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Hartford Ballroom Blog


Step List For October 2017

11/3/2017

 

Dances Covered:

Level 1: Swing and Foxtrot
Level 2: East Coast Swing
Level 3: Cha Cha
Level 4: Slow Waltz
Level 5: Bolero

Level 1: Swing and Foxtrot

Swing-
  • Basic (single step)
  • Follower's underarm turn
  • Leader's underarm turn
Foxtrot-
  • Basic
  • Hesitation

Level 2: East Coast Swing

  • Tuck Turn
    • with a "stop sign" hand
    • with followers' free spin
    • with both leaders and followers turn (apart turn)
  • Charleston with tuck turn ending
  • Peekaboo
    • original (inside turn)
    • with leaders' hands on follower's back
    • with leaders' right hand only on followers' back (the cool way)

Level 3: Cha Cha

  • Crossover, back breaks, outside breaks (review)
  • Big box from outside breaks
  • Alternating underarm turn with man's loop to cross body lead and shadow crossover
  • Shadow crossover, turn and loop to shadow back breaks
  • Half moon (shadow crossover + cross body lead)
  • Triple progressive cha cha

Level 4: Slow Waltz

  • Twinkle with promenade chasse ("one, two-and-three")
  • Grapevine with apart turn (starts with a twinkle and check)
  • Chasse (the in-and-out move that starts with a twinkle with leader's turn)
  • Twinkle with inside turn to left turn
  • Zigzag with develope to inside turn ending
  • Butterfly, with leader's going across

Level 5: Bolero

  • Rope spin
  • Back spot turn with Rudolph Ronde
  • Half moon with quick turn
  • Right hand loop, with optional Cuban walk
  • Crossover with quick turn ("quick, quick, and-slow") to fencing line and right hand loop)
  • Three Threes (J-hook lead, followers' full spot turn to the left, back break and half spot turn to right, then "forward-and-forward-and side")

Step Lists For April 2016

4/28/2016

 

Dances Covered:

Level 1: Rumba and Waltz
Level 2: Fast Waltz
Level 3: Salsa/Bachata
Level 4: Foxtrot
​Level 5: Hustle

​Level 1: Rumba and Waltz

Rumba
  • Box
  • Side-together-side
  • Ladies' underarm turn (aka "turn with Cuban Walk")
Waltz
  • Box
  • Travel
  • Box with underarm turn
Balance step

Level 2: Fast Waltz

  • Progressive (travel) step
  • forward and back 
  • 1/4 turns to the left
  • 1/4 turns to the right
  • Side crosses
    • with ladies' outside turn
    • with ladies' inside turn
  • Promenade
    • with ladies' outside turn

​Level 3: Salsa and Bachata

Bachata
  • Basic to the side
  • Forward and back
  • Cuddle
  • Pickpocket, using leader's right hand
  • Ladies' inside turn
  • Leader's inside turn
  • Back wrap
  • Hand change behind back
  • Rock step
Salsa
  • cross body lead
  • canopy, cross body lead, man's loop, cross body lead
  • out of the way
  • shoulder check
  • out of the way to shoulder check
  • hand flick to right handshake

​Level 4: Foxtrot

  • Left 3/8 turn
  • Simple twinkle (aims down the line)
  • Turning twinkle (aims across the line)
  • Promenade Chasse (slow, quick-and-quick)
  • Twinkle with guy's turn to chasse
  • Butterfly
  • Twinkle to grapevine (mirror image)
  • Fallaway twinkle
  • Twinkle with guy's turn to chasse with inside turn ending
  • Grapevine with apart turn
  • Finishing twirl

Level 5: Hustle

  • The New Yorker (like a left side pass in West Coast Swing)
  • The Las Vegas (involves syncopated rhythm for the ladies)
  • Cool hand slide to 1/2 a sweetheart and inside turn ("cool hand slide...with a twist")
  • Triple right side pass
  • Outside turn to 1-1/2 ampersand
    • switch sides to back wrap with other hand and then roll-in from backwrap to cuddle (leader needs to simultaneously change hands to accomplish this)
      • optional: guy turns at the same time
  • Switch sides to ampersand (a double turn)

Berkshire Hall Step Lists For March 2016

3/31/2016

 
Dances Covered:
Beginner (Level 2): Salsa and Bachata
Intermediate (Level 3): Foxtrot

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Step Lists For March 2016

3/31/2016

 
Dances Covered:
Level 1: Tango and Hustle
Level 2: Salsa and Bachata
Level 3: Foxtrot
Level 4: Hustle
Level 5: Argentine Tango

Read More

Step Lists For February 2016

2/29/2016

 
Dances Covered:
Level 1: East Coast Swing and Foxtrot
Level 2: Foxtrot
Level 3: Hustle
Level 4: Argentine Tango
Level 5: Samba

Read More

Berkshire Hall Step Lists For February 2016

2/29/2016

0 Comments

 
Dances Covered This Month:
Beginner (Level 2): Foxtrot
Intermediate (Level 3): Hustle

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0 Comments

Step List For September 2015

9/30/2015

 

​Dances Covered

Level 1: Foxtrot
Level 2: Cha Cha
Level 3: Slow Waltz
Level 4: East Coast Swing
Level 5: Salsa

Level 1: Foxtrot

Foxtrot
  • basic
  • hesitation (also called "trouble step")
  • promenade
  • routine: 2 basics,  3 promenades, 1 hesitation

Level 2: Cha Cha

  • Basic (with the cha-cha-cha going either to the side, or forward and back)
  • Full turn
  • Crossover with underarm turn
  • Back breaks with underarm turn
  • Butterfly
  • Double crossover

Level 3: Slow Waltz

  • Routine 1 (a review): 4 travel, 4 box
  • Routine 2 (a review): 6 zigzag, 1 box, box with underarm turn
  • Chasse with a box beginning and ending
  • Chasse with twinkle beginning and ending (where the guy goes under)
  • Balance Step
  • Hesitation

​Level 4: East Coast Swing

  • Charleston crossovers
  • Over-the-head and twist choreography
  • Windmill
  • Lindy rhythm
  • Double inside turn with Lindy rhythm
  • Chasse (from an inside turn)

Level 5: Salsa

  • 4 different shoulder checks:
  • Right handshake (the original)
  • Hands crossed, right on top (right hand loop)
  • Hands crossed, left on top (Titanic)
  • Both hands uncrossed (cuddle to backwrap)
  • Copa
  • Turkish Towel
  • "The Illusionist"
  • Lady's backwrap with hand flicks
  • Opposition with stop-and-go

Step Lists For July 2015

7/31/2015

 

​Dances Covered

Level 1: Rumba, Waltz, and Merengue
Level 2: East Coast Swing
Level 3: Salsa
Level 4: Hustle
Level 5: Foxtrot

​Level 1: Rumba, Waltz, and Merengue

Waltz
  • basic box step
  • basic traveling step

Rumba
  • box step
  • chasse (aka "side-together-side")
  • box step with underarm turn

Merengue
  • basic turns (inside and outside)
  • merengue in closed position (travel forward, side, in circles, etc)

Level 2: East Coast Swing


  • Basic: single step and triple step
  • ladies underarm turn
  • hand change behind the back
  • cuddle
  • backwalk

Level 3: Salsa

  • Cross body lead, cross body lead with leader's loop
  • canopy (ladies' loop)
  • alternating underarm turn
  • shoulder check
  • out of the way
  • Routine #1: alternating underarm turn, cross body lead, out of the way
  • Routine #2: shoulder check, canopy
  • Routine #3: alternating turns, mens' loop to cross body lead, basic, out of the way, shoulder check, canopy

​Level 4: Hustle

  • Cuddle
  • Right hand cuddle (aka "right hand loop")
  • sweetheart with either sombrero ending or cool and slide ending
  • parallel sweetheart (as opposed to a "sloppy" sweetheart)
  • pocket tuck to backwrap to cuddle
  • grapevine (technically grapevine to the right)
  • backwrap with guy's underarm turn
  • parallel sweetheart with ladies' turn
  • closed position basic
  • dip

​Level 5: Foxtrot

  • Fallaway twinkle
  • Double spin
  • Hover and impetus
  • Open right turn (with impetus)- taught in both Bronze styling and Silver continuity styling
  • Twinkle with Silver continuity styling
  • Open left turn with silver continuity styling

Step Lists For June 2015

6/30/2015

 

​Dances Covered:

Level 1: Cha Cha and Salsa (and Merengue)
Level 2: Salsa
Level 3: Hustle
Level 4: Foxtrot
Level 5: Rumba

Level 1: Cha Cha and Salsa (and Merengue)

Merengue
  • Inside and Outside Turns
  • Alternating Underarm Turn
  • Tangle
  • Rainbow
  • Cuddle (inside turn)
  • Yo-yo from cuddle
  • Backwrap (outside turn)
Salsa
  • Basic
  • Turn
  • Ladies' underarm turn
  • Side breaks
Cha Cha
  • Basic
  • Full turn
  • Ladies' turn

​Level 2: Salsa

  • Basic
  • Ladies underarm turn
  • Alternating underarm turn
  • Rainbow
  • Hand clap
  • Out of the way
  • Routine: out of the way, alternating underarm turn, rainbow, hand clap

​Level 3: Hustle

  • Outside turn and inside turn
  • Cuddle with two endings: inside turn ending and yo-yo ending
  • Guy's underarm turn
  • Sweetheart with two endings: sombrero and cool hand loop
  • Right hand cuddle (a.k.a. "right hand loop")
  • Threading the needle
  • Backwrap with guy's turn
  • "The Dip That Is Not A Dip"

​Level 4: Foxtrot

  • Quarter turn basic
  • Grapevine (from quarter turn basic)
  • Twinkle- ends diagonal wall
  • Turning twinkle (also known as "1/4 turn twinkle")- ends diagonal center
  • Triple twinkle (we sometimes also call it "the double twinkle")
  • Left turn (also known as "Left 3/8 turn")
  • Basic pattern: twinkle, turning twinkle, left turn
  • Chasse with a twinkle beginning and ending
  • Promenade pivot: 3/4 quarter or full
  • Zigzag with develope, inside turn to left turn
  • Routine: quarter turn basic, grapevine, twinkle, turning twinkle, left turn, twinkle to chasse
  • Zigzag to shadow twinkles

​Level 5: Rumba

  • Romantic Sway
  • Forward spot turn* to aida and fencing line
  • Right hand loop with Cuban walk
  • Back spot turn* to opening out and closed hip twist
  • Advanced grapevine
  • Half moon with arm hook to aida and fencing line
  • Opening out (left and right) to open hip twist
  • Forward spot turn to surprise check and swivels
*A Note On Spot Turns: the forward spot turn is also known as the "Reverse Spin Turn".  It steps forward and rotates to the left.
The back spot turn is also known as the "Natural Spin Turn".  It steps backward and rotates to the right.

Berkshire Hall Step Lists For May 2015

5/31/2015

 

Dances Covered:

Beginner (Level 2): Hustle
Intermediate (Level 3): Foxtrot

​Beginner: Hustle

  • Hustle basic (a.k.a. the compression basic)
  • inside turn
  • pickpocket
  • cuddle
  • cuddle with yo-yo
  • introduction to New York Style basic

​Intermediate: Foxtrot

  • Quarter turn basic
  • grapevine from quarter turn basic
  • butterfly
  • grapevine with apart turn
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  • Home
  • About
    • The Teachers
    • Hartford Ballroom
    • Ballroom Dancing
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What We Offer
    • Group Classes
    • Private Lessons
    • Wedding Dances
    • For Salsa Dancers
    • For Tango Dancers
  • Directions
  • Contact
  • Blog