "chases" the other. Usually, the chasse will be used as the last part of a full-measure figure consisting of one step and then the chasse. In fox trot, the timing would be, slow, -, quick/&, quick; In waltz, the timing would be, 1, 2/&, 3; In quickstep, the Progressive Chasse is timed, slow, -, quick, quick; slow, -, over 1 1/2 measures. In paso doble, the typical marching tempo renders the chasse as, side, close, side, close; or step, side, close, side; | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Chug | With weight on both feet, bend the knees and then straighten sharply, causing the feet to slide back. | ||||
| Circle | circ | Move forward in a circular pattern. | |||
| Close | cl | Bring the free foot to the supporting foot, and step or take weight. | |||
| Closed Position | CP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Closed Turn | cl trn | A turn in which the second or third step is a closing step. Contributes to body "fall;" typical of waltz. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Continuous | An adjective that usually means that steps have been added to the figure being defined and/or the figure is to be executed more quickly. A Continuous Hover Cross is a foxtrot figure that has two extra quicks in the middle of a normal Hover Cross, making the figure 2 1/2 measures, instead of two. In La Pura, the Gosses used Countinuous Double Cubans, which used the same two measures as a normal, cha, Double Cubans, but it had one additional step in the middle (the last & in the first measure): 1&2&3&4&; 1&2&3&4; In Bailamos, the DeFores used "Continuous Doors," which also take the normal two measures, but instead of the two-step timeing of qqs; qqs; they used merengue timeing of qqqq; qqqq; (rk sd L, rec R, XLIF (W XRIF), rk sd R; rec L, XRIF (W XLIF), sd L, cls R;) | ||||
| Contra Banjo Position | CBJO | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Contra Body Movement Position | CBMP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Contra Sidecar Position | CSCAR | 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. | |||
| 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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| Corté | In closed position, the man steps back and to the side, lowering into that knee and swaying to the right ("dip"). Leave the free leg extended. | ||||
| Count | ct | The beats per measure. | |||
| Counter Promenade Position (=RSCP) | CPP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Cross | crs | Step in front or behind the supporting foot such that the thighs cross. | |||
| 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 Walk | X wlk | Step forward and place foot in front of the other, crossing thighs and with a little swagger. | |||
| 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 | ||||
| Cuban Action or Motion | Move hips side and back as you step. You don't really move the hips. Instead, step, take weight, straighten that leg and flex the now free leg; this foot and knee action is what moves the hips in the direction of the stepping foot. | ||||
| Curl | Like a relaxed spiral to the left. The woman will have stepped forward on her right foot, and the curl is a left-face turn 1/2 to 5/8; ends with the legs crossed, left in front of the right and somewhat extended to the front. | ||||
| Curtsey | In the Demi-Curtsy, the lady places her left toe to the floor, heel slightly raised, behind the right foot, and then relaxes both knees, keeping body and head erect.
In the Deep-Curtsy, she steps to the side with the left foot, rondes the right in a little semi-circle and places it behind the left, toes out (4th position), lowers well into both knees, again with body and head erect, looking at partner. Alternatively, she may lower into the right knee and extend the left leg to the front as she lowers. The Prostrate Curtsy, in which the lady lowers fully and places her face downward, close to the floor, has little place in ballroom dancing — maybe if your man is really good. |
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| 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. | |||
| Cut | Step in front of and beyond the supporting foot so tightly that you must move that supporting foot. "Cut, back" is a common sequence. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Develope | Bring either foot up the supporting leg to the outside of the supporting knee and then extend that free foot forward. It is a graceful "knee" and then "kick." | ||||
| Diagonal Center | DLC | Half to the left, as one faces line of dance; between line of dance and center. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Diagonal Wall | DLW | Half to the right, as one faces line of dance; between line and wall. | |||
| Dip | Step side or back and flex the supporting knee, leaving the free leg extended. | ||||
| Dishrag | Join hands, opposite free feet, raise joined hands, and turn under and away. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Edge | The inner or outer side of the foot. A side step might be taken, "edge-flat," especially in a Latin rhythm. | ||||
| Explosion | Step sharply away from partner, usually with inside hands held, to end in open or left open position. Arms may be swept up or out. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Fall | Lower body with weight centered over the ball and toes of the supporting foot. Involves whole body: lower onto heel, flex knee, and compress upper body.
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| Fallaway | falwy | Step back in semi-closed position. Outside foot moves back in CBMP. | |||
| Fan | Flex supporting knee, extend free foot and point toe, and move free foot forward or back in an arc across the floor. Usually, the toe will be brushing the floor. | ||||
| 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 Ending | A step outside partner to contra banjo, having begun in semi-closed. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Fifth Foot Position |  The heel of one foot is placed close to the toe of the other. |
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| First Foot Position |  The heels are together and the toes are turned out at the angle of 45 degrees from the direction you are facing.
All these foot positions go back to old time dancing and ballet. Today, we step straight forward or back, or we angle our step in the direction in which we intend to move. However, the old, formal foot positions can still add stability to a position, where a straight foot position can make us feel as though we are "balancing on a rail." |
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| Flare | Sweep free foot in an arc, toe in contact with the floor; 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. | |||
| Flat | F | The entire bottom of the foot. A forward step may be taken, "heel-flat." | |||
| Flick | flk | Move free foot sharply backward; no weight | |||
| Flight | The appearance of smooth, elevated motion, created by erect carriage and passing steps; prominent in fox trot. | ||||
| Following | The act of responding to the leads of the man and executing the steps and figures that he suggests by his lead. This is the woman's responsibility.
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| Forward | fwd | Step in the direction you are facing and shift weight to that foot. | |||
| Fourth Foot Position |  Beginning in first postition, one foot is moved directly forward.
Again, it is the left foot that is placed in front of the right, but fourth position is used to stabalize the third step of a telemark to semi and also in a contra check. |
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| 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) | |||
| Freeze | Stop moving and hold fixed body and foot position. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Hip Rock | Step to the side and roll hip to the side and back. | ||||
| Hook | hk | 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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| Hop | With a soft knee, straighten leg, rise slightly off the floor, and return to the floor on the same foot; no weight change. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Jeté
(jhettay) |
Lightly spring off one foot and land on the other. | ||||
| Jump | With a soft knee, straighten leg, rise higher off the floor than in a hop, and return to the floor on the same foot; no weight change. | ||||
| Kick | kck | Raise knee straight up and then straighten leg with toe extended; no weight. | |||
| Kick & Dig | A four-beat action in which you kick with one foot and then dig the toes of the other foot into the floor as you might do into beach sand. In the Easterdays' Boogie Blues, you are in left open postion facing line. You kick with the lead foot away from your partner, step forward on that foot turning to face partner, press the toe of the trail foot to the floor and touch free hands, and then step fwd toward line on the trail foot. | ||||
| Knee | Raise knee straight up and across supporting leg; no weight change. | ||||
| 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.  |
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| Left Face or Counter Clockwise | LF, CCW | Turning to the left | |||
| Left Open Facing Position | LOF | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Left Open Position | LOP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| 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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| Lift | Rise slightly on the ball of the supporting foot. Done while you are stepping forward or side, but no weight change in itself. | ||||
| Lilt | Step heel to toe, giving a little rise to the body and earlier than usual. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Loose Closed Position | LCP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Lunge | lun | Step forward or side, bending knee and checking the movement. | |||
| Maneuver | Usually the man steps forward on his right foot and turns right-face to face the woman and reverse line of dance in closed position. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Oversway | In semi, line, step side and forward on the lead foot, stretch lead side of body and so sway toward free foot but look down line. Turn a bit to the left. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Pas-de-Basque
(päd-bask or pah-deh-bahsk) |
A step in which the dancer swings one foot to the side, springs onto it, and swings the other foot against it. Or more precisely -- Slight CCW ronde movement with left foot and arched instep on "and" count and step side with slight hop, ball-flat. Close R to L with right heel to left toe on the second "and," soften both knees and lift left heel on an "a" count, and step L raising R slightly toe pointing down. Done over two beats of music. And finally a little more fancifully -- Jeté to Second Position with Demi-Rondé. Assemblé to Fifth Position Front. Slight Plié and Coupé in place, finishing in Fifth Position en l'air with toe pointed down. (such music!) (from Silvester & Whitman, 1967) |
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| Passing Step | Move the free foot past the supporting foot and then step or take weight. | ||||
| Pickup | Usually the woman steps forward on her left foot and turns left-face to face the man and reverse line of dance in closed position. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Point | pt | Extend foot forward side or back, toe to floor, ankle stretched and instep arched, but do not step or take weight. | |||
| Press | Step forward on ball of foot, but take partial weight only. Usually a brief pause with supporting leg straight and pressed leg bent but pressure into the floor, forward poise to the body. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Promenade Position (=SCP) | PP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Promenade Sway | In Promenade position (semi-closed), step side and forward on the lead foot, stretch trail side of body and so sway toward supporting foot, lead arms up, looking out. With your lead wrist up, you might be looking at your watch to check the time. | ||||
| Quick | Q, qk | A step taken on a single beat or on a fraction of a beat and followed by another step withoug pause. | |||
| Recover or Replace | rec, rplc | Return weight to previous supporting foot. | |||
| Returning the Lady To Her Seat | After a dance is over, the gentleman accompanies the lady back to her chair or other place of origin, usually with easy exclamations of pleasure and gratitude. He does not end a dance with a quick "thanks," and then bound off toward the snack table, leaving her alone in the middle of the floor.
Well, I may have done that at times, but I had to turn off my tape recorder. We should try not to desert or abandon our ladies. |
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| Reverse | rev | Turning left face, in a counterclockwise direction | |||
| Reverse Develope | Swing either leg forward from the hip and then bring that foot to the supporting knee and slide the free foot down the supporting leg to touch the floor. Here the kick (really a swing) comes first and then the knee is bent. | ||||
| 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 | |||
| Right Face or Clockwise | RF, CW | Turning to the right | |||
| 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. | |||
| Ripple | In its simplest form, a ripple is a tipping of the shoulders away from the direction of movement. In a ripple chasse, one might do the chasse down line of dance while briefly inclining the shoulders toward reverrse with left side stretch. | ||||
| Rise | Elevate body with weight centered over the ball and toes of the supporting foot. Involves whole body: lifting heel off floor, staightening knees, and stretching upper body. Foot rise can be distinguished and separated from body rise. | ||||
| Rock | rk | Change weight to free foot. | |||
| Ronde | Flex supporting knee, extend free foot and point toe, and move free foot forward or back in an arc above the floor. Usually a bigger, higher movement than a fan or flare. | ||||
| Run | Sometimes, a step taken on one beat of music; a quick. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Same Footwork | Both partners using the same feet, eg. both step with the left feet, then both right. | ||||
| Second Foot Position |  Either foot is placed to the side of the other. |
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| Semi-Closed Position | SCP | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| 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. | |||
| Shake | A body movement usually described in more detail by the choreographer. | ||||
| Shimmey | A body movement; usually a forward and back movement of the shoulders. | ||||
| Side (sideward) | sd (swd) | Step to the side and shift weight to that foot. | |||
| Sidecar Position | SCAR | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Skaters Position | SKTRS | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Skip | Step forward and with a soft knee, straighten leg, rise slightly off the floor, and return to the floor on the same foot; no weight change. Repeat. Skipping is hopping that progresses. | ||||
| 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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| 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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| 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. | |||
| Solo | Dance the figure without contact with your partner. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Stamp | Touch the flat of the foot to the floor sharply, but don't take weight. The amount of noise can vary. | ||||
| Stomp | Close the free foot sharply. The amount of sound made may vary. | ||||
| Strut | Step with a swaggering upper body sway.
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| Supporting Foot | The foot that is bearing the body's weight. One of the challenges in dance is to keep all your weight balanced over that foot. If you don't, you will be pushing your partner off balance or asking him or her to support some of your weight--not good. Teachers talk about the body as a pile of boxes: the head, torso, hips, legs, and the need to keep the pile neatly aligned, or it will topple. Unexpectedly, the head is the heaviest box. Keep it up. Don't be looking around. Don't look down. You'll pull the pile over. | ||||
| Sway | Lean or tilt the body from the ankle upward in a direction to the side and away from the free foot. The hips lead the movement, and then the upper body follows. Stretch the free side of the body.
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| Swing | Move the foot forward and up, leg straight; a "kick" from the hip, rather than from the knee; no weight | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Tandem Position | TNDM | for a definition, see Dance Position | |||
| Tap | Touch the toe to the floor sharply, but do not step or take weight. | ||||
| Tempo | The speed at which music is played; the number of measures or bars per minute. Sometimes given as beats per minute. | ||||
| Third Foot Position |  The heel of one foot is placed against the instep of the other.
It will be the right instep that is brought to the heel of the left, but third position represents a nice tango closing step. |
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| Through | thru | Bring free foot between you and your partner and take weight. | |||
| Tipple | A tipple is a tipping of the shoulders toward the direction of movement. In a tipple chasse, one might do the chasse down line of dance while briefly inclining the shoulders toward line with right side stretch. | ||||
| 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; | |||
| Together | tog | Step toward partner and shift weight to that foot. | |||
| Touch | tch | Bring free foot to the supporting foot, and touch the floor, but do not step or take weight. | |||
| Trail Foot (or Hand) | trl ft (hnd) | Man's right, woman's left | |||
| Trail Hand | trl hnd | Man's right, woman's left | |||
| 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") | |||
| Tumble Turn | tumble trn | On the lead toe in closed position, turn left and lower with a strong left sway, checking. | |||
| 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. | |||
| 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 | Rotate the hips independently of the upper body - puts a "twist" in the torso - as in a "hip twist" or a "lunge and twist." | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Walk | Sometimes, a step taken on two beats of music; a slow. | ||||
| Wall | To the right, as one faces line of dance; toward the near wall of the room. | ||||
| 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. | |||
| Wiggle | Move the hips rapidly side to side. | ||||
| 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. |
Foot position diagrams are taken from Old Time Dancing by Victor Silvester, 1949.
| If you would like to read other articles on dance position, technique, styling, and specific dance rhythms, you may visit the article TOC.
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