THE KATZ LINE DANCE CLUB
BEGINNER STEP DESCRIPTIONS
Dear Dancers,
Please find below some of the very first steps you
will learn in linedancing. I will describe a ‘right footed’ version of each
step. But obviously these steps can
also move in the other direction, and sometimes backwards and forwards too.
The words I would ‘call’ have been highlighted in
red for you…..J
GRAPEVINE – RIGHT,
BEHIND, RIGHT, TOUCH (count 1,2,3,4)
To dance a right grapevine you step out sideways and
slightly forwards, onto your right foot, cross your left foot behind your right
foot changing your weight onto your left foot at the same time, then step your
right foot to the right side again, and finally touch your left toe next to
your right foot keeping the weight on your right foot. (sometimes instead of a
‘touch’ you may do something else on the fourth count, such as a scuff). The
count would be 1, 2, 3, 4.
The call for this would be ‘Right, behind, right,
touch’. To dance a left grapevine
reverse the steps above.
JAZZ BOX – CROSS,
BACK, SIDE, TOGETHER (count 1,2,3,4)
To dance a right jazz box, start with the weight on
your left foot. Then you cross your right foot over your left, putting the weight onto it, then step back
onto your left foot, step your right foot to the side of your left foot,
leaving a gap between your feet, and finally close your left foot next to right
transferring the weight to your left foot.
TOE STRUT – TOE,
STRUT (count 1,2)
Toe struts can be danced forwards, backwards and
sideways. For now I will only describe
a forwards toe strut.
To dance a right toe strut, you step forwards onto
your right toes for the first count, and then drop your heel to the floor on
the second count.
HEEL STRUT – HEEL,
STRUT (count 1,2)
A heel strut is almost the same as a toe strut but
start by stepping forwards onto your heel on the first count, and drop the toes
to the floor for the second count.
MAMBO STEP – ROCK,
RECOVER, TOGETHER (count 1 & 2)
A mambo step is a triple step, which
means you have to fit in three steps over two beats in the music.
You can ‘mambo’ either forwards sideways or
backwards, it is a step done with one foot kept in place all the time.
Start with the weight on your left foot. Step
forwards on your right foot, lift your left foot slightly off the ground on the
& count, and quickly place it back down, then step your right foot in place
next to left. The count is usually 3
steps over 2 counts e.g. 1 & 2.
COASTER STEP – BACK,
TOGETHER, FORWARD (count 1 & 2)
A coaster step is a triple step, which
means you have to fit in three steps over two beats in the music.
To dance a right coaster step you start with the
weight on your left foot now step back onto your right foot, then bring your
left foot back to step next to right, then quickly step your right foot
forward.
The call for this would be Back, Together,
Forward.
ROCKING CHAIR – ROCK
FORWARD, RECOVER, ROCK BACK, RECOVER (count 1,2,3,4)
Start with the weight on your left foot (this foot
will now stay in place for the rest of the movement) and rock forwards onto
your right foot lifting your left foot slightly up off the ground, but in its
same position. Then replace the weight onto your left foot, swing your right
foot backwards and rock onto it (transferring the weight onto it) then rock
forwards onto your left foot.
SHUFFLES – RIGHT,
TOGETHER, RIGHT (count 1 & 2)
These are ‘triple’ steps and are used very
frequently in linedancing!!
Start with the weight on your left foot. step
forward onto your right foot, bring your left foot almost next to right
transferring the weight onto your left foot, step forward onto your right. The
call would be ‘right, together, right’.(moving forwards).
CHASSES – RIGHT,
TOGETHER, RIGHT – OR SIDE,CLOSE , SIDE (1 & 2)
Very similar to shuffles except they move sideways,
e.g. step right sideways, bring left next to right, then step to the right
again. Call would be ‘ right, together, right’.(moving sideways). Some
linedance instructors still use the old fashioned way of calling a ‘chasse’ a
‘side shuffle’.
ROCKS AND CROSSES – ROCK,
ROCK, CROSS (count 1 & 2)
You start with your feet together with the weight on
the left, and rock out sideways onto
your right foot, lift the left foot slightly then quickly put it down, then
step your right foot across (in front of) your left foot to complete the
step. The call is ‘rock and cross’ and
the count is once again 1 & 2.
LOCK STEPS – RIGHT,
LOCK, RIGHT (count 1 & 2)
These are just like shuffles but as you travel
forwards you cross your left foot behind your right instead of next to it,
‘locking’ it behind your right foot. Before stepping forwards again on the
right.
SAILOR STEPS – BEHIND,
SIDE, STEP or SAI LOR STEP! (count 1 & 2)
A sailor step is a triple step also. A right sailor
step starts with both feet together, with the weight on your left, then cross
your right foot behind left, move your left foot out to the left side putting
your weight on it for a second, then step your right foot out to the right
side. You can also do left sailors, and
turning sailors!
WEAVE – CROSS, SIDE,
BEHIND, SIDE (simple weave) (count 1,2,3,4,)
A weave travels sideways.
A grapevine that continues longer than the usual 4 counts could be called an ‘extended grapevine’ To do one of these you would, step your right foot to the right side, cross your left foot behind right, step your right foot to the right again, step your left foot across in front of your right foot, step your right foot to the right side again, step your left foot in front of your right foot once again and finally step your right foot to the right. And touch left next to right. The call is ‘side, behind, side, cross, side, behind, side, cross ’ the count is usually 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
A shorter weave can start with the weight on your
right foot, cross left over right, step right to the right side, cross left
behind right, and finally step right to the right side. The call would be
‘cross, side, behind, side’. This is
the most commonly seen weave in linedancing.
PIVOT TURNS – STEP,
TURN or PIVOT, TURN (count 1,2)
Pivot turns take some practice. They can be ¼ turns, ½ turns or ¾ turns.
To execute a ‘half pivot turn’. You would start with
the weight on your right foot (for example), step forward on to your left foot.
Lift up your heels slightly and unwind a half turn to the right by swivelling
on the balls of both feet. However as
you finish the ‘unwind’ you should transfer your weight onto your right
foot.
PADDLES – PADDLE,
AND….(count 1,2)
Step forward on the right and make a quarter turn to the left replacing the weight onto the left foot, that’s a quarter turn paddle. You can paddle either left or right.
SHIMMYING – SHIIIIIMMMMMMMYYYYYYY!!!!!!!
This simply means shaking your shoulders whilst
dancing a grapevine, or step and slide.
KICK BALL CHANGE/STEP – KICK, BALL, CHANGE – (count 1&2)
Another triple step. Kick your right foot forward, step next to left briefly putting your weight on the ball of your right foot for a second whilst lifting your left foot off the floor. Then replace weight onto left foot. A kick ball step means simply stepping forwards on your left foot instead of next to your right foot for the final count. Call is ‘ kick, ball change’ or ‘kick, ball, step’. Variations include, Kick, Ball Cross, Kick, Ball, Touch and so on….
TOE SWITCHES – OUT,
AND, OUT, AND OUT, (count 1&2&3)
Point your right toes out to the right side, quickly
bring your right foot back next to left and point out the the left with your
left toes, quickly bring your left foot back next to right and point out once
again to the right with your right toes. Call is usually ‘ out, and out, and
out, and can be followed by a clap, clap’ count is 1 & 2 & 3 & 4
with the claps.
HEEL SWITCHES
Exactly the same but you tap your heel forwards
instead. Call is ‘heel, and heel, and heel, clap clap’ count 1 & 2 & 3
& 4. with the claps.
These are the basic steps used in the majority of
dances, there are more of course! But we will learn them as they turn up!! Keep practicing!!
Julie x
07799741288 or by email to julieandthekatz@msn.com
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