Ballroom Beginners (Fast Track) at CDC

October 12, 2005

Waltz
6 beats
basic step (moving forward indefinitely)
1 R foot forward
2 L foot to L (possibly L forward)
3 R foot together
4 L foot forward
5 R foot to R (possibly R forward)
6 L foot together

Foxtrot
8 beats
basic step (moving forward and to left indefinitely)
1 L foot forward (slow)
2 R foot forward (slow)
3 L foot to side (L) (quick)
4 R foot together (quick)
5 L foot backward (slow)
6 R foot backward (slow)
7 L foot to side (L) (quick)
8 R foot together (quick)

Rumba
8 beats
basic step (dance in place)
1 pause
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot in place
4 L foot to side (L)
5 pause
6 R foot backward
7 weight on L foot in place
8 R foot to side (R)

Cha Cha Cha
8 beats
basic step (dance in place)
1 R foot to to side (R)
2 L foot forward
3 weight on R foot in place
4,5 L foot to L, R foot together, L foot to L (Cha Cha Cha shuffle = chasse)
6 R foot backward
7 weight on L foot in place
8,1 R foot to R, L foot together, R foot to R (Cha Cha Cha shuffle = chasse)

There are many web sites with information on steps, etc. involved in various ballroom dances, including ballroomdancers.com and dancetv.com. I'm taking notes anyway because it still helps me remember things.

Having gotten decent at learning and dancing Salsa has helped me with quickly picking up the lessons and with confidence tonight – there was light years worth of difference between tonight and the last time I took one or two Ballroom lessons about three or four years ago. I’m guessing I was one of the oldest if not the oldest student there tonight. One of my dance partners asked me whether I was going to try out for the Beginner Ballroom team. Interesting idea, but I think it’ll require more time than I can really spare. Thus far, I find Foxtrot and Cha Cha Cha more fun compared to Waltz and Rumba – despite the fact that I had long wanted to dance Waltz (or Viennese Waltz) to Strauss (any of the three).

Afterwards, it was back to Club Salsa for more mending of bridges (going better than I could have hoped for and probably better than I deserved) and dancing (with lighter heart). There were at least two or three occasions where I felt positively terrified, but it's nearly done - maybe about 80% done.