Hartford Ballroom Blog

Step Lists For November 2015

11/30/2015

Dances Covered

Level 1: Waltz and Rumba
Level 2: Samba
Level 3: Rumba and Bolero
Level 4: Cha Cha
Level 5: Slow Waltz

Level 1: Waltz and Rumba

Waltz:

basic traveling step (aka "progressive step")
box step
side hesitation

Rumba:

box step
chasse ("side-together-side")
underarm turn

Level 2: Samba

basic forward and back
side crosses
side crosses with ladies turn
promenade
box step
samba line dance

Level 3: Rumba and Bolero

Rumba:

crossover
back breaks
outside breaks
cross body lead
open break
open break to backwrap and walkaround
underarm turn with Cuban walks

Bolero:

crossover
back breaks
open break
open break to backwrap and walkaround
copa

Level 4: Cha Cha

Cross body lead to crossover, back breaks, and outside breaks
Cross body lead with right handshake to shadow crossover, shadow back breaks, and outside breaks
Cross body lead with ladies' turn
Shadow crossover (with right handshake), underarm turn with double hands crossed, men's loop into shadow back breaks
Crossover with Cuban breaks
Shoulder check from crossover
Paseo
Turkish Towel
Big Box step from outside breaks
Half moon

Level 5: Slow Waltz

*Note: all of these steps can be done either with feet coming together (Bronze styling), or with feet brushing past (Silver continuity styling). Keep in mind that hover and impetus patterns always involve feet brushing.*

Left turn
Right turn with impetus
Hover and impetus
4-way underarm turn
Waterfall

Berkshire Hall Step Lists For November 2015

11/30/2015

Dances Covered:

Beginner (Level 2): Samba
Intermediate (Level 3): Rumba and Bolero

Beginner: Samba

Basic forward and back
Basic side cross
Side cross with an underarm turn
Box step
promenade
Bota fogo
Bota fogo with leader's foot fake

Intermediate: Rumba and Bolero

Rumba:

box step
crossover
open break
open break to backwrap and walkaround
Paseo

Bolero:

basic (make sure it rotates)
crossover
open break
open break to backwrap and walkaround
open break to copa
open break to triple fans and ronde with copa ending

Step List For November 2014

11/29/2014

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")