Dances I'd Like to Teach

05 Oct 2019 - Richard Horridge

2019-10-05 Sat 13:34

While I've focused mainly on International-Style Ballroom and Latin dancing, I have done various other dances and there's more I would like to learn.

Over the summer I went to The Swing Era a few times. They teach (unsurprisingly) swing-era Lindy Hop and Charleston along with other swing dances from that period. It was there that I learnt how to Lindy Hop as well as how to dance Collegiate Shag. I'm keen to join Dance Club Latino this year and learn more of the social Latin dances such as Salsa, Bachata and Merengue.

However, there are some particular dances that I have an interest in teaching. It would be fun to introduce these to people who may not discover them otherwise and there is no better way to learn and remember something yourself than to teach it to other people.

Texas Two-Step

The Texas Two-Step is perhaps the most famous Country & Western dance. Similar in nature to the fox-trot, it is a progressive dance characterised by its smooth movements across the floor.

The original Two-Step is a Quick-Quick-Slow (QQS) movement - the first step made forward with the Left, the second bringing the Right to the Left and the third bringing the Left forward. Commonly today the Texas Shuffle Step is danced instead and will be familiar to anyone who has danced Foxtrot as its timing is QQSS.

Teaching of the Texas Two-Step

Nightclub Two-Step

The Nightclub Two-Step originated in California in the 1960s and is danced to contemporary mid-tempo ballads in 4/4 time. It has a much more relaxed hold than ballroom and doesn't involve the opening of the hip.

Similar in feel to Rumba, it is an ideal dance for weddings!

The Nightclub Two-Step in competition

Peabody

The Peabody is probably better known by many of you in the UK as the Quickstep. As the fast version of the foxtrot in the US, it is named for a policeman, Lieutenant Peabody, who was of a considerable size and could only hold his partner on his right side. Effectively, it is like dancing a Quickstep but always outside partner.

Dancing the Peabody

Polka

The Polka has influenced many genres of dance since its inception in what is now the Czech republic. Originally a dance for peasants, it made its way into the ballrooms of Vienna and is now danced socially and competitively all over the world.

Notable for its lively, bouncing steps, many dances today are derived in some form from the Polka. The syllabus I will likely use is that of the United Country & Western Dance Council.

The syllabus Polka steps in UCWDC

Other Dances

There are a few others I would like to cover but these should be enough for a little while!

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