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Berkshire Hall Intermediate (Level 3) For February 2016: Hustle

3/24/2016

0 Comments

 
  • Parallel sweetheart
    • with sombrero ending
    • with cool hand slide ending
  • old-fashioned/standard basic (continually turns right)
  • old-fashioned basic to double turn into cuddle
  • right hand cuddle
0 Comments

Berkshire Hall Beginner (Level 2) For February 2016: Foxtrot

3/24/2016

0 Comments

 
  • Basic
  • Hesitation
  • Promenade
  • Promenade with turn
  • side rocks
  • box step
0 Comments

Level 5 (Pre-Silver) For February 2016: Samba

3/24/2016

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  • Argentine Crosses with and outside turn ending
  • Promenade Runs from bota fogo
  • Shadow Bota Fogos and Voltas
  • Easy Grapevine from promenade position to spot turn voltas
  • Forward Rocks to follower's spiral turn, continued with walks, bota fogo in place, ending with the Maypole
0 Comments

Level 4 (Full Bronze) For February 2016: Argentine Tango

3/24/2016

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  • Crusada
  • Forward Ochos
    • from a crusada
    • from a rock step
    • Ending with a Parada and foot flick
    • Leader's Footwork:
      • stay in place
      • step side to side
      • Left foot back together, side together
  • Back Ochos from side step:
    • with lady's boleo
    • to parada and passada
  • Walk to lady's back ochos (aka "harlem tango rhythm")
    • 1, 2, 3+, 4, 5, 6, 7+, 8
0 Comments

Level 3 (Intermediate) For February 2016: Hustle

3/24/2016

0 Comments

 
  • Parallel Sweetheart (creates a L shape) with multiple endings:
    • simple right hand exit
    • sombrero
    • cool hand slide and loop
    • sliding door
  • Cuddle with 2 endings:
    • underarm turn ending
    • yo-yo ending
  • Right hand cuddle (aka "right hand loop)
  • Cuddle that goes from right side to left side and back again
  • Backwrap with 2 endings:
    • ladies' underarm turn exit
    • leader's go under the arm
  • Closed position basic
0 Comments

Level 2 (Ballroom Basics) For February 2016: Foxtrot

3/24/2016

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  • Basic
  • Trouble step (aka "hesitation")
  • promenade
  • underarm turn from promenade
  • side rocks
  • box step
0 Comments

Level 1 (Absolute Beginner) For February 2016: Swing And Foxtrot

3/24/2016

1 Comment

 
Swing:
  • basic (single step)
  • underarm turn
  • back walk
  • hand change behind the back

Foxtrot:
  • basic
  • hesitation (aka "trouble step" or "corner step")
  • promenade
1 Comment

Berkshire Hall Intermediate (Level 3) For January 2016: Argentine Tango

2/1/2016

0 Comments

 
  • Crusada (Argentine Tango basic)
  • Forward ochos, starting either from rock step or from end of crusada
    • optional parada and pasada
  • Side step with foot change to back ochos
  • Forward ochos to back ochos, end by changing to forward ochos
  • Back ochos to skaters
0 Comments

Berkshire Hall Beginner (Level 2) For January 2016: Hustle

2/1/2016

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  • Compression basic (holding two hands)
  • New York style basic (she goes out then in)
  • Inside turn
  • Cuddle with inside turn ending
  • Cuddle with yo-yo ending
  • Grapevine to the right
  • Pickpocket
0 Comments

Level 5 (Pre-Silver) For January 2016: Rumba/Bolero

2/1/2016

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Rumba:
  • Sliding Door Variation
  • Backwrap to Pattycake

Bolero:
  • Natural top with Rudolph ronde
  • Hip rock
  • Right side pass
  • Triple Fans to ronde and copa ending
  • Natural top to same foot lunge
  • Opening out right and left, with spiral turn ending
  • Half moon with ladies turn (quick-and-quick-and-slow)
  • Back-to-back to aida and fencing line, ending with right hand loop (turn to back-to-back is syncopated)
0 Comments

Level 4 (Full Bronze) For January 2016: Samba

2/1/2016

0 Comments

 
  • International Combination
    • Promenade with staying in place on 4, bota fogo for 4, volta first with one foot then with the other, spot turn voltas going one way and then going the other way
  • Open break to cuddle with roll-out and roll-in
  • Counterpromenade with windmill
  • Bota fogo with leader's foot fake
  • Open break to back spot turn
  • Shadow bota fogos
    • open break with J-hook and leader's foot fake
    • 5 bota fogos, starting with left foot
    • Volta with right foot, then volta with left foot
    • 3 bota fogos with ladies turning on 4th one
    • bota fogos, ending leader's foot fake and closing up
0 Comments

Level 3 (Intermediate) For January 2016: Argentine Tango

2/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Milonga:
  • Baldosa Box (6 steps)
  • Side-together (repeat 5 and 6)
  • Add a twist (repeat 3-4-5-6)
  • Rock steps, aka "traspie" (can happen on any step)
Vals:
  • Walking and side steps (all happening on 1 of 1-2-3)
  • Rhythm Change (1-2, 1, 1-2, 1)
Argentine Tango:
  • Forward Ochos
  • Back Ochos
  • Rock to forward ochos
  • Side step with leader's foot change to back ochos
  • Parada ("Stop") and Pasada ("Go")
0 Comments

Level 2 (Ballroom Basics) For January 2016: Hustle

2/1/2016

0 Comments

 
  • Compression Basic (holding two hands)
  • New York Style Basic (ladies going out and coming back in)
  • Inside turn
  • Pickpocket
  • Cuddle with Inside Turn Ending
  • Cuddle with Yo-Yo Ending
  • Grapevine going to the right
0 Comments

Level 1 (Absolute Beginner) For January 2016: Salsa and Chacha

2/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Salsa:
  • basic
  • side breaks
  • ladies' underarm turn
  • solo turns
Cha Cha:
  • basic
  • basic with starter step
0 Comments

Berkshire Hall Intermediate (Level 3) For December 2015: Samba

1/3/2016

1 Comment

 
  • Routine: forward and back, side crosses, promenade, box step
  • counterpromenade
  • windmill (from counterpromenade)
  • international combination (promenade, bota fogo, voltas, spot turn voltas)
1 Comment

Berkshire Hall Beginners (Level 2) For December 2015: Argentine Tango

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Please note, there are 3 types of tango: Milonga, Argentine Tango, and Vals.  This month we mainly focused on Milonga, although I introduced something that was technically Argentine Tango.
Milonga:
  • Baldosa Box (6 steps)
  • Walking into, and out of Baldosa Box
  • Side together (repeat 5 and 6 as many times as you would like)
  • Traspie (rock steps, changes the rhythm to quick-quick-slow, can be done on any of the first 5 steps of the Baldosa Box)
Argentine Tango:
  • Forward ochos 
  • Leader's rock to forward ochos 
  • Bonus: Leader's parada (means "stop", where the leader "stops the ochos with his foot), to follower's pasada (means "go", where the follower initiates the next move by stepping over the leader's foot)
0 Comments

Level 5 (Pre-Silver) For December 2015: Cha Cha

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
  • 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
0 Comments

Level 4 (Full Bronze) For December 2015: Rumba/Bolero

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
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
0 Comments

Level 3 (Intermediate) For December 2015: Samba

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
  • 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)
0 Comments

Level 2 (Ballroom Basics) For December 2015: Argentine Tango

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
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)
0 Comments

Level 1 (Absolute Beginner) For December 2015: Tango And Hustle

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Tango (Note- this is American Tango):
  • Basic
  • Corte
  • Promenade
Hustle:
  • Basic
  • Inside Turn
  • Pickpocket
0 Comments

Berkshire Hall Level 3 (Intermediate) For November 2015: Rumba And Bolero

11/23/2015

0 Comments

 
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
0 Comments

Berkshire Hall Level 2 (Basics) For November 2015: Samba

11/23/2015

0 Comments

 
  • 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
0 Comments

Level 5 (Pre-Silver and Silver) For November 2015: Slow Waltz

11/23/2015

0 Comments

 
*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
0 Comments

Level 4 (Full Bronze) For November 2015: Cha Cha

11/23/2015

 
  • 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
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    February
    Foxtrot
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    West Coast Swing

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