COUNTRY & WESTERN
– Dances –
COUNTRY SWING – Cowboy style!
I teach only Traditional Country Swing … not to be confused with the Ballroom East Coast Swing or West Coast Swing; or the Rock & Roll Jitterbug! Traditional Country Swing is the COWBOY style Swing.
Country Swing is a “spot” dance, where partners stay within a 4 foot diameter circle in middle of the dance floor. There are a lot of arm turns/moves and a simple 2-beat, boot-scootin’ step for every arm turn/move. There are no rock-steps (where partners step back away from each other). The 2-beat step, a lot of fluid arm turns/moves, and no rock-step are what make Cowboy style a much smoother & tighter dance. It is Swing at it’s best!!!
NO BALLROOM OR ROCK – You might recognize the East Coast Swing, West Cost Swing, and Rock & Roll Jitterbug, by a 6-beat step which includes a rock-step. This is not what I teach.
NO ACROBATICS – Some people also associate Country Swing with wild acrobatics, like Lifts, Aerials, Flips, Butt Spins, and Dragging partners across the dance floor; all of which, are more of a Rock & Roll Jitterbug style. Keeping in the true spirit of Country Dance, I do not teach any acrobatics. All dancers will have at least one foot on the dance floor at all times. Back in the day, a couple was automatically disqualified from a competition if either partner had both feet off the dance floor, at any point in time … it wasn’t considered country/western. I like to impress, but acrobatics make you look like you are trying too hard to impress (in my humble opinion). In case you are not aware, there are well over a hundred Country Swing arm turns and moves that can be done, without doing any acrobatics … that’s what I teach! I also teach Dips, Drops, and Leans, keeping at least one foot on the dance floor.
NO YANK & CRANK – You may have also seen the wild “yank & crank”, where the leader flings the follower around like he’s roping cattle. Cowboy style is not that either.
STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS – I also teach how to instantly communicate with your partner without ever saying a word. You will learn how to enjoy the music by dancing SPONTANEOUSLY, and not memorizing routines.
BUILD A FIRM FOUNDATION – You will not only master the Country Swing Moves and Combinations, but you will also build a firm foundation on which you can develop your own moves and style, limited only by your imagination.
WESTERN ROUND DANCE
There are many Western Round Dances. They are “partner” dances, where the couples circulate counter-clockwise around the edge of the dance floor. (You may have heard some people call them “Progressive” dances.)
Many Western Round Dances originated in the 1800’s, as folk dances for the “common man”. Some are primarily danced to fast tunes and some are primarily danced to slow tunes. Some are done in a Closed Dance Position (facing each other) and some in Opened Dance Position (side-by-side, facing same direction). And, some include “Swing-type” arm turns.
THE WESTERN ROUND DANCES THAT I TEACH
– TWO-STEP (Texas or Traditional Cowboy)
– SHUFFLE (a.k.a. Cowboy Polka or Triple-step)
– COUNTRY WALTZ
– COWBOY CHA-CHA
– SCHOTTISCHE
YOU WILL LEARN
– the Dance POSITIONS and STEPS
– “Swing-type” ARM TURNS
– how to move FORWARD and BACKWARD (in the line of dance)
– how to do CIRCULAR COUPLE’S PIVOTS
– DIRECTION CHANGES, to navigate a crowded dance floor
You will also learn what to listen for to FIND THE BEAT in any song, and how to recognize WHICH DANCE FITS WHICH SONG.
LINE DANCE
No partner needed – Line Dance is a “solo” dance. Individual dancers stand next to each other, side-by-side, in rows and do a memorized routine of dance steps. There are usually little to no arm or upper body movements. Many times dancers just rest thumbs in their front pockets or on their belts.
There are hundreds of Line Dances. They tend vary from town to town, and sometimes they can even vary from one honkytonk/bar to another in the same town.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MY MAIN FOCUS AND SPECIALTY IS PARTNER DANCE. I DO VERY LITTLE LINE DANCE.
OLD-TIME BARN DANCE
A high energy, fun “group” dance where everyone is dancing and interacting with each other! You can always count on a whole lot of foot stompin’, whoopin’, and holler’n!