steps
Elaine B. Rybski
Ballroom Dance Instructor
Quality Dance Instruction at Affordable Prices
Swing (East Coast)
- Basic - triple step, triple step, rock step or side, side, rock step
- Underarm turn - follower goes forward under leader's left arm to leader's left
- Reverse turn - follower goes backward under leader's left arm to leader's right
- Hammerlock - Underarm turn holding on followed by reverse turn
- Sweetheart - Reverse turn holding on followed by underarm turn
- Leader's underarm turn - on second half of reverse turn, leader goes under own left arm
- Reverse turn behind the back - from right-to-right handhold, on second half of reverse turn leader passes follower behind the back
Waltz
Waltz
- Box basic - two triangles; forward side together, back side together; even rhythm 1 2 3
- Rotation - up to 3/8 turn
- Progressive box - forward/backward
- Slow underarm turn - on second half of box
- Twinkle (also called single twinkle) - into promenade position at end of first half box
Cha-cha
Cha-cha
- Basic - 1 2 3 cha cha 1 2 3 cha cha; mostly side to side
- Underarm turn - on 1 2 3, follower goes under to leader's left
- Leader's underarm turn - alternates turns with follower
- Open break - after half basic, rock apart from each other; simplest ending is pivot underarm turn
- Crossovers - step through instead of back/forward on 2
- Parallels (open/closed) - leader steps forward outside partner, follower steps back
- Cross body lead - leader does two 90 degree turns, follower does one 180 degree turn
- Half moon - alternates crossovers and cross body leads
Fox Trot
Fox Trot
- Box steps (see waltz) - change to slow quick quick rhythm
- Magic step basic - slow slow quick quick; leader steps forward forward side together
- Trouble step - goes back on second slow
- Left turn - turning trouble step to leader's left on first quick; up to 3/8 turn
- Promenade - goes to side and steps through
- Promenade underarm turn - follower goes forward under leader's left arm during slows of promenade
- Swing step - side to side
- Running step - like an inverse promenade; ends with a swing step
- Promenade underarm turn - turns 360 degrees on quicks; ends with a promenade
Rumba
Rumba
- Box step basic (like fox trot)
- Rotation counter clock-wise - up to 3/8 turn
- Slow underarm turn (like fox trot)
- Open break - take half box to the side, rock apart from each other; simplest ending is pivot underarm turn to 5th position break
- Crossovers - take half box to the side, step through, like cha-cha
- Parallels (open/closed) - like cha-cha
- Cross body lead - similar to cha-cha
- Half moon - alternates crossovers and cross body leads
Tango
Tango
- Basic - slow slow quick quick slow; starts and ends on same foot; leader steps forward forward forward side together
- Trouble step - goes back on second slow
- Left turn - turning trouble step going forward on first quick
- Promenade - leader brings follower around between slows and quicks to turn corner
- Promenade pivots - 360 degree turn on quicks followed by promenade with two extra argentine walks; takes two basics worth of counts
- Tango rocks - leader does two forward rocks in the middle of the basic
- Promenade rocks - two forward rocks in the middle of the promenade
- Butterfly - leader does an underarm turn; both partners step diagonally forward toward each other to fan, then complete the return from promenade
- Simple corte - leader steps back and lowers; follower steps forward and glances back over left shoulder at pointed left toe
- Rock turns - promenade to four quick rotating rocks (CCW), followed by a basic
- Right fan - in three parts (first and second are the same, third is tango close); breaks from basic rhythm; follower fans outside partner on first two parts
- Triple fan - combination of right fan and rock turns