Hartford Ballroom Blog

Dances Covered:

Level 1: Rumba and Waltz
Level 2: Bolero
Level 3: Argentine Tango
Level 4: West Coast Swing
Level 5: Viennese Waltz

Level 1: Rumba and Waltz

Waltz:

box
progressive/travelling step
underarm turn

Rumba:

box step
chasse
underarm turn

Level 2: Bolero

Basic
Crossover
Back Break
Open Break
- to underarm turn
- to backwrap
- to copa

Level 3: Argentine Tango

Milonga:

Baldosa Box
Traspie (rock step)
- best done on either step 3 and/or 4
Repeat 5+6
Repeat 3,4,5,+6

Argentine Tango

Crusada
Calisita (keeping follower in one spot while leader circles around)
Forward Ochos
Back Ochos
Parada and Pasada

Level 4: West Coast Swing

Styling
- music break ("freeze")
Right Side Pass with hand change behind back
Tick tock
- with ladies' free spin
- with right handshake
  - shoulder check
  - underarm turn (with optional man's loop at the end)
Twinkle

Level 5: Viennese Waltz

Cross body lead with turn into chasse
- optional backwards chasse
Cross body lead with turn into explosion and braid, ending with a runaround

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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)

Steps Lists For January 2016

1/31/2016

This month's dances are:
Level 1: salsa and cha cha
Level 2: hustle
Level 3: Argentine tango
Level 4: samba
Level 5: rumba and bolero

Dances Covered

Level 1: American Tango and Hustle
Level 2: Argentine Tango
Level 3: Samba
Level 4: Rumba and Bolero
Level 5: Cha cha

Level 1: American Tango and Hustle

Tango (Note- this is American Tango):

Basic
Corte
Promenade

Hustle:

Basic
Inside Turn
Pickpocket

Level 2: Argentine Tango

Keep in mind that there are 3 times of Argentine Tango: milonga, Argentine, and vals. For the month of December we focused primarily on Milonga, which is the easiest of the 3. Towards the end, we introduced something that belongs more in Argentine Tango.
Milonga:

Basic, aka "Baldosa Box" (6 steps)
Traspie ("quick-quick-slow"), can be done on any of the first 5 steps of the Baldosa Box
Side together (repeat "5-6" as many times as you'd like)

Argentine Tango:

Forward Ochos
Leader's out-of-the-way rock step to forward ochos
Forward Ochos to parada (means "stop", as in leader blocks the follower's foot and stops the ocho), to pasada (means "go", as in follower steps over the leader's foot and continues)

Level 3: Samba

Basic forward and back
Basic side crosses
Side crosses with followers' underarm turn (outside turn)
Box step
Promenade
Routine: forward and back, side crosses, promenade, box step
Counterpromenade
Bota fogo with promenade and counterpromenade (goes back and forth)

Level 4: Rumba and Bolero

Rumba:

Box step with Cuban walk
Shadow crossovers (uses right handshake), turn and loop to shadow back break
Crossover with inside turn endings:
- Right hand loop (inside turn with leader's right hand)
  - Optional: you can include Cuban walks in the right hand loop, between the loop and the final turn
She goes/he goes (inside turn with leader's left hand)
Half moon (one shadow crossover+one cross body lead), turn and loop to shadow back break (optional)
Half moon to arm hook, aida (rock-and-turn), fencing line (across-and-side), end with she goes/he goes
Open break to Copa*
Open break to triple fans, grapevine and ronde with a copa ending*

*these moves do not require that you end with a fifth-position ending. It's cleaner if you simply do a box step and slowly get back together

Bolero:

Shadow crossovers (uses right handshake), turn and loop to shadow back break
Crossover with inside turn endings:
- Right hand loop (inside turn with leader's right hand)
  - Optional: you can include Cuban walks in the right hand loop, between the loop and the final turn
She goes/he goes (inside turn with leader's left hand)
Half moon (one shadow crossover+one cross body lead), turn and loop to shadow back break (optional)
Half moon to arm hook, aida (rock-and-turn), fencing line (across-and-side), end with she goes/he goes
Open break to Copa
Open break to triple fans, grapevine and ronde with a copa ending

Level 5: Cha Cha

Sweetheart Twinkles
- open break, leader's foot fake, back break (no cha-cha-cha), 5 twinkles (4+1, 2+3, etc.), back break (with cha-cha-cha), inside turn ending while leader foot fakes.
Cuban break combination with shoulder check ending
- 2 crossovers, 2 Cuban breaks (2+3+4+1), 2 short Cuban breaks (2+3, 4+1), 1 Cuban break for follower only, shoulder check for the followers (technically check from the arm)
Bota Fogos and Cuban break combination from an outside break
- 2 outside turns, 2 bota fogos, Cuban break (2+3+4+1), 2 bota fogos (in other direction), Cuban break (in other direction), outside break
Crossover, grapevine into back break
- "run-run-run"
4 Natural Tops (aka "back spot turns")
- Original
- With an outside turn
- with follower's swivels

with follower's grapevine

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 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.

Step Lists For May 2015

5/31/2015

Dances Covered

Level 1: Swing and Foxtrot
Level 2: Hustle
Level 3: Foxtrot
Level 4: Rumba
Level 5: Cha Cha

Level 1: Swing and Foxtrot

East Coast Swing

basic step
underarm turn
pickpocket

Foxtrot

Basic
Promenade
Hesitation

Level 2: Hustle

Compression basic (stays in place)
New York Style basic (guy does a tap step)
inside turn
pickpocket
cuddle
cuddle with yo-yo and free spin

Level 3: Foxtrot

Basic Routine: 3 basics, 3 promenade (with a turn on the second one), 3 side rocks, hesitation, 2 basics, box step
Twinkle
Parallel Twinkle
Chasse with box step beginning and ending
Chasse with twinkle beginning and ending
Quarter turn basic

Level 4: Rumba

Open break to backwrap and walkaround to pattycake and shadow back break ending
Open break to peekaboo with inside turn ending
Cross body lead into wraparound
Paseo
Shadow crossovers and shadow back breaks

Level 5: Cha Cha

Triple cha-chas with ronde
Natural Spin Turn (aka "Back Spot Turn")
Open break, threading the needle, to Turkish Towel, to cross body lead with ladies turn, to half moon, ending with arm wrap (aka "arm hook")
Hammerlock combination
Shadow crossovers, loop into shadow back breaks
Choreography: kick-ball-change, sailor steps, end with a spiral turn
Crossover swivels
Swivels from closed position

Berkshire Hall Step Lists For April 2015

4/30/2015

Dances Covered

Beginner: Foxtrot
Intermediate: Rumba

Beginner: Foxtrot

Basic
Hesitation
Promenade
Promenade with underarm turn
Box Step
Twinkle
Parallel Twinkle

Intermediate: Rumba

Crossover and back breaks combination (review from last month)
Right hand loop
Open break with underarm turn
Peekaboo (from open break)
Cross Body Lead
Wraparound (from cross body lead)

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