Hartford Ballroom Blog

Dances Covered

Level 1: Bachata and Merengue
Level 2: Slow Waltz
Level 3: Bolero
Level 4: Argentine Tango
Level 5: West Coast Swing

Dances Covered

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

Level 1: Hustle, Tango, Merengue

Hustle

Basic
Inside turn
pickpocket

Tango

Basic
Corte
Forward Rocks

Merengue

inside and outside turns
backwrap, with lasso
cuddle, with yo-yo
pickpocket
Routine: backwrap with lasso, pickpocket

Level 2: Slow Waltz

Progressive basic (travelling basic)
Box step
Ladies' underarm turn from the box step
Zigzag
Twinkle, turning twinkle

Level 3: East Coast Swing

Charleston
Tuck turn (left hand only)
Double tuck turn (left hand then right hand shake)
Back breaks (rhythm change)
Tangle
Threading the needle
Routine: Tangle, followed by threading the needle
Hand change behind the back (2 ways)
Over the head (with or without twist choreography)

Level 4: Salsa

Routine 1: Alternating underarm turn, with loop and cross body lead, to shoulder check, canopy, and loop with cross body lead
Turkish Towel
Lasso
Backwrap with hand flicks

Level 5: Hustle

Sweetheart with three different endings (sombrero, cool hand slide, and sliding door)
J-hook to sweetheart
Butterfly to sweetheart
Diva walk
Syncopation in sweetheart
Disco hand and outside turn
Nate's pickpocket (uses right handshake)
Triple right side pass
Ladies' free spin with a left arm reflex

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

Dances Covered:

Level 1: tango, hustle, and merengue
Level 2: slow waltz
Level 3: salsa
Level 4: foxtrot
Level 5: east coast swing/Charleston

Level 1: Tango, Hustle, and Merengue

Hustle

basic
inside turn
pickpocket

Tango

basic
corte
forward rock

Merengue

outside/inside turn
double turns
guy's turn
cuddle
yo-yo from cuddle
backwrap
lasso from backwrap

Level 2: Waltz

Basic Traveling Step
Box Step
Box Step With Underarm Turn
Balance Step
Hesitation
Zigzag
Twinkle
Parallel Twinkle

Level 3: Salsa

Cross Body Lead
Alternating Underarm Turn
Canopy
Shoulder Check
Routine #1: Alternating Underarm Turn, Shoulder Check, Canopy
Crossover With Underarm Turn
Crossover With Apart Turn
Cross Body Lead Into Crossover
Crossover swivels

Level 4: Foxtrot

1/4 turn Basic
Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic
Left Turn
Twinkle, Twinkle With 1/4 Turn
Zigzag, Zigzag With Develope
Chasse With Twinkle Beginning and Ending

Level 5: East Coast Swing/Charleston

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

Dances Covered:

Level 1: rumba, merengue and waltz
Level 2: Salsa
Level 3: Foxtrot
Level 4: East Coast Swing
Level 5: Bolero

Level 1: Rumba and Waltz

Rumba

Box Step
Side-Together-Side
Underarm Turn

Waltz

Basic box step
Basic traveling step

Merengue

inside and outside turn
alternating underarm turn (she goes, he goes, she goes)

looping over the head ("combing the hair")

Level 2: Salsa

basic step
full solo turn
ladies underarm turn
alternating underarm turn (half version), ending with a loop
Cross body lead
Alternating Underarm Turn (full version), ending with loop and cross body lead
side breaks

Level 3: Foxtrot

Basic Routine: 3 basics, 3 promenade (with a turn on 2), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish
Box step with 1/4 turn
Forward and back basic
1/4 turn basic
Twinkle
Parallel Twinkle
Chasse
Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic

Level 4: East Coast Swing

Basic Charleston
Toe-Heel Swivel
Inside Turn With Chasse (the skippy one)
Overturn With Swivels
Double Inside Turn (changes rhythm slightly)
Charleston Crossover
Kicks While Turning Right

Level 5: 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.

"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
"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.
"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
"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.
Open Hip Twist
Romantic Sway
The "Pizza Slide": the bit that usually followed the back-to-back line
Hip Rock (aka "Jim's step")

Step List For October 2014

10/31/2014

Dances Covered:

Level 1: Cha Cha, Foxtrot, and Merengue
Level 2: Foxtrot
Level 3: East Coast Swing
Level 4: Bolero
Level 5: Samba

Level 1: Cha Cha, Foxtrot, and Merengue

Cha Cha

Basic Step
Full Turn
Ladies' underarm turn

Foxtrot

basic
hesitation

Merengue

basic turns: outside and inside
how to do more than one turn
leader's turn

Level 2: Foxtrot

Basic step
Hesitation (a.k.a. corner or trouble step)
Promenade
Promenade with underarm turn
Side Rocks
Routine #1: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 promenade with an underarm turn on the second one, hesitation to finish
Routine #2: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish
Box Step

Level 3: East Coast Swing

Note: steps were done both in triple step and single step

Underarm turn
She goes/he goes
Hand change behind the back
Hand change behind the back with ladies underarm turn
Open break to cuddle
Cuddle with yo-yo ending
Single tuck
Double tuck
Over the head
Back walk
Back breaks
Promenade Walk, a.k.a. "Promenade Swivels" (works well if followed by back walk)
Peekaboo
Windmill (new as of Sunday 10/26)

Level 4: Bolero

Shadow crossovers and shadow back breaks with loop
Copa
Triple ronde into copa
She goes/He goes ending
Right hand loop ending
1 crossover, apart turn, 1 back break, underarm turn, 1 outside break, right hand loop ending
Half moon (crossover with the right hand, bring her across), arm hook, rock and fencing line, she goes/he goes ending
Rudolph Ronde (starts with open break and back spot turn, ends with copa)

Level 5: Samba

Forward rock, spiral turn into counterpromenade, bota fogo, bota fogo in place, maypole
Bota fogo into "easy" grapevine, ending with spot turn voltas
Bota fogo into "difficult" grapevine
Left turn into bota fogo (with guys going backwards), into ladies swivels

Step List For September 2014

9/30/2014

Level 1: Hustle, Salsa, and Merengue

Hustle

Basic step
Basic inside turn

Salsa

Basic step
Side Breaks
Basic Turn
Ladies' Underarm turn

Merengue

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

Level 2: East Coast Swing

Note: All steps were done both in single step and in triple step swing.

Basic
Underarm turn
Hand change behind the back
Open break to pickpocket
Open Break to cuddle

Level 3: Bolero

Basic (make sure it rotates to the left, and make sure there's CBM)
Crossover, with underarm turn ending
Crossover Alternative Ending #1: Right hand loop (a.k.a. "The Dove Commercial")
Crossover Alternative Ending #2: She goes/He goes
Back break with underarm turn ending
Open break with underarm turn ending
Open break into backwrap
Copa
Shadow Crossover and Shadow Back Break

Level 4: Samba

International Combination: promenade, bota fogo, voltas, spot turn voltas
Counterpromenade
Windmill from counterpromenade
Bota fogo promenade/counterpromenade
Bota fogo promenade/counterpromenade with leader's foot fake
Open Break with underarm turn
Roll Off The Arm (from open break into cuddle)
Maypole
Bota Fogo in place

Level 5: American Tango

closed promenade with ronde to 1 or 3 fans
right foot lunge from corte
rock to corte from promenade or open promenade (an ending to a song if you like)
closed promenade, challenge line, oversway, ronde, slip pivot

Step List For August 2014

8/31/2014

Dances Covered

Level 1: East Coast Swing, American Tango, and Merengue
Level 2: Bolero
Level 3: Samba
Level 4: American Tango
Level 5: Hustle

Level 1:

East Coast Swing

Basic step (single step)
Ladies' Underarm Turn
Hand Change Behind The Back

American Tango

Basic step
Corte
Forward Rock (bonus step)

Merengue

cuddle (inside turn)
basic outside and inside turns
backwrap (outside turn)
hand change behind the back
tangle

Level 2: Bolero

Basic step
Crossover With Ladies' Underarm Turn
Crossover With Apart Turn
Crossover Into Back Breaks
Shadow Crossover
Shadow Crossover Into Shadow Back Breaks

Level 3: Samba

Basic Movements (forward/back, side crosses, box step, samba walk, volta, bota fogo)
Side Crosses With Outside And Inside Turns
Promenade
Open Break With Underarm Turn
"Samba Twinkle" (bota fogo+box close)

Level 4: American Tango

Open Left Turn
Right Side Fans
Turning Rocks
Rock-And-Corte
Promenade With 3/4 Pivot
Closed Promenade With Challenge Line, Oversway, And Spanish Drag

Level 5: Hustle

Tangle To Ladies' Syncopated Tap Steps
Nate's Crazy Pickpocket (involves a right hand shake)
Ampersand Into Sliding Door
Parallel Sweetheart With Ladies' Free Spin
Butterfly Into Diva Walk
Triple Right Side Pass
Half-wrap To Cuddle From Closed Position Basic (Involves Ladies' Left Arm Reflex)
The Crazy Advanced Combination (Involves Sweetheart With Inside Turn, Cool Hand Slide Back To Sweetheart, Ampersand, To Cuddle)