Basic Cha Cha Step - Gentleman
The gentleman begins with his left foot and steps to his left (on the
count of 1), then rocks back with his right foot (count 2), replaces his
weight back on his left foot (3), then steps to the right with his right
foot (4), closes his left foot to his right (&).
He then continues the basic step beginning with his right
foot and steps to his right (1), rocking forward this time on his left foot
(2), replaces his weight back to his right foot (3), then steps to the left
with his left foot, closes his right foot to his left (&), then begins
again with his left foot and so on. Remember that the "4" and
the "&" counts are separate steps.
Foxtrot is the Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers dance. Ideally the couple should look as though they are gliding across the dance floor. Foxtrot is one of the "smooth" dances and a progressive dance, where the couple moves around the dance floor as opposed to staying in one spot.
Basic Foxtrot Step - Lady
The lady begins with her right foot, taking 2 "slow" steps backward.
Then the lady then steps to the side and to the right with her right foot
to do the first "quick." She follows that up with her left foot
closing to her right for the second "quick". All the lady's steps
are "toe leads," meaning the toe of her foot makes contact with
the floor first, then resting on the heel.
Basic Foxtrot Step - Gentleman
For the basic Foxtrot pattern, the man begins on the left foot and takes
2 slow steps forward (slow, slow.) A "slow" is 2 full beats. These
forward steps are "heel leads, where the heel of the foot arrives on
the floor first, just like in a regular walking step. The gentleman then
steps to the side and left with his left foot for the first "quick,"
leading with his toe this time (toe lead). He then closes his right foot
to his left for the second "quick," again leading toe to heel.
A "quick" is one beat.
A lively and fun Latin ballroom dance, Cha Cha is a favorite because it is easly learned and can be danced to a wide variety of popular hits, as well as to Latin music. Cha Cha offers dancers a great opportunity to really let go and add hip and body movement.
Basic Cha Cha Step- Lady
This is lady begins with her right foot and steps to her right (on the count
of 1), then rocks forward with her left foot (count 2), replaces her
weight back on her right foot (3), then steps to the left with her left foot
(4), closes her right foot to her left (&).
She then continues the basic step beginning with her left foot and steps to her left (1), rocking backward this time on her right foot (2), replaces her weight back to her left foot (3), then steps to the right with her right foot, closes her left foot to her right (&), then begins again with her right foot and repeats.
Rumba is the dance of romance. This dance is done to music with a slow tempo and the dance emphasizes the moving of the hips in what we call "Cuban motion." This gives Rumba it's very sensual character.
Basic Rumba Step - Lady The basic step for the Rumba is a box step. The lady starts with her right foot stepping backward on the ball of her foot, then settling her weight into a flat foot, "slow" (1.2). Her second step is to the side again leading with the ball of her left foot, "quick" (3). In her third step she closes her right foot to her left, again stepping with the ball of the foot and lowering into a flat foot once her feet are together "quick"(4), and shifting her weight back to her left foot.
For the second half of the box, the lady steps forward with her left foot, again first with the ball of foot, "slow" (5,6)"; she steps side with her right foot, ball to flat, "quick"(7) and closes her feet for the last step, "quick" (8), shifting her weight back to her right foot.
Basic Rumba Step - Gentleman The gentleman starts with his left foot stepping forward on the ball of his foot, then settling his weight into a flat foot, "slow" (1.2). His second step is to the side with the ball of his right foot, settling his weight again into a flat foot, "quick" (3). In his third step he closes his left foot to his right, again stepping with the ball of the foot and settling his weight back into a flat foot once his feet are together "quick"(4), and shifting his weight to his left foot.
For the second half of the box, the man steps back with his right foot, again
first with the ball of foot, then settling his weight to a flat foot "slow"
(5,6)"; he steps side with his left foot, ball to flat, "quick"(7)
and closes his feet for last step, "quick" (8), shifting his weight
back to his right foot.
East Coast Swing is the dance most associated with traditional "rock and roll" style dancing. Danced to faster, upbeat music, it is most often done in "open" dance position, the partners holding hands in front, rather than in "closed" dance position where the man's arm is around the lady. There are 3 different timings for East Cost Swing, the most common is triple step timing.
Basic East Coast Swing - Triple Step - Gentleman
The gentleman begins with a triple step. Starting on his left foot, the foot action is "flat(left foot)"1", ball(right foot)"&", flat(leftfoot )"2"." The "flat" is a full flat foot on the floor, the "ball" is a step on the toe only. The count for this is "1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5,6". Then the man repeats the same foot action beginning with the right foot: "Flat(right)"3", ball(left)"&", flat(right)"4". This is his second "triple step". A "rock step" finishes the basic pattern. The man rocks backward with his left foot "5" and immediately replaces his weight back to the right foot "6".
Basic East Coast Swing - Triple Step - Lady
The basic step for the lady is the natural opposite, beginning on her right foot and the timing is the same. "Flat(right)"1", ball(left)"&", flat(right)"2" -- first triple step. "Flat(left)"3", ball(right)"&", flat(left)"4" -- second triple step. The lady rocks backward with her right foot for "5" and immediately replaces her weight back to the left foot for "6".
The Waltz is the "princess" dance for the lady. Graceful, elegant, almost magical, this dance should make it seem to the lady like she is being swept off her feet by her dashing gentleman.
Basic Waltz Step -- Lady In the basic box step, the lady steps back on her right foot, moving directly back for the "1" count. She then moves her left foot to the side on a diagonal for "2." Again, she doesn't bring her feet together on this step, it is a diagonal move to the side. On the "3" count, the lady closes her right foot to her left foot.
Basic Waltz Step -- Gentleman The count for Waltz is "1, 2, 3." Beginning our basic box step , the gentleman steps forward on his left foot, moving directly into his partner for the "1" count. He then moves his right foot to the side on a diagonal for "2" count. There is no bringing the feet together on this step, it is a diagonal move to the side. On the "3" count, the gentleman closes his left foot to his right foot.
Salsa is a spicy, passionate dance with lots of hip action. It's upbeat Latin tempo make Salsa one of the most popular club dances today.
Basic Salsa Step - Lady
Keeping your feet shoulder width apart, pretend you are standing on plate.The
Lady begins with a backward step with her right foot, then steps back to the
plate, then a forward step with the left foot and back to the plate. For the
lady, the count is "1" -- with her right foot off the plate, "2"
replacing her weight back to the left foot and "3" her right foot
is back on the plate. And the lady is holding for the 4 count.
Basic Salsa Step -- Gentleman
For the man the Salsa step is the natural opposite of the lady's. The
gentleman would take one step forward with his left foot, then move the same
foot back to standing on the plate. Then take a step back with his right foot
and then move that same foot right back to standing on the plate. The count
for the basic salsa step for the man would be "1" -- with his left
foot off the plate, "2" replacing his weight back to the right foot
and "3" his left foot is back on the plate, and he holds for the
4 count.
Tango is a progressive or "walking" dance. An important key to doing Tango correctly is to use the correct heel or toe leads when doing the dance. We see this in our basic Tango step.
Basic Tango Step - Lady
Beginning with her right foot, the lady takes 3 steps backward, first
step with her right foot, second step with her left foot and steps backward
again with her right for her third step. She then takes a side step to her
left with her left foot, and closes her right foot to her left for the last
step of her Tango basic. For the lady all of her steps are ""toe
leads" where the toe of the foot arrives on the floor first.
Basic Tango Step - Gentleman
Beginning with the left foot, the gentleman takes 3 steps forward, first
step with his left, second step with his right foot, third with his left.
Then he takes a side step to his right with his right foot. He closes his
left foot to his right foot for the last step of his Tango basic. The first
three steps of the basic are what we call "heel" leads. This means
the heel of the foot arrives on the floor first -- just like in a regular
walking step. Any forward step in Tango is a heel lead, any side or backward
step is a "toe lead" -- meaning you step with the ball of the foot
first. So in the man's basic step, his fourth and fifth steps, where he steps
to the side and closes his feet together, are toe leads.
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