Social Dancing

It works with just about any style or speed of ballroom or pop music. Non-music such as rap and rave need not apply.

For slow waltz music (3 beats), each beat is 1 slow or 2 quicks. For fast waltz music, each bar is 1 slow or 2 uneven quicks (giving it a bit of a swing). For slow or fast 4 beat music (foxtrot, quickstep, rumba, jive), 2 beats make a slow and 1 is a quick.

All other beats (2, 6 or 12) will actually sound like one of the above. Fairly slow 6 or 12 beat music seems to be fast waltz. Fast 6 or 12 beat is the same as 2 or 4. Whether slow or fast, 2 always sounds like 4 anyway. If you want to count just 2 beats, each beat is 1 slow or 2 quicks. Fast waltz could be counted the same way but as 2 bars.

So this all reduces to counting 3 for slow waltz and 2 for everything else.

Line Of Dance Basics

These are steps that progress slowly anticlockwise around the dance floor.

Take either a close hold or double handhold. The man should be facing the wall of the room while the lady faces the centre. He takes 2 slow steps forwards (left and right) while she takes 2 back (right and left). They both take a quicker side step and close the other foot (using the same feet as for the walks). Next he takes 2 slow steps backwards while she takes 2 forwards (same feet as before). Finally they take the side step and close again.

Repeat this sequence over and over again to get round the floor. Cheat at the corners by turning the steps slightly.

		Forwards Basic (FP, CH/DH)								Backwards Basic (FP, CH/DH)
3-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		3 (Q)		and (Q)		1 (S)		2 (S)		3 (Q)		and (Q)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (Q)		and (Q)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)
Man		LF		RF		LS		RC		LB		RB		LS		RC
Lady		RB		LB		RS		LC		RF		LF		RS		LC

Chassés / Quarter Turns

These are a natural development of the basics above when danced to faster rhythms (see Quickstep).

		Forwards Chassé (ORP-FP/FP, CH)								Backwards Chassé (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)		3 (S)		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)		3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (Q)		and (Q)		2 (S)
Man		RF		LFS +1		RC		LSB +1		RB		LBS -1		RC		LSF -1
Lady		LB		RBS +1		LC		RSF +1		LF		RFS -1		LC		RSB -1

On The Spot Basics

These are steps that go nowhere - for crowded places.

The man steps forwards on the left foot while the lady steps back on the right. They both take a side step (using his right foot and her left). Then they close the other foot to that step (moving his left foot and her right). Next he steps backwards on the right foot while she steps forwards on the left. They both take a side step (using his left foot and her right). Finally they close the feet again (moving his right foot and her left).

This should draw out a box shape on the floor which can be repeated over and over again. The figure can also be rotated slowly to the left - just like a reverse turn in the Waltz.

		Forwards Basic (FP, CH)						Backwards Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		3 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)		3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)		1 (S)		2 (Q)		and (Q)
Man		LF		RS		LC		RB		LS		RC
Lady		RB		LS		RC		LF		RS		LC

Step-Close Basics

These work well with Charleston, Samba or fast Waltz rhythms. The Step is sideways, forwards or backwards and the Close is without weight. The couple can rotate by alternating forwards and backwards steps. They progress by alternating forwards and sideways steps at an angle to the line-of-dance.

		LS Basic (FP, CH)				RS Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		LS		RC br		RS		LC br
Lady		RS		LC br		LS		RC br

		LF Basic (FP, CH)				RF Basic (FP, CH)				LB Basic (FP, CH)				RB Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		LF		RC br		RF		LC br		LB		RC br		RB		LC br
Lady		RB		LC br		LB		RC br		RF		LC br		LF		RC br

		LF Reverse Basic (FP, CH)				RB Reverse Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		LFX -1		RC br		RBX -1		LC br
Lady		RBX -1		LC br		LFX -1		RC br

		RF Natural Basic (FP, CH)				LB Natural Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		RFX +1		LC br		LBX +1		RC br
Lady		LBX +1		RC br		RFX +1		LC br

		Progressive Basic (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		LS		RC br		RF		LC br
Lady		RS		LC br		LB		RC br

The Right Forwards Basic can be used as a Change of Direction to turn a corner.

		Change of Direction (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1, 2 (S)			3 (Q)
2-Beat		1 (S)			2 (S)
Man		RFS -2			LC br
Lady		LBS -2			RC br

The Left Sideways Basic can be used to progress by closing with weight and repeating as many times as desired. To go back the other way, simply make the last close a brush as before.

		Left Side Closes (FP, CH)								Right Side Closes (FP, CH)
3-Beat		1, 2 (S)		3 (Q)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)		1, 2 (S)		3 (Q)		1 (Q)		2, 3 (S)
2-Beat		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)		1 (S)		2 (S)
Man		LS		RC		LS		RC br		RS		LC		RS		LC br
Lady		RS		LC		RS		LC br		LS		RC		LS		RC br