The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

More Building Blocks for Beginning Dancers

by Kay Anderson - Jackson, Missouri
Author of Cold Feet - How to Get Them Dancing

All who claim that round dancing is too difficult to learn are advised to master the two building blocks known as timing and single-action basics. In the June, 1983 Round Dance Module we addressed timing; this article is concerned with single-action basics.

The important thing to realize is round dancing is that you move only one foot at a time. These basics are just that, one single action of a foot. By combining single-action basics in a sequence, dance figures are formed. There is one set of basic figures for the waltz rhythm and another set for the two-step rhythm. Regardless, only one action is done at a time and it's possible for anyone to do just one action. You can learn to do one after another so with instruction and practice, you can learn to round dance.

The single-action basics can be thought of in three categories: Close steps, touch steps, and hold cues. While it is beyond the scope of this article to define each single-action basic, they will be grouped, each group described and the basics in each group named.

Close Steps

The largest category and probably the easiest for new dancers is the close steps because the action is similar to the walking folks do every day. In taking a close step, you move your foot and take weight on that one foot. This leaves the other foot free so that a subsequent step begins with that foot. Steps invariably begin with the free foot, or the one which does not have weight (there are few exceptions to this rule.

Directions: The most common group of close steps indicates a simple direction of foot movement. Included are forward, back, side, front, behind, and cut.

Feet Apart: Another group of close steps generally begins with the feet apart at the starting position. These are the close and stamp, which end with the feet side by side, the lock, which ends with the feet crossed in the cut position and the step and recover.

Leg/Foot Movement: Other close steps indicate a special leg or foot movement. A bend of the knee is involved in the rock, dip and lunge. In a rise, you lift your body on the ball of the foot as you take your step, and in the swivel and skate you move your supporting foot on the floor as you take a step with your free foot.

Change Position: Another group of close steps indicates that as you take your step, you change your position, either relative to the floor or both to the floor and your partner. These steps are turn, through, face, pickup and maneuver.

Both Feet/Supporting Foot Lead: Finally, there is a group of close steps which begins with the supporting foot (the one which has weight) or both feet simultaneously. These are the exceptions alluded to and include the hop, chug and snap.

Touch Steps

This major category of single-action basics involves a movement of a free foot which leaves the same foot free to do the next step. That means no weight is transferred to this foot. The action is not difficult. The dancer must simply remember not to transfer body weight. Within this category there are four kinds of movement.

Stationary Floor Contact: The first group of touch steps involves moving the free foot momentarily to a position on the floor until the next step. Most common is the touch step which brings the toe of the free foot to the instep of the supporting foot. The hook crosses the foot and the point is accomplished by extending the leg straight and contacting the toe on the floor in the direction indicated.

Floor Movement to Stationary Floor Contact: A second group of touch steps involves moving the free foot along the floor ending with the free foot on the floor. These two steps are the draw and the fan.

Momentary Floor Contact to No Floor Contact: In another group of touch steps, the free foot briefly contacts the floor and ends with the free foot off the floor. These are the tap, stomp, toe, heel, dig, brush and flick.

No Floor Contact: The last group of touch steps involves leg motion where the foot never contacts the floor. These are the swing, lift, kick, knee and flare.

Hold Cues

The last category of single-action basics is characterized by the fact that the feet do not progress on the floor at all.

No Motion: First of all, in this category, there are cues which indicate that no movement whatsoever is made. No movement for one beat of music is a hold. No movement for a longer time is called freeze.

Body Movement: Movements of the body where the feet remain stationary except possibly for when feet might rotate in place but make no progressive movement, are twist, wiggle, sway and bump.

Warning: Finally, there is a cue called check which is a warning used at the end of the cue for a figure (such as walk-check or scissors-through-check). This indicates that the position at the last step must be retained, rather than returning to a touch position, in preparation for the next figure. This action prepares you for a change in the direction of your progressive movement.

The single-action basics are limited in number and dancers should try to know them thoroughly because they are the building blocks for all the figures you do in round dancing. If you are not a round dancer, hopefully this article has convinced you that round dancing is not complicated. If you are an experienced dancer, perhaps your understanding and awareness of the single-action basics has been intensified. Either way, we hope it will lead to smooth and enjoyable round dancing.

SQUARE DANCING, August, '83