FP couple Turn (T) stps are QT (¼T) see *Rule of Turns*, & T in direction
of Drive ft unless
specified otherwise*
CP> Fwd-LT>c +CP>c =
Fwd-L ¼ LTrn-face coh.
CP> = CP dance
line. CP< = CP RLOD
> = dance line, < = reverse dance line
+ = end/blend. +> = end dance line. +<= end Rev dance
line.
+/w> = end diag wall dance line.
+\w< = diag wall rlod.
+\c<
= diag coh rlod.
L. Left.
L-flat. Wgt flat of L-ft.
L-ft. Left ft.
L-ft
interlace. CP with L-ft interface aligned bet partner's
ft & R-ft
aligned outSd partner's
L-ft. Proper ft interlace to dance a Telemark
or L-turn Twist Vine
meas. It facilitates his L-turn around
her L-leg &
ft with his R-leg
& ft.
L-position. R-angle (90º) letter `L' position. FanPos. L-hand to her R-
forms a R-angle
(90º) vertex, both face across partner's front. Viewed &
above his shoulders
= horizontal line of the letter `L' (Her shoulders =
vertical line.)
L-turning Rk. Gaucho turn.
L-____. Left-: ft, hand, arm, leg, Sd, shoulder, turn, etc.
____-L. Any
term-left.
la habanera. [Latin] CP> full (360º) L-turn: Rk fwd-LT, rec bk-R LT, Rk
fwd-LT, rec bk-RT;.
la posse. Pose, pause, rest.
la puerta. Door or gate. 6-stp 2-meas Chg & Bjo +SCP. Bjo>:
Rk fwd-L (bk-R), rec bk-R
(fwd-L), bk-L (fwd-Rball fc his Sd),
flick-R
bk
Xif of-L (Rball fan-L ¼RT)
+SCP>; Rk fwd-R (fwd-L), rec-L
(rec-R),
fwd-R (fwd-L), - ;.
OUTSd SWIVEL
means more to dancers. (Her outSd swivel imitates a
swinging gate or la puerta.)
la raspa. Dance & music. Loose ScrP/> both hands joined [hops in-Plc]:
1. Hop & R- +L pnt
Rheel fwd, - , hop & L- +R pnt
Lheel fwd, - ;
2. Hop & R- +L pnt
Lheel fwd, - , hop & L- +R pnt
Lheel fwd, - ;
3. hop & R- +L pnt Rheel fwd, - ;
+Blend to Bjo
diagonal
3. - 4. Rpt 1.-2. opposite ftwork.
5. - 8.: Rpt meas 1.-4.
9.- 12.: +Bjo, bolero or R-forearm hold & Bjo
wheel
4-meas;;;;
13.-16.: +Scr,
L-bolero or L-forearm
holds & wheel 4-meas;;;;.
Rpt till music ends.
la reuda. The wheel.
la suizas. 1 or 2-meas cha cha Fig. Bfly:
Sd-L/hop-L,
thru-R/hop-R, Sd-L/cls-R, Sd-L;
Sd-R/hop-R,
thru-L/hop-L, Sd-R/cls-L, Sd-R;.
May be danced w/ fwd &/or bk stp/hop
moves.
b. Skps. Skp-4: fwd-L/skp-L,
fwd-R/skp-R, fwd-L/skp-L,
fwd-R/skp-R;.
la
lace. Arch Chg Sds then return to original Sd,
move fwd on diag.
Imitate crossing a shoe lace. Use in "arch & lace" fig.
Girl Xif
of man.
lace up. Lace.
Lambeth walk. 1930s English cir dance to tune "Lambeth Walk".
lancers. Elegant 1856 quadrille.
land/ing. a. Paso doble. Accent a Sd stp.
b. Complete the glide stp (end directional momentum) of a pattern.
landler. German-Austrian
word for land. Mountain
region.
Peasant wedding Wz
spiced with hugs & kisses.
lanzadera. Sewing
machine or loom shuttle. Shuttle-like bk
& forth moves.
larghetto. Slow tempo,
slower than adante, quicker than largo.
largo. Very slow tempo, slower than larghetto.
lariat. a. Lasso, rope twirl.
b. 4-meas pattern, (girl 1: 3-stp R-cir
und & around to fan Pos.
2; 3; & 4; 9-stp R-cir around man) man
mark time in Plc. Best performed
by partners of same aproximate height.
Significant height difference
causes difficulty in
graceful retention of arched hand contact.
c. FP>w, arch lead
hands L- to (R-), arched hands joined through fig:
1. Sd-L (Sd-RT fc>), in Plc-R (Rk fwd-L RT>w), in Plc-L (rec-R LT<), - ;
2. In Plc-R (fwd-L
R-curve Xif & cir around man), in Plc-L
(fwd-R
continue R-cir), in Plc-R (fwd-L R-cir), - ;
3. In Plc-L
(fwd-R-cir), in Plc-R (fwd-L R-cir), in Plc-L (fwd-R-cir), - ;
4. In Plc-R (fwd-L
R-cir), in Plc-L (fwd-R R-cir), in Plc-R (fwd-L R-turn
face man + CP), - ;.
d. All rhythm pattern:
(girl may cir L or R).
e. Lariat may be danced with arched lead
hands, or arched hands Chgd as
girl Cir. (She may twirl on cir.)
Latin. South American rhythms & figs.
Latin hold. clsse
or loose-CP.
Latin hustle. 1½ meas dance, also called 6-beat sequence. 7-ft actions to
6-beats of 4/4 time music: pnt-L, cls-L, stp-R/stp-L,
stp-R;
stp-L, stp-R,. pnt
may be replacd by a tch.
a. Basic: FP: pnt-L,
cls-L, bk-R/cls-L, in Plc-R;
fwd-L, cls-R,.
b. Basic with push pull
motion, fc both hands joined:
pnt-L, cls-L lean fwd & push,
apt-R/cls-L, in Plc-R;
Tog-L with pull motion, cls-R,.
c. Other
patterns: ¼T motion;
ball Chg kick &
triple end.
Latins. Dance rhythms
originated or passed through
Rumba; mambo; cha cha;
merengue; conga; tango; samba; maxixe;
etc..
launch. Start body movement & cls
stance on static wgt ft. Force to move
a man & R-ft wgt cls stance into a flight stp twd target of landing ft.
Flight is motion of vault over drive ft twd target. Target
is intended
landing spot. A 3-stp pattern consists of: 1. Launch, plus
flight [vault]
on drive ft); 2. Land (drift); 3. cls (Chg & prepare for next launce).
Think of launch as the take-off or push-off
for the drive (vault) stp.
The cls (Chg) is
not be a pause.
A pattern flows & landing to & through
the cls stance into the next launch.
Launch at a start position requires lead
signal tilt or lean twd the
target. Push & wgt ft
to accelerate & add momentum to the vault (drive)
stp.
lcp. Loose CP.
lead. Most important in free-style dance. Lead improves dance appearance &
flow. Listen to & identify tempo &
rhythm. Dance basic rhythm figs.
Partners must dance same rhythm &
figs. With a new partner, dance one
basic pattern until
familiar with her style & lead-follow ability. Let
her feel your stps, body moves, technique & style. Rpt basic fig
& rhythm
until danced in
harmony. Then try a 2nd basic fig.
Prearranged choreography is absent in much
free style couple dancing. A
single leader is
essential. Leader choreographs (decides
what & when to
dance next: stps, figs & directions) while dancing. Convey intended lead
by body attitude
& moves. Start before wgt leaves the cls-stp, &
continue
into the lead stp. There is a
split-second to signal the fig. No time to
discuss-agree on the
direction. Custom delegates the leader
roll to the
man. Men with out confidence may relinquish the
lead. So do some poor
dancers. Free style dance equires
that one partner decide where, when,
what & how.
Girl should know how to follow & the ftwork & desired fig, for man to
lead her. She must: know basic dance rhythms, positions
& patterns; help
establish &
maintain an effective brace; recognize & respond to a leader's
body moves & Chgs in combined COG config. See: brace & elbows-up. His
body moves transmit
desired flow of the pair's combined wgt & COG.
Signals: motion, body tilt, torque, direction
are sent & received through
the brace's combined
COG. Brace tilt moves pair's COG fwd, bk, or to Sd,
& influnces
speed. Brace tilt plus torque control
COG & turns.
Man transmits lead signals to girl thru the
brace with high elbows. A
high firm brace is a
key to good lead-follow techniques. A firm brace
instantly transmits
shoulder moves & tilt to her shoulders & starts her
body moves. The girl is supported by one ft & brace
counter-balance.
Brace movement & attitude tilt & turn
combined COG into the next stp.
She
responds to combined
COG wgt Chgs (tilt/turn) to
maintain balance & brace
pressures. Angular brace rotation on a drive stp starts turns. Best lead
response occurs if
balanced on 1-ft, free ft nearby (narrow support). Best
lead occurs at low
momentum. Lead is least effective
standing flat-fted,
both ft wgt. Poor response
occurs if balanced on wrong ft with free ft
extended. Lead prior to start of the drive stp. Start drive stp: balance
on flat of wgt ft; free ft nearby; body moves & torque at minimun. Basic
leads are not
pre-arranged signals & man to girl.
Lead is natural body
moves transmitted
thru the brace. Her shoulder brace, high
elbows & body
must provide lead
resistance to tilt her off balance in response to lead
moves. A limp brace with low elbows does not
tilt-move-turn her on the
drive stp. A good brace
with high elbows start her move simultaneous with
his. He can-not move with out moving her, their
bodies linked firmly by
the brace. A limp brace lets him move with out moving
her. She detects
his moves instantly
with a firm high brace. Detection & response to a limp
low brace are
delayed. A couple dances in unison only
if drive stps are
synchronized.
Stp
& body motion signal the direction, fig &/or figure. They may
include: hand; arm;
body; sight; verbal cues; & combinations thereof.
Distinct-positive signals provide sufficient
recognition & reaction time.
Regular partners may agree on lead
signals. Some actions are widely
accepted, due to
widespread use, natural style & grace.
Use the lightest lead possible to obtain
desired partner response. Girls
who follow light
leads resent strong leads & react unfavorably. Lead-
follow techniques
permit couples to dance in unison instead of searately.
Leads given too far ahead of beat are
ineffective & confusing. Some men
dance & lead
ahead of beat. This is bad because: it tilts her before she
is balanced;
requires added lead force; & disrupts her ongoing stp. Pre-
mature and late
leads require extra force to overcome her ongoing mome.
Fwd brace moves in CP tilts her bk. She stps bk
to restore balance. Bk
brace movement tilts
her fwd. She stps
fwd to restore balance. Tilt
brace L- or R- to
move to Sd, she stps Sd to restore balance.
Bank brace
to turn, like an
airplane. High R-elbow & low L-elbow
postures brace for
L-turn. High L- & low R- banks
for R-turns. Don't exaggerate,
avoid
forcing leads &
excessive movement.
Angular pressure of L-hand to her R-hand,
& R-hand on her bk
adjust
brace & signal
Chg & CP to SCP. Reverse pressures signal Chg & SCP to
CP. Release brace pressure to drift apt & CP to
loose-CP or other
position.
Good lead depend
on good following. She should perfect following. She
encounters wide
varieties of leads & dance styles at social dances.
Reacting to signals helps develop follow
techniques. His R-shoulder is
where body moves
originate, signal intent. Girls may gain
some knowledge
of following by
dancing the man's part & leading.
Girl, never anticipate. Anticipation interferes with lead-follow.
Anticipation starts motion & he loses
control. Girls who dance ahead of
beat never learn to
follow. They tend to lead. She may
normally lead her
regular partner,
often a poor dancer with little lead ability.
She may
grip his R-shoulder
with her L-hand to control his directional moves.
Lead-tilt control needs a narrow base
support under the combined COG gt.
Tilt of a COG wgt
supported on a wide base is difficult. A
wide base
exists if one
partner spreads the base (wgt ft) by backing apt to
watch
partner's ft. Moral: stp
with wgt ft close to partner's stp.
lead ft. Free ft programed
to take drive stp of a meas or pattern.
lead hand/s. a. Hand twd
direction of travel.
b. L-hand joined to her-R.
c. Origin for
extended joined lead hands is obscure.
Theories: Avoid
collisions; For
balance; Protect girl & close embrace;
Natural extension
of volte position where free hands join by instinct; Complete
the brace &
provide added
control for position adjustments.
d. Lead hands can transmit lead signals
to girl. Lead help on: vine;
thru twinkle;
scissors; turn; twirl. Raise or arch
lead hands high to
signal a twirl or
pass under the arch.
lead in. Pre-introducion
notes.
lead in RD. Lead techniques are less essential in RD
& exhibition dance.
Each person's part is pre-choreographed. Dancers learn & dance parts in
concert without lead
signals. Each knows when, where, what
& how. Leads
are useful if one
partner does not know a dance, cue terms or patterns,
but can follow
well. A good RD brace is needed to
control the combined
body wgt, & appearance.
lead signals.
Signals & techniques increase as number & variety of patterns
increase.
Good lead-follow signals are more important
in free-style
dancing. Round & exhibition
dancing rely less on
leads, both partners
know the
sequence. Lead-follow techniques
improve
appearance. Lead-follow techniques
are not effective w/
all figures. Lead
signals are given
& the flat-fted
(cls)
stance. Signals must be given
before the lead-stp is taken.
lead stp. Drive stp. Provides momentum
&/or torque to move & turn dancers
for
the ongoing
pattern. Generate lead stps
& the preceding flat fted
(cls)
stance. Split-second (1/8 to 1/4
sec.)
lead-signals occur
as wgt moves into a
lead-stp,
& the cls-stance.
After wgt takes flight on lead stp, man has
no control on
couple's torque momentum.
leader. Partner who
directs moves, figs & flow of dance. Partner providing
lead. The man.
leadership. Ability to
lead, direct or influence.
3-types: Dictator,
democratic, &
laissez faire.
Dictator: full responsibility &
authority, independently decides course
of action &
directs others to achieve goals.
Democratic: disperse authority &
responsibility among members, guide,
clarify, summarize
& develop the group to reach mutual goals with
concerted
efforts. Laissez-faire: take little
responsibility & let
others do as they
please hoping others assume responsibilities.
Each use some of
other's characteristics depending on situations. Good
leadership requires:
sincerity; care; knowledge; enthusiasm; diplomacy;
objectivity; ethics;
plus willing & able followers. Each
requires
inspired &
honest thought based on accurate info. Sound plans & experience
aid in effective
solutions. Be gracious & maintain a
sense of humor.
Respect others, their ideas & mediate
opposing views. Functions: teach,
hold office, support
programs, plan, write news releases, identify tasks
to achieve goals
& solve problems, check details, brainstorm, review
ideas, suggest
solutions, explain, promote cohesiveness .
leading. Lead or show the way. Direct, influence, guide & cause others
to
follow. Lead does
not use force. Force involves power to overcome
resistance. Dancing should be a cooperative pleasant
experience for both
partners w/out
force. Lead indicates to partner the
direction of travel
&/or turn. Only one partner can lead. Leader is traditionally the man.
He must lead with confidence. Girl follows w/out question, or hesitation.
Good lead-follow techniques improve style
& appearance. Leading is
desirable in RD as
well as free style ball-room dancing. It
is not as
essential for RD,
each partner should know their part.
Some girls tend to
lead if they know a
sequence better than the man. If a man
knows the
dance, he should
lead to gain confidence. Many RDrs are awkward free
style ballroom
dancers, because he has not learned to lead, nor her to
follow. Free style
dancing develops lead-follow techniques.
She can make
him lead by dancing
in Plc until he decides to progress or turn. He
begins to lead, if
convinced it is up to him.
Man decides when, where to go & what to
do, even if he Repeats the same
pattern. He must stp
with confidence. Hold her firm enough to guide, but
not tight. Do not confuse a firm lead with a rough or
forced lead. The
she receives delayed
lead signals if the brace is limp.
Listen to the
music & stp w/ the rhythm.
Lead at start of the drive stp,
& her balance
on flat of her
ft. His R-hand, arm & shoulder are
primary lead contacts.
Her L-hand, arm & shoulder are primary
lead contacts. The brace links
pair firmly Tog
& insures that they move Tog. He
L-arm rests lightly on
his R-arm. Her L-hand presses firmly on front of his
R-shoulder. (Lean
bk
on his R-hand to establish counter-pressure against his R-hand.) Firm
pressure on the his
shoulder establishes shoulder to shoulder connection
for unified
moves. (L-hand should not be on top of
his R-shoulder, it
reduces detection of
& response to moves.) Some girls Plc L-hand on his
R-shoulder & hang to
use him as a crutch. (Girl
support your wgt at all
times. Hanging on his shoulder destroys his balance,
posture & lead
control.) Men enjoy dancing with girls who: follow;
dance lightly;
support their body
& arm wgt; don't hang on the R-shoulder or lead,.
Relax, let bodies glide, roll shoulders to
bank on turns, tilt slightly
Sdways to dance to the
Pumping arms, body twist & sway on each stp send unintended & false
lead
signals, making it
hard to recognize & react to intended lead signals.
leap. Jump fm wgt
ft to free ft. Up-wgt
& raise both ft fm floor.
leap kick. Leap, kicking freed ft bk.
learning. Learning as a pair creates
mutual emotional stress & struggles to
understand &
dance new patterns Tog. Each tends to
blame mistakes on the
other. Some dancers blame partner for all problems
rather than accept due
responsibility for
faults. A dancer is often more patient
& considerate
of other
partners. They: Make remarks to spouse
that they don't to other
partners; Accept
help fm others that they resent fm spouse.
Examples of
spouse
tension-resentment is experienced when teaching a spouse to drive,
play golf, bowl,
etc.. Tensions create emotional barriers
that inhibit
learning &
dancing pleasure. Dancers want to dance
properly & dislike
making mistakes,
having spouse witness goofs or cause a mistake.
Learning situations are complicated by
concern with spouse's mutual
problems &
progress. One method to avoid such
tension is to separate a
couple. Teach each a pattern, then
have them dance Tog. Learning is
easier when dancing
with a partner that knows a pattern. A
student can
concentrate on a
problem if confident in partner's ability.
Separate
instructors for each
student, is impractical for class lessons.
Mixers
separate spouses for
teaches. Students need to concentrate on
learning to
dance properly,
rather than Plc blame for mistakes, correct or worry
about partner's
problems.
Reactions to difficulties with sports
provides insight into reasons
dancers blame
partners for troubles. Sportsmen are
reluctant to accept
shortcomings in
skill & ability. A golfer punishes a
club by throwing or
hitting it against
the ground if frustrated by a poor shot.
Golfers may
trade sets of clubs
to improve their game. Buy new putters
to solve
putting
problems. Bowlers try different wgt balls, finger-hole spacing &
different
lanes. Such sportsmen Plc blame for dance problems on partner.
learning problems. Alcohol, attendance, awkwardness, bad
attitude, poor
balance, bent knees,
bent bk, body/hip twisting, bouncing, concern of
partner's problems,
disinterest, distraction, density, influence & others,
other activities,
family problems, fights with spouse, flat-ft stps,
flippancy, floor
fright, following partners lead rather than learning own
part, ft watching,
grabbing partner, hall size, hanging on partner,
hearing, health,
holding too tight, inattentive, jerks, knowing more than
teacher, lack
confidence, large stps, leaving early, low priority
on
lessons, memory,
mental alertness, off-beat dancing, arrhythmic, pre-
conceived ideas,
age, preference for known pattern, 1-position night club
style & habits,
quarrels, quiescent, resistance to Chg, rubber-legs, over-
sensitive to
mistakes, unable to recover after a
mistake, shy, sight
cuing, talking,
tardiness, tenseness, tip-toe dancing, non-communicative
with teacher, not receptive,
unresponsive, use partner as crutch,
unwilling,
vacillation, wide-track stps.
Disinterested students are impossible to
teach, they don't want to
learn. Some stare straight ahead & hear nothing
said nor see anything
shown.
Many women tell me they want take dance
lessons, but cant get their
husband to
come. Advice: "If he doesn't want
to take dance lessons, DON'T
BRING HIM TO ME!" Who wants such students?
learning to lead. Girls can not expect good leads fm a student.
He must
1st learn basic rhythms & patterns. Repeated exposure to rhythm & figs
patterns increase ftwork proficiency & confidence. An inhibited man has
trouble developing
confidence. It is harder if the girl is
a quick
learner with better
coordination. Especially if she is
hyper-critical or
domineering.
Each student should learn & dance their
part to the rhythm in time with
the music, &
ignore partner's mistakes. Troubled
dancers learn patterns &
rhythms quicker by
dancing with partners who dance properly, rather than
one who corrects
every move. Disaster is a student trying
to lead a
partner through a
figure he doesn't know. Learn the
pattern & rhythm,
develop proficiency
& confidence then lead.
left (L). Left: Sd;
hand; ft; turn. Left is also Reverse.
Right is considered natural.
left & right movement with Sd Tog stps. Disco hustle pattern: CP:
Sd-L, tch-R, Sd-R, tch-L;
Sd-L, thru-R, Sd-L, tch-R;
Sd-R, tch-L, thru-L, Sd-R;.
left chasse. Chasse Twd man's
left.
left clsd Chg. CP>w ½LT Chg direction +CP<c. clsd
Chg.
left face (lf). L-turn. Counter-clockwise [CCW]. Reverse turn.
left fallaway. L-turn & fallaway. Reverse turn to a fallaway.
left half-open position (LHOP). Mirror image of ½OP, his L-Sd (her R-)
adj.
left ft (L-ft). Man start with free-L. (Girl free-R).
left hand (lh, L-hand). Man's lead
hand.
left hand star (L-star). a. Position: Fc opposite directions, L-Sds
adjacent, L-hands
joined above her shoulder level. Look
straight ahead
or turn heads to
look at partner.
b. Wheel, rotate L-hand star. Joined L-hands form
rotation axis.
left open break. a. CP>w wgt-L:
Sd-R (Sd-L), cls-L (-R), Sd-R LT (Sd-L RT) +OP<.
b. Merengue
pattern. CP>w: Sd-L, cls-R,
beh-L LT (beh-RT) +OP>,
rec-RT (rec-LT) +CP>w;.
L-hand up to (R- down) joined bet waist &
shoulder level. Extend free
hands. (She may use free hand to flare skirt out.)
b. Free-style term = "reverse
SCP".
left parallel position. Free style
ballroom studio term = Scar position.
left pivot. a. 2-stps 1-meas ½L-turn. CP> wgt-R:
fwd-LT>c, - , Sd-R LT
+CP<.
b. American Social
fox trot.
CP>: fwd-LT >c,
- , Sd-R LT +CP<, - ; Sd-L,
cls-R,.
left Sd position. Free style ballroom studio term
= Scar position.
left Tamara (L-Tam). Position. L-Sds adj, (her R-arm beh bk join his
L-hand at L-waist). R-arm fwd shoulder level, elbow bent up 90º,
R-hand
joined to her
L-. (Her L-arm fwd at L-shoulder level,
L-forearm vertical.
R-hand (L-) joined form window.)
left Tamara wrap. Bfly>w
wgt-L: Keep hand contacts. Arch R-hand joined to
her L-hand: Sd-R (Sd-LT und arch <), beh-L (in Plc-R LT >w), Sd-R (in
Plc-LT >), - (LT
+Tamara>w;.
left to right.
a. L-hand (R-) joined or arch formed by it.
b. Chg Plcs: (RT pass under his L-hand to R-arch. Xif of man). Man LT
beh
her bk. Both start T twd
arched hands.
c. His view of her
travel is L to R.
d. Swing rhythm fig (move fm his L-to-R
LT und lead hand arch.)
e. Triple swing: FC pos>: Rk apt-L (apt-R), rec-RT>w (rec-LT), Sd-L
(Sd-R LT fc>)/cls-R (cls-L), Sd-L (Sd-RT
fc>c) CP>w; Sd-R (Sd-L)
blend/cls-L
(cls-R), Sd-R (Sd-L),.
f. Single swing: Facing > wgt-R: Rk apt-L (-R), - , rec-R (rec-LT>),
+SCP>; Rk bk-L (bk-R), rec-R
(-L),.
left turn. a. CCW turn viewed & above.
b. L-face turn.
c.
everse turn.
R-turn = natural or normal turn.
See "reverse" &
"natural"
turns.
d. L-turn box.
left turn cha. Bfly>w Rk fwd-L, rec-RLT>, Sd-L/cls-R, Sd-LT +Bfly>c;
Rk bk-R, rec-LT Bfly<,
Sd-R/cls-L, Sd-R LT +bfly>w;.
left turn tango draw. 1-meas fig.
CP>w: fwd-L (bk-R)
LT +CP>, Sd-R (Sd-L),
draw-R (-L), - ;.
left turning box. a.
b. Same stp cues 2 Wz & 2 FoxTrot Box figs: CP>w:
fwd-LT +CP>, Sd, cls; bk-R
LT +CP>c, Sd, cls;
fwd-LT +CP<, Sd, cls; bk-R
LT +CP>w, Sd, cls;.
fwd & bk lead stps are LT & ftpath traces a square on the floor.
c. Two-Stp CP throughout CP>w wgt-R:
Sd-L, Cls-R, Fwd-LT +CP>; Sd-R, cls-L, Bk-R LT +CP>c;
Sd-L, Cls-R, Fwd-LT +CP<; Sd-R, cls-L, Bk-R LT +CP>w;.
left whisk. 3-stp 1-meas Wz Chg CP>w +RSCP<. SCP> wgt-L:
fwd-RT (fwd-LT)
+CP>w, Sd-L (Sd-R), wsk-RT beh (beh-LT)
on balls +RSCP<;.
leg bone length = 1 fm knee joint to ankle joint or hip joint.
Or 1½ arm joint lengths.
Legacy. Organization of S/D leaders -
1972. To: understand; communicate;
cooperate; promote;
protect; & perpetuate S/D.
lento. Slow tempo, see tempo.
lessons. After a few lessons some
students proclaim they don't like RDing
as much as
S/Ding. The statement is often based on
two facts: 1. They
have more fun
S/Ding. 2. They know how to S/D & havn't learned how to RD.
RD basics, must be learned & danced until
they flow smoothly for objective
comparison. Don't compare lessons to dancing. S/D fun differs & RD
pleasure. S/D fun
comes & 8-dancer's dancing figures.
RD pleasure is fm
smooth execution of
figs in concert with a partner. RD
students who S/D
forget the troubles
they had learning how to S/D. They
forget the number
of hours of
lessons. Few S/D
smoothly w/ precise ftwork.
5- to 6-wk beginners are frustrated by
remembering terms, recalling figs
& responding in a
timely manner. At some plateaus
students reach
saturation & bog
down in the number of terms.
Recognition, recall &
response to terms
gets harder as the number of terms increase.
It is
harder to select a
fig, recall a pattern & respond in time. Its easy
with
only 1-term or fig,
a small problem with 2-terms or figs.
Problems are
significant with
5-terms & figs. 10-terms &
patterns create serious
recall, selection
& reaction problems. Timely
execution of proper stps,
positions &
directions are great problems, until well known.
A S/Der once told me "I tried RDing,
but gave it up because I didn't
like it". Asked how many lessons he took, he replied
"One!".
He walked
away before I could
ask him how many lessons he took to learn to S/D. (He
was not a good S/Der).
Women tell me they want to learn RDing, but can't get their husband to
come to
lessons. My reply: "I would like to
have you, BUT IF HE DOESN'T
WANT TO LEARN, DON'T BRING HIM TO MY
CLASS". The worse students are
husbands who don't
want to come, & are determined not to learn.
level/s. Level of RD difficulty.
Level terms vary relative to individuals
classifying a
dance. Terms include: Beginner; easy;
S/D; club; easy-
medium-high
intermediate; advanced; & challenge.
Also rated as Phases I
thru VI.
Some S/Drs who dance easy level RD, want
only easy-beginner levels
played bet S/D dance
tips. That's unfair to RD club members
who know
higher level
dances. Bet tip rounds should include
dances for both
ntermediate
& easy level dancers. Bet tip rounds
should be a mean level
for a majority of
dancers. Plan two rounds bet S/D tips,
an intermediate
level followed by an
easy level
level head. Keep head level. Dance with head up &
look fwd at eye level.
lf/LF. L-face.
lh/LH. L-hand.
lhop. Left half-open position.
lift. a. Rise on ball. A lift may follow a swing: stp-L, swing-R, lift on
L-ball;. Lift differs & hop
or chug in that the ball maintains floor
contact.
b. Free-style ballroom term for a 1-meas Wz pattern, where girl is
upwgtd
fm floor. CP<: bk-L
RT>c (Girl leap fm R-ft), Sd-R
¼RT support
her wgt (hold onto man to vault with both ft free), cls-L (accept wgt-R)
+CP>;.
lift push turn. On ball of wgt ft,
push free-ft on floor to rotate body on
ball. No Chg of wgt. wgt
remains on supporting ball, free-ft applys just
enough pressure on
floor to turn dancer.
lift turn. Turn on ball of stpping
ft at apex of rise. Turn in direction of
stpping
ft. Drive stp: fwd-LT generate torque to ball ¼LT on up-wgt ball.
Wz: fwd-LT upwgt ball,.
Two-stp: fwd-L, cls-R, fwd-LT on upwgt L-ball, - ;.
Or: fwd-L, cls-R,
lift turn-L, - ;.
light reflections. Many small light reflections
travel CCW on ballroom
walls, ceiling,
floor & room objects. Light
reflections are intended to
induce dancers to
move in the CCW direction. Reflections
are created by
aiming light beams
at a rotating sphere (covered with an array of small
mirrors) mounted at
the center of the hall ceiling.
limbo.
both ends. Dancers
bend bk & pass fwd under
the pole, knees & ft first.
Dancers are eliminated if a body part [other
than ft] touches the ground,
or if they knock the
pole fm position. Pole is lowered after
a series of
good passes, until
all but one are eliminated.
limp. a. Sd
moving 4-stp 1-meas pattern.
Bfly>w: Sd-L, beh-R, Sd-L,
beh-R;.
Style: Rise on Sd stps & fall on beh stps.
b. Front limp with a Xif
stp.
Bly:>w: Sd L, thru-R, Sd-L, thru-R;.
Lindy. a. Charles Lindburg's nickname.
Syncopated fox trot named for
Lindburg after his 1920s solo Atlantic flight.
b. Swing, jitterbug, jive, syncopated
foxtrot, etc..
Contemporary:
others the
40s. Danced as single or triple social
foxtrot rhythm. See swing.
c. Basic swing,
SCP>, lead hands close to body at waist level:
Rk Apt beh-LT +HOP>, Rec-RT +CP>w,
Sd-L/tch-R, Sd-R/tch-L;.
d. Triple swing, CP>w: Sd-L/cls-R,
brk
+SCP> Rk bk-L +SCP, rec-R +CP>w
e. Basic swing: Slo,
- , slo, - ; Qk, qk, may be danced by one dancer
as partner dances
the triple: stp/cls, stp, stp/cls, stp; stp,
stp, w/out
conflict of rhythm, ftwork or figures. tch ft actions may be used on
beat-2 & -4 of
single swing rhythm.
f. Figures include: Bridge break; Lindy hop; sugarft; flea hop;
collegiate shag;.
Lindy hop. a. stp, kick, stp, kick; stp, stp, stp, kick;.
b. stp-L,
hop-L, stp R, hop-R; stp-L,
cls-R, stp-L, hop-L;.
c. stp-L,
scoot-L, stp-R,
scoot-R; stp-L, cls-R,
stp-L, scoot-L;.
line. Dance-line. Line-of-dance. Line
formed by dancers body shapes &/or
formation.
line dance.
Dance in line formation: Contra; longway; reel; &
Hully-gully
solo dances.
line of dance (lod, LOD, >). Dance-line. CCW direction
around the hall
center as viewed
& above. Customary
cir progression.
link/link Rk. a. Connect
or blend fm Fcg +CP or SCP.
b. Swing rhythm: Blend fm OF or FP +CP.
FP L-hand joined to her R-hand: Rk apt-L, rec-R, blend L/R, L
+CP; R/L,,.
lk. Lock.
lock (lk). stp w/out travel. cls
stp on out-Sd of the wgt ft.
Lock = fwd counterpart of the cut stp.
Turn body / to direction of travel to cross
lock stp in bk. It reduces
legs or ancles bind.
lock four (lock-4). Cue for a 4-stp 1-meas lock pattern.
SCP> fwd-L, lk-R,
fwd-L, lk-R;.
lock stp cues. Dancers
experience some difficulty recognizing the
difference bet a
3-stp cue "fwd, lk, fwd" & a
4-stp cue "fwd,
lock, fwd, lock". On the 1st `cue'-thru of a pattern.
Problems persist with emphasized cues. Preoccupation with on-going stps,
patterns, positions
& directions add to the problem. An
analysis of lock
cues follows.
"fwd, lock,
fwd" vs "fwd, lock, fwd, lock". The number of words leave
dancer unsure of how
many fwds & locks were cued, 3- or 4- ? They
weren't
counting or prepared
to count. "fwd,
lock, fwd, & fwd, - ;" vs
"fwd, lock,
fwd, lock". Preoccupation
interferes with reception &
recognition of a
series of words & the significance of the word "AND" are
lost.
"fwd, lock,
TWICE" is better than "fwd, lck, fwd,
lock". Fewer words
are cued & the
distinctive word twice helps. Some
dancers still have
problems. Confusion
may exists on the number of stps
per meas.
"fwd, lock,
3" vs "fwd, lock, 4" result in
improved response. The
number of stps is discrete.
However the word "Four" in "fwd, lock, four"
sounds like
"fwd" to busy dancers.
Similarity of the sounds four & fwd
results in
confusion.
"Lock-3" & "Lock-4"
produce good response. Two cue words are used.
The
word fwd is
eliminated, dancers recognize the word 4- quicker. Cue words
3- vs
4- specify the number of stps per meas. Dancers don't have to
translate stp words to numbers.
Expose dancers to cues several times bef
evaluating the
merits of cues.
The cues "lock" or
"cut" followed by a number to tell how many stps,
is
the optimum way to
cue "fwd, lock" & "cut, bk"
patterns. Dancers may
confuse the words
"lock" & "Rk" when not
familiar with a dance or cuer's
voice. Clearly enunciate the words lock, Rk, fwd & four.
Lock or cut
followed by a number
may be modified by a number of stps. Example: Lock-
5, Lock-6, Lock-7, Lock-8,.. Consider dancer reaction to the stp cues:
fwd lock fwd lock
fwd lock fwd. It's confusing to look at
on paper.
lock three (lock-3). Cue, 3-stp 1-meas pattern: fwd, lock, fwd, - ;.
lod/LOD. Line of dance. Dance-line. >.
lofp. L-open facing position.
longways. Line dance. Lines of dancers extending & front of hall.
Is Crossways = line extending across the
hall.
look. Turn head & eyes in a
direction. Look differs
fm face. Look = aim
head & eyes
without changing direction of body front.
Face = turn body
front, navel & stpping ft to indicated direction.
Look where you are going. Unless told otherwise look in direction of
turns &
progression. Prepare for body & ft
moves as in daily walking. A
walker turns head
& eyes to watch in the direction travel.
ft & body
respond to head & eye lead action. Look = a safety meas
to alert walker
& dancer to obstacles
in the path. Aim head, eyes, body
& ft at the dance
path or target
location for best response.
look twd the pnt direction. a. Look in direction
of, not at, pnted ft or
finger.
loose CP (lcp). Modified CP with greater separation bet partners.
lop/LOP. L-open
position.
lotus. a.
b. Water plant flower.
c. Fruit ate by lotus
eaters. It causes indolence & dreamy
contentment.
d. Shadow position, man beh girl. Hands joined L-2-L & R-2-R at waist
level: In Plc-L, R, L, R (girl fwd-R long lowering stp, cls-L, in Plc-R,
in Plc-L & ripple body rise); In Plc-L, R, L, R (bk-R long stp, cls-L,
in Plc-R, in Plc-L & ripple body
rise);.
lscp/LSCP. L- or RSCP
position.
lunge. Up-wgt
stp & wgt-ft to flat of stpping
to bent L-knee
free-R extended. Degree of R-knee bend
influenced by
tempo, choreograph,
& style preference.
Lunge differs & Rk
in stp length & degree
of knee bend.
Length of a lunge stp = 1-legbone length (distance fm knee to ankle or
hip joint) = 1½ to 2
times length of a normal drive stp.
Deep knee bend lunges are best used at a
dance ending, where the need to
rec
to upright level in dance tempo does not exist.
lunge thru. Pass lunging ft thru space bet partners. Fc partner>w wgt-L:
Lunge thru-R (thru-L),.
lunge turn.
1-meas solo ½-turn of 2-stps.
Wgt-R wgt ft remains in Plc. OP>:
fwd-L, Lunge fwd-RT
OP>w (fwd-L) face partner, - ,
rec-R (rec-L) to OP>, - ;.
lunge turn in,
thru lunge turn awy. 4-stp 2-meas solo full turn fig
[basket-
ball turn]. OP>:
Lunge fwd-L RT (fwd-R LT) fc
partner, - , rec-RT (rec-LT) +LOP<,
- ;
Lunge thru-LT bk2bk>c,
rec-RT +OP>, - ;.
lunge turns.
Lunge turn-in. Lunge turn-away.
File: L-terms.txt
rev-030313