Ballroom Beginner Fast track week 6

November 16, 2005

Today, I went back to St Paul's School on Wednesday instead of St. Columba's Hall on Saturday because of lack of Beginners practice last weekend. As I remembered, the floor is nicer at St. Paul's and less densely packed with people. Unfortunately, this advantage was offset by there being about 4-5 excess men and about 20-25% of men having to sit out at a given time. I guess it was bound to happen at some point.

Jive
American turn
coming back from turn change to R-R
and toss R-R to initiate free clockwise turn sometime during the first chasse

name? (done in week 4 and useful for explanation of new move)
leading follower to clockwise turn with L-R connected
lift L-R high (gradually) as chasse is initiated - so during 5-8 and 1-4 after the turn, follower is moving away from the leader to his left
L-R is lifted high again during the chasse on 1-4 segment to get back to basic position

new move (name?)
leading follower to clockwise turn with L-R connected
lift L-R high (gradually) as chasse is initiated - so during 5-8 and 1-4 after the turn, follower is moving away from the leader to his left
don't lift L-R during next 1-4 - instead R foot cross over to forward left as body is turned clockwise to face the partner and R hand placed on follower's back (follower lifts her L hand high) for the last step of chasse - so follower goes back to left on 5-8

This is somewhat like Enchufe doble but not quite.

Jive really messes me up. Just doing the basics is a struggle because of its speed. I haven't figured out how steps corresponds to the beat/measure of the music.

Samba
Whisk (dancing to the syncopated beat)
1 slow L foot to L
3.5 R foot cross behind L foot
4 L foot in place
5 slow R foot to R
6.5 L foot cross behind R foot
7 R foot in place

Government walk (not syncopated)
1 slow L foot to L (and facing L, which is now forward)
3 quick R foot back
4 quick L foot back (staying ahead of R foot)
5 slow R foot forward (in front of L foot)
7 quick L foot back
8 quick R foot back (stayind ahead of L foot)

See Introduction to Brazilian Samba an explanation of the Samba beat. I am not using their counting system here, but I think it still may be useful.

Quickstep
Finally a turn!
1 slow R foot forward L across (like lock step)
3-4 lock step chasse (quick-quick-slow - I'm guessing 3, 3.5, 4)
5 slow R foot forward L across (lock step start again)
7-8 diagonal chasse but turn as a unit counterclockwise before or as chasse is initiated (chasse done at probably 7, 7.5, 8)
1 slow (nothing?)
3-4 standard chasse to R (R foot first) with another turn counterclockwise as a unit before or as chasse is initiated
5 slow (nothing?)
7-8 standard chasse to L (L foot first) with another turn counterclockwise as a unit before or as chasse is initiated
(ends up with a 1/4 turn overall counterclockwise)

followed by basic step

1 slow (R foot back)
3-4 standard chasse
etc.

I still feel that there isn't very much freedom with Quickstep although forced awkwardness of turning around in the corners can now be removed with the new turn step. For now, I am stuck doing a few basic on the long runway followed by the turn move learned today, followed by one basic on the short runway followed by the turn move again, then repeat. Maybe I'll discover some variations later but I can't think of anything yet.

Nothing new for Waltz. However with things learned thus far, I am finding quite a bit of flexibility in step choice. I am also leaving most of my partners feeling a little dizzy with a lot more turns than they are used to with most other leaders.