Pre-Silver Step For December: Charleston and East Coast Swing

Happy Holidays!

This month we're doing Charleston mostly, with maybe a little East Coast Swing.  I should warn you that this is going to be a tricky month, so if you're not too comfortable with the Charleston from last month, this is going to be a little overwhelming.  Also, remember that I do teach private lessons, which could help you a lot with this level.

Pre-Silver Charleston

1. Charleston Basic
2. Tandem Charleston
3. Overturn and Push-Out (to get in and out of Tandem Charleston)
4. Half-Moon a.k.a. "Rainbow"
5. Charleston Crossovers with Double-Kick apart turn
6. Half-Moon with kick choreography

Intermediate Step List For November: Foxtrot

Foxtrot Intermediate Step List

1.  Basic Routine: 3 basics, 3 promenade (with a turn on 2), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish

2. Box step with 1/4 turn

3. Forward and back basic

4. 1/4 turn basic

5. Twinkle

6. Parallel Twinkle

7. Chasse

8. Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic

Full Bronze Step List For December: Foxtrot

Happy Holidays!  This month we're doing Foxtrot!  Don't forget I teach private lessons on a lot of this stuff!

Full Bronze Foxtrot Step List:

1. 1/4 turn Basic

2. Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic

3. Left Turn

4. Twinkle, Twinkle With 1/4 Turn

5. Zigzag, Zigzag With Develope
6. Chasse With Twinkle Beginning and Ending

Intermediate Step List For December: Salsa

Happy Holidays!  This month we've got Salsa!  The turns might feel a little tricky at first, but they get easier with practice!

Intermediate Salsa Step List:

1. Cross Body Lead

2. Alternating Underarm Turn

3. Canopy

4. Shoulder Check

5. Routine #1: Alternating Underarm Turn, Shoulder Check, Canopy
6. Crossover With Underarm Turn
7. Crossover With Apart Turn
8. Cross Body Lead Into Crossover
9. Crossover swivels

Absolute Beginner Step List For December: Tango And Hustle

Happy Holidays dancers!  This month: Tango and Hustle.  We're doing Tango for the first two weeks, and Hustle the next two week.

Merengue Warm-Up

1. outside/inside turn

2. double turns

3. guy's turn
4. cuddle
5. yo-yo from cuddle
6. backwrap
7. lasso from backwrap

Absolute Beginner Tango

1. basic

2. corte

3. forward rock

Hustle

1. basic

2. inside turn

3. pickpocket

Basics Step List For December: Waltz

Happy Holidays, everyone!  This month, we're focusing on slow waltz.  Keep in mind that this is a guide only, and cannot replace the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can!

Basic Waltz Step List

1. Basic Traveling Step

2. Box Step

3. Box Step With Underarm Turn

4. Balance Step

5. Hesitation

6. Zigzag

7. Twinkle
8. Parallel Twinkle

November Pre-Silver Step List: Bolero

Hello November!  Time to take Bolero to the next level!

This is the most difficult level of all, so be warned that you'll be expected to do full turns in this class.  Plus, you should be comfortable with all the steps from last month.  If you need to know what was covered in the previous level, click here.

Remember, this is a guide only.  It can't replace the actual lesson themselves, so come to class as often as possible.  And don't forget that there are always private lesson!

Pre-Silver Bolero

Note: The steps are titled by the name Michele uses, which are apparently the original names that you can find in any dance textbook.  I've added a short description as well, in order to help trigger your memory.

1. "Three-Threes": This is the Gold Level step where the ladies do a bunch of turns in front of the leaders.  She first does a half turn to the right, a full turn to the left, followed by a final right turn

2. "Cross Body Lead With Syncopated Turn": this is the one where you do a half moon, but with the ladies turning.  The ladies rhythm while turning is quick-and-quick-and-slow.

3. "Back-To-Back Line": This is the one where the leaders and followers quickly step back following the followers' underarm turn.  This is followed by a fencing line and a double turn for the ladies

4. "Opening Out": compared to the rest, this was an easy one!  It consisted of multiple back breaks for the followers, finishing with a spiral turn.
5. Open Hip Twist
6. Romantic Sway
7. The "Pizza Slide": the bit that usually followed the back-to-back line

8. Hip Rock (aka "Jim's step")

 

November Full Bronze Step List: East Coast Swing And Charleston

It's November!  And time for some Swing and Charleston!  Lots of fun but we're definitely going beyond basic turns now.  If you're not sure this is the level for you, then click here for the step list from last month.  Make sure you're familiar with the majority of steps from the Intermediate level before taking this class.

Keep in mind that this step list is only a complement to the class; it doesn't replace actually attending the lesson yourself, so come to class as often as you can so you can improve your skill!

Full Bronze East Coast Swing And Charleston

1. Basic Charleston

2. Toe-Heel Swivel

3. Inside Turn With Chasse (the skippy one)

4. Overturn With Swivels 
5.  Double Inside Turn (changes rhythm slightly)
6. Charleston Crossover
7. Kicks While Turning Right

Absolute Beginner Level For November 2014: Waltz and Rumba

Hello November!  Hello everyone!  It's time for Waltz and Rumba!


Keep in mind that this is a guide only, it doesn't replace the classes themselves, so come to class as often as possible!

Merengue Step List:

1. inside and outside turn

2. alternating underarm turn (she goes, he goes, she goes)

3. looping over the head ("combing the hair")

Waltz Step List:

1. Basic box step

2. Basic traveling step

Rumba Step List:

1. Box Step
2. Side-Together-Side
3. Underarm Turn

Basics Step List For November 2014: Salsa

Hey folks!  It's now November!  And this month we're covering Salsa!

Here's the step list for this month.  Keep in mind that it's only a guide; it can't replace actually attending the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can!

Salsa Step List

1. basic step

2. full solo turn

3. ladies underarm turn

4. alternating underarm turn (half version), ending with a loop 
5. Cross body lead
6. Alternating Underarm Turn (full version), ending with loop and cross body lead
7. side breaks

October Basics Step List: Foxtrot

It's time to Foxtrot into fall!  This post will be updated weekly, so keep checking back for the latest dance steps.

Remember, this list is a guide only.  It's hard to remember what was covered in class once you've gone back home, so I posted the steps here to help trigger your memory.  But this list cannot replace the benefits of going to the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can to improve your skill and practice what you learned.

Foxtrot:

1. Basic step

2. Hesitation (a.k.a. corner or trouble step)

3. Promenade

4. Promenade with underarm turn

5. Side Rocks

6. Routine #1: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 promenade with an underarm turn on the second one, hesitation to finish

7. Routine #2: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish 
8. Box Step 

October Absolute Beginner Step List: Foxtrot and Cha Cha

Happy October everyone!  This month in our absolute beginner class we're doing Foxtrot for the first half of the month, and cha cha for the second half.  I'll be updating this post each week, so keep checking back for the latest steps!

Keep in mind that this list is a guide only.  It cannot replace the lessons themselves, so come to the classes as often as you can, so you can practice and improve your skill

Merengue:

1. basic turns: outside and inside

2. how to do more than one turn

3. leader's turn

Foxtrot:

1. basic

2. hesitation

October: Full Bronze Bolero Step List

It's October!  And it's time for some Bolero!

Keep in mind that this step is a guide only!  It cannot replace the lessons themselves so be sure to attend as many classes as you can!

Bolero:

1. Shadow crossovers and shadow back breaks with loop

2. Copa

3. Triple ronde into copa
4. She goes/He goes ending
5. Right hand loop ending
6. 1 crossover, apart turn, 1 back break, underarm turn, 1 outside break, right hand loop ending
7. Half moon (crossover with the right hand, bring her across), arm hook, rock and fencing line, she goes/he goes ending
8. Rudolph Ronde (starts with open break and back spot turn, ends with copa)

October: Intermediate East Coast Swing Step List

Hellooo October!

This month it's East Coast Swing, and Mom's got a lot of fun steps for us to do!  I'll be updating this weekly, so check back frequently!

Keep in mind that this list is a guide only.  It's not meant to replace the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can in order to improve your skill!

East Coast Swing:

1. Underarm turn

2. She goes/he goes

3. Hand change behind the back

4. Hand change behind the back with ladies underarm turn

5. Open break to cuddle

6. Cuddle with yo-yo ending

7. Single tuck

8. Double tuck

9. Over the head
10. Back walk
11. Back breaks
12. Promenade Walk, a.k.a. "Promenade Swivels" (works well if followed by back walk)
13. Peekaboo
14. Windmill (new as of Sunday 10/26)

October: Pre-silver Samba Step List

It's October and it's time for some Samba!!

Here's the step for this month.  Check back regularly for updates!

Keep in mind that this list is a guide only.  It cannot replace the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can so you can practice and improve your skill!

Samba:

1. Forward rock, spiral turn into counterpromenade, bota fogo, bota fogo in place, maypole

2. Bota fogo into "easy" grapevine, ending with spot turn voltas

3. Bota fogo into "difficult" grapevine
4. Left turn into bota fogo (with guys going backwards), into ladies swivels

October Step List For Tango Tuesday

So last Tuesday my Mom wrote down on the whiteboard the steps that were done on Tuesday during Nate's Argentine Tango classes.  It gave me the idea that maybe I should post them on the blog as well!  So here you go, all you tango dancers.  Forgive me if the steps don't make sense: I just copied what Mom wrote down.

Intermediate I

1. Baldosa Box

2. Crab on 3, turn left

3. 5-6, 5-6, 5-6....turning left

4. traspie (rock)

5. traspie on 2 changing weight, continue with 3

6. traspie repeating 2 and 4, continue with 2-3

7. ladies' back ocho--using counter action to turn the last one to a forward ocho

Intermediate II

Crusada to molinete to the right, finish with forward ocho on 5 with counter action, molinete to the left with enrosque on 3 and exit, left foot side on 6 as a cutoff.

Basics September Step List: East Coast Swing

September's here and it's time to swing!

This post is for the whole month, so check back each week for updates.

Keep in mind that this a guide only.  It cannot replace the actual lessons, so take as many classes as you can in order to improve your skill!

East Coast Swing List:

We covered all this both in single step and in triple step
1. Basic

2. Underarm turn

3. Hand change behind the back

4. open break to pickpocket
5. Open Break to cuddle

Absolute Beginner September Step List: Salsa and Hustle

September is here!  And what a huge class we had this first week!

This post is for the whole month, so keep checking back for updates.

Keep in mind that this list is a guide only.  It shouldn't be used to replace the classes themselves, so take as many lessons as you can so you can improve your skill!

Merengue Step List:

1. The basic turns: outside and inside
2. Cuddle, with a yo-yo ending
3. Backwrap, with a lasso ending

Salsa Step List (Weeks 1&2):

 1. Basic step

2. Side Breaks

3. Basic Turn
4. Ladies' Underarm turn

Hustle Step List (Weeks 3&4):

1. Basic step
2. Basic inside turn

Full Bronze September Step List

Lesson Number Two!  The Full Bronze Level.

This month we're teaching Samba!

This post is for the whole month, so keep checking back for weekly updates.

Remember that this is a guide only.  This step list isn't meant to replace the group class, so be sure to come to as many classes as you can in order to improve your skill!

Samba Step List:

1. International Combination: promenade, bota fogo, voltas, spot turn voltas

2. Counterpromenade

3. Windmill from counterpromenade

4. Bota fogo promenade/counterpromenade

5. Bota fogo promenade/counterpromenade with leader's foot fake
6. Open Break with underarm turn
7. Roll Off The Arm (from open break into cuddle)
8. Maypole
9. Bota Fogo in place

Intermediate Level Step List For September

It's September!  And we have new steps!  

For the intermediate level this month, we are teaching Bolero.

This post is for the whole month, so check back each week for updates.

The step list below is meant as a guide only.  It is not meant to replace the lessons, so be sure to come to as many group classes as you can in order to improve your skill!  Also, please do not duplicate this post anywhere else online.

Intermediate Bolero Step List:

1. Basic (make sure it rotates to the left, and make sure there's CBM)

2. Crossover, with underarm turn ending
3. Crossover Alternative Ending #1: Right hand loop (a.k.a. "The Dove Commercial")

4. Crossover Alternative Ending #2: She goes/He goes
5. Back break with underarm turn ending

6. Open break  with underarm turn ending

7. Open break into backwrap
8. Copa
9. Shadow Crossover and Shadow Back Break