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Dance Figures

Figure Name, Roundalab Phase Level, & Timing

Steps and Actions That Make Up the Figure

Each description focuses on the man, with the woman's footwork in parenthesis. If a woman's step is not given, it is the natural opposite or follow of the man's. Help: basic dance positions and steps, actions, directions, and abbreviations. Non-standard punctuation: a comma separates two beats of music, a semi-colon marks the end of a measure, and a slash (/) indicates a split beat, two things occurring in a single beat.

Here are some sequences to help you visualize the figure in context.

phase III

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The rocking step is a tight one. Don't rock apart as you would in jive, but turn the foot out and place toe to heel. Don't take weight fully, but push back onto the initial supporting foot. There should be no up-and-down bounce, but a little side-to-side bounce.

phase III

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phase III

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phase III

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Later in the same dance there is a triple traveler one half;; horseshoe ending to CP wall; open basic ending (that is, with the trail foot); to a traveling right turn with zig zag;;

phase III

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Can be done in any facing position and with either hip.

phase III

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phase III

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phase III

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Notice that we both turn the same direction. The idea is to keep the shoulders parallel and to "slice" forward with the body at an angle.

phase IV

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Again, the man is using right-side lead during the first measure and left-side lead during the second. As you move out and then in again, lean into your partner with a compression that will establish a partner awareness. This connection will help keep the woman from moving away from the man and the man from over-running the woman.

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In butterfly position, step forward R (W back L). You probably just did a (forward) traveling cross chassé with the lead foot and so are facing DLC (W DRW). So, make this first step toward line and wall as if you were going to do a second traveling cross chassé. Turn RF and step side and back L passing the woman on her right side (W small side R). Keep turning to face RLOD and XRIF of L (W XLIF);

In a lady's passing cross chasse, she does the man's footwork and passes on his right side. Can be done in other facing directions.

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This is not a figure with a clear ending position. He has turned about to line and center, and she is running down line. The next figure will determine how this flight will be arrested.

Can be done in other facing directions.

At that point, the man holds and pulls on the lady to make her step fwd L toward RLOD and rondé her right foot RF. She crosses R behind L. He steps back L and she steps fwd L turning LF to an inside wrap. Both then step side R to a shadow wrap lunge facing LOD. (The flight is now arrested.)

Note the elastic, yo-yo effect — pull, release, pull — that is characteristic of Slow Two Step.

phase IV

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phase IV

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An important feature of this and many other slow two step figures is the third step, which crosses in front for the man. Something often makes us want to cross behind. Maybe we're thinking about a vine, but doing so breaks our connection with the woman and makes it harder to progress along with her. Make that third step forward and thru—you'll stay together better.

Rumbles' Can't Help Falling in Love uses a basic;; left turn with inside roll; basic ending; and repeat;;;; switches;; open basics;; switches;; open basic; basic ending;

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For instance, in a facing position with trail feet free, you might step side R (woman side L beginning to turn LF under lead hands), -, thru L (woman thru R turning), and side R to face;

In the Reads' You Raise Me Up, part B starts with Basic;; Traveling Right Turn; Outside Roll; Lunge Basic With Inside Roll; Basic End; Read video; Worlock video

phase IV

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For instance, we do one in the third measure of a triple traveler. We might be in left open position, both facing line of dance, lead feet free, and lots of other choreography could put us in this position for an outside roll. He steps forward L (woman fwd R beginning to turn RF under joined lead hands), -, fwd and side R turning LF to face partner (woman sd L turning), and cross LIF of R (woman fwd R) to end in left open facing position;

Starting with the man on the outside of the circle, he will end facing COH, trail feet free. May be done from a variety of starting positions and alignments.

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Note that the man only takes one step and turns 1/4 RF as he leads the woman's underarm turn. The woman takes three steps and turns 1/2 as she passes from one side of the man to the other (in this case, from LOD side to RLOD side). Could be done from other facing positions.

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phase IV

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For the one switching across, the amount of turn on the first two steps can vary. For instance, you might still be facing your partner at the end of step 1 so that step 2 is side and back, rather than side and forward. That is, you might not complete your turn to face LOD on the first step. However, it is important to get to the outside of the circle on the first step. You needn't complete all the turn on the first step, but do get all the way across.

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This figure consists of four STS switches (above) that have been modified to move the couple counterclockwise to the four sides of an imaginary square. We might begin in half-open position facing line of dance. The man begins to turn in front of the woman, steps side L, and turns sharply right-face to left half open position facing COH (W steps small fwd R and turns left-face), and then both step sd & fwd, thru, toward center (sqq). Note that as a couple, we have turned 1/4 left-face. To accomplish this, the woman has turned 1/4 left-face (if we focus on the direction the feet are pointing), but  the man has turned 3/4 right-face. The modification referred to above lies in the amount of turn and in the ending facing direction. A standard switch would involve a full turn for the man, no turn for the woman, and an ending position of left half open facing line of dance.

In the second measure, our roles are reversed. The woman begins to turn in front of the man, she steps side L, and she turns sharply to half open position facing reverse (M steps small fwd R and turns left-face), and then both step sd & fwd, thru, toward reverse. The third measure is the same as the first and ends in left half-open facing wall. The fourth measure is the same as the second and ends facing line again, in the starting position. This figure has also been called a Switch Box.

In Warner's Cold Day in Hell, we are in butterfly position. We do a side basic; reverse underarm turn to half-open; switch box;;;; two switches;; two open basics;;

phase V

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I should say that one of the ABC sequences is as described above, for Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby is a "variable" dance with A, B, and C modules provided in two step, slow two step, foxtrot, and jive, at phase levels from II to V. A cuer can mix and match to create quite a variety of dances to this one piece of music.

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phase IV

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The lead for this figure turns out to be quite busy. I suppose it would possible to analyze any figure in agonizing detail, and to make each of these figure descriptions run to 500 words, but let me try to look at a few details for this one. If it all seems too picky, you can easily skip down to the next figure.

The man's actions all happen at about the same time, but if there is a sequence, it might be the left sway that comes first. This opens the woman's head and causes her to think about opening out or turning a little RF. At the same time, he begins to turn his hips to the left and bumps her with his right hip. Now, this sounds a little crude. In dancing, we don't push, shove, or bump our partners—we "lead" them—but still… As I step side, I turn my hips LF to begin my ronde, and it feels like I'm bumping Meredith with my right hip, and she says she feels a bump. Maybe it's not right, but I "bump" her with my hip. She has just taken her side step, so her weight is on her left foot. The part of her body that is free is her right side, so the "bump" causes her right hip and right leg to swing out turning RF. I am turning my hips LF and rondeing my L leg LF, so we ronde together.

It is interesting to compare a simple side R, -, close L, side R; to a fallaway ronde, -, behind, side; During a "side close side," there is no sway change and no hip bump. Do them both, and you can clearly feel the lead for the fallaay ronde.

For his third lead, the man uses RF upper body rotation to continue to propel her ronde. Don't push with your left hand, but rotate the whole frame to lead her right leg around in its arc. You will notice that you are turning your upper body to the right but your lower body to the left, in its ronde, producing quite a twist. This is the man's lot, to get some of his body to dance his part and the rest of his body to dance the lead for his partner.

Fourth, you can use a little pressure with your right hand on her back to reinforce her ronde. Tighten up a little on the left side of her back, and that will leave the right side freer, by comparison, to do its ronde and behind.

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Second, leave the left leg side and back and the right leg soft, but lift and rotate the upper body RF to suggest something about the height of her ronde. Third, the amount of follow-thru leads the speed of the ronde. Sometimes a Rudolph is danced in one slow count; sometimes over a whole measure. The lady's head should follow her foot and so move from closed position to strongly right.

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This figure is also done with slightly delayed body turn and an initial back step for the woman. Amount of turn and orientation on floor varies.

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The second measure is a man's twist turn. Step back L (woman fwd R turning RF and releasing right hands), -, hook R behind L no weight (woman fwd L toward RLOD and spiral RF under left hands to end facing almost RLOD in front of man), turn RF on L to face DLC (woman fwd R turning 1/2 RF taking joined L hands over woman's head and bringing them down and joining right hands again) to end both facing DLC with man in front of woman and left/left and right/right hands joined low; In this measure, it is important to let the woman do her spiral before the man turns.

In the third measure, we do the second set of double rondes. Turn RF to face wall and step fwd R and ronde L leg CW (woman sd & fwd L turning RF to face wall and ronde R leg CW) to an open position both facing wall right hands joined in front of woman and left hands joined behind man, -, XLIF of R (woman XRIB of L crossing behind man), sd R (woman sd L) to a left open position facing wall right hands joined behind man and left hands joined in front of woman;