While there are many Rhythms and figures in Round Dancing (a list of standard figures is available for each rhythm by following the rhythm name on the Rhythm Chart), there are a limited number of ways bodies move. Some combinations of body and feet occur repeatedly and can be considered "components," though there are easily-recognizable differences such as in the rhythm pattern or timing, the path the feet make, and how the body moves in accordance with the character of the particular Rhythm.
Thus, learning one component becomes a key to learning many variations! Components are like Lego building blocks. When dancers own the component, they can apply their knowedge to construct other figures and Rhythms, so transferring their nowledge can greatly expand their knowledge base by starting with something familiar and applying it in a new way.
There are also some basic concepts dancers should know to greatly facilitate refining their dancing, and understanding timing is also essential. Also see Lesson 8 for timing patterns in chart form.
Some important components include Side-Close, the Box, Rock, Switch Turn and Switch Rock, Underarm Turn, and Hip Twist Action. They are introduced below with a few examples, and more information about each is available in the "Components" document.
Side-Close
- A Side-Close is a combination of two variations of a Walk (which is the essential ingredient of all dancing). Since there are many variations of walking, and a Walk by itself isn't a "combination," it is expained more fully in the "Concepts" document.
- Most figures in Social Foxtrot (SSQQ) have two walking steps followed by a Side-Close on the QQ.
- If the direction is changed (Forward instead of Side), one can create figures such as Rock the Boat, Side Stairs, Forward Stairs, and Merengue.
- This component can be modified by replacing the direction of the Side step with a Crossing step to get a Limp and a Volta. And replacing Side with Forward or Back and replacing the Close with a Crossing step becomes a Lock.
- If the Close is replaced with an action (no change of weight - see "Concepts"), one can create figures such as Step-Kick, Cross-Point, and Apart-Point. Many variations are possible.
Box
- Since it occurs so frequently, the Box can be considered a component. It is composed of two patterns of Side-Close and a Walk yielding either Forward-Side-Close; Back-Side-Close; or Side-Close-Forward; Side-Close-Back;).
- The Box is a basic in the Round Dance Waltz, Two-Step, Foxtrot, and Samba Rhythms. There are additional variations of the "Box" such as Progressive Box, Interrupted Box, and Rondé Box in Rhythms such as Cha Cha, Rumba, Waltz, or Foxtrot.
- "Half Box" is also used often as the component when just one measure is used such as in a Box Finish.
- What if a turn is made on one or more of the steps of a Half Box or Box? It yields figures such as a Twinkle, a Natural Turn (Maneuver) or Right Turn, Reverse Turn or Left Turn, and Turning Box. (A Right- or Left-Turning Box in round dancing requires four measures, whereas in ballroom it would have only two in order that progression would always be toward Line of Dance and not toward Reverse Line of Dance.)
- What if the Side-Close is replaced with two Forward steps? It becomes figures such as a Foxtrot Three-Step or Feather. Or what if steps are stretched out and combined with turns to dance in a straight line? The figures Roll and a Rumba Aida are created.
- And rearranging and replacing, Walks in the Forward-Side-Close one can build Forward-Close Back which is a Hitch.
- The amazing Box.... is modified in many ways with changes in direction, order of steps, turns, and added elements while maintaining the character of the various Rhythms.
- Find additional information in the "Components" document.
Rocks (Rock-Recover)
- A Rock is an "interrupted walk" where midway into the step dancers change their direction (the other foot has not left the floor) and return to the previous weight change, yielding Rock, Recover.
- The Rock, Recover constitutes two weight changes and occurs in most figures in Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive/East Coast Swing, Mambo, Hustle, Single Swing, Salsa, Bolero, and Slow Two-Step. It probably can be found in all other Rhythms!! When they are used, they maintain the character of that Rhythm.
- Figures in Social Foxtrot (SSQQ) can replace the Side-Close with a Rock-Recover to create Single Swing figures!
- All Rocks are not performed the same; for example, there is different timing and the "trailing" foot can move (slip or drift) such as is characteistic of the Bolero.
- Or following a Walking step a Rock is used in the Hover action (the "Recover" step is repaced with an intervening "Brush" action during which dancers may change their position to redirect their "Recover" in a direction different from the "Rock" step). A typical Hover can be though of as a Half Box where the Side-Close is replaced with a Rock, Recover.
- A Contra Check, Chair, Check and Weave, Paso Doble Pressline, and Underarm Turns all contain Rocks.
- Also, there are figures where a figure ends with a checking action (Rock) and the Recover is the first step in the following measure, such as in a Whisk in the standard/smooth Rhythms, a Same Foot Lunge, and Hinge.
- And starting with a Box, inverting the order of measures and substituting the Rock, Recover for the Side, Close yields Rock Forward, Recover, Back, -; Rock Back, Recover, Forward, -; becoming a Rumba Forward and Back Basic! It is amazing to find these substitutions!
- Find additiional information in the "Components" document.
Chassés
- Derived from the basic Side-Close, Side, these days a Chassé generally is defined as three steps with "syncopated" timing of "Quick-And, Quick" or "Quick-a, Quick" using two counts of music (See the document on Timing). There are numerous variations.
- Most of the figures in Jive/East Coast Swing (aka Triple Swing) contain two successive Side Chassés combined with a Rock, Recover.
- A variation of a Chassé is also the second component in most of the Cha Cha figures.
- Rumba figures (QQS) can replace the Slow (one weight change) with a Chassé (three weight changes) to create comparable figures in Cha Cha.
- Additionally, there are Chassés found as figures or parts of figures in other rhythms such as West Coast Swing, Waltz, Foxtrot, Two-Step, Quickstep, and even Samba, Tango, and Paso Doble!
- A variation of Chassé which may be new to Round Dancers is a Turning Chassé. That component is found in our Cha Cha routines to "Another Saturday Night" in the Chase and Passing Chase Full Turn. It is also in the Follow's part of both the first and fourth measures of an unphased sequence beginning with the cue "Start a Flirt" as well as in "Start a Hockey Stick to Shadow" in the Phase 6 version.
- Find additional information in the "Components" document.
Switch Turn - Switch Rock
- Called a "delayed forward walk turning" in ballroom, the component can also be called a Switch Turn. It facilitates a turn (of approximately one-half) by using a "wind-up," creating continual balance, and facilitating snappy turns, so when Round Dancers learn it, it can greatly refine their dancing.
- Switch Turns occur often in our Cha Cha routines for "Another Saturday Night." For example, it is used in the Follow's part of figures Finish Cross Body to Fan, Out to Facing Fan, and Man Back to Aida.
- When the Switch Turn is followed by a Recover to return to the previous foot (which is most common), this component essentially is a Rock, Recover with a turn so can be called a "Switch Rock." It is found in our three Cha Cha routines in the Alemana, Chase, Passing Chase Full Turn, Spot Turn, Opposite Spot Turn, Underarm Turn, and Reverse Turn.
- An "overturned" Switch Turn becomes a Spiral, so learning the Switch Turn component makes introducing the Spiral a simple modification.
- Find additional information in the "Components" document.
Underarm Turns
- Round Dancing uses Underarm Turns in most Rhythms.
- The major categories are right-face turns and left-face turns. They have different names, number of steps, path of the feet, and use of the body in the different rhythms.
- Some can be danced with the Switch Rock component or an alternative (more difficult) technique.
- Find additional information in the "Components" document.
- Also see the document for "Leading" for commonalities in leading both right- and left-face underarm turns (as well as turning to a new direction in figures such as New Yorker and Back to Aida).
See a video of Current Trends in Rumba to see a professional dance the Alemana Turn, a right-face turn, where she uses the Switch Rock component.
Hip Twist Action
- In Rumba and Cha Cha, any forward step with the right foot which turns right-face or a forward step with the left foot which turns left-face has hip twist action, so both Leads and Follows use this action constantly in these rhythms.
- Besides the action of Hip Twist, there are figures called a Hip Twist and a Hip Twist Chassé, where the Hip Twist is used as an integral part of many Cha Cha and Rumba figures (Open Hip Twist, Closed Hip Twist, Advanced Hip Twist, and Advanced Sliding Door to name a few).
- The Hip Twist action is also apparent in figures with swivels so can be found in the Tango, Foxtrot, Argentine Tango, and Jive/East Coast Swing where it is danced while maintaining the character of the rhythm.
- There are also two ways to use the hips to create a hip twist in the various figures, one of which is more advanced but more gentle on the body.
- Find additional information in the "Components" document.
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Other Useful Links...
- ... explain how to start learning to dance or teach someone else (free lessons in Social Foxtrot, Single & Triple Swing, Waltz, Rumba, and Cha Cha),
- ... include information to refine one's dancing and dance knowledge
- ... describe round dance rhythms (with links to standard figures and other information) and contain useful free resources including books, videos, items from the International Choreographed Ballroom Dance Association (ICBDA), links from Roundalab, the organization for round dance leaders, events in Mesa, Arizona, the "Round Dance Capital of the World"), and ideas to promote dancing.
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