Two Step

Music: Most 2/4 and 4/4 country sounding music.
Choreographer: Unknown
Description: Dance for couples. It progresses CCW around the floor.
Position:
Gentleman
Fred Astaire Country
Face your partner directly, then move one-two inches to the left
Heels together
Arms raised and elbows away from the body
Gentleman places his right hand in the small of the lady's back
Gentleman places his left hand:
  1. Out to the left
  2. As high as their eyes
  3. At a distance midpoint between his left shoulder and her right shoulder
  4. Palm up
Face your partner directly, stay in place and let the gentleman move 1-2 inches to his left
Heels together
Arms raised and elbows away from the body
Gentleman places his right hand on the lady's left shoulder blade
Gentleman places his left hand:
  1. Out to the left
  2. Between the shoulders and eyes in height
  3. At a distance midpoint between his left shoulder and her right shoulder
  4. Palm up
Lady
Fred Astaire Country
Lady places her left hand on the outside edge of the gentleman's right shoulder and rests her elbow over his elbow
Lady places her right hand in the gentleman's left hand
Gentleman places his left thumb over the lady's hand
Body contact is expected
Lady places her left hand on the front and outside edge of the gentleman's upper arm and rests her elbow over his elbow
Lady places her right hand in the gentleman's left hand
Gentleman places his left thumb over the lady's hand
Body contact is not expected

Copyright © 1997 by Ronald L. Still. Merida Business Group, 1413 Kenbrook Drive, Garner, NC 27529-4447; 919-772-2082. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Standard steps for gentleman and lady are generally reversed.

Basic Step

The Two Step is not easy for some precision lovers, computer folks, and engineers. One national dance training association took three pages to outline the timing of the basic step. For you it’s a couple paragraphs. I think that’s all you might need. Let’s try it.

Musician determines the song and rhythm, so let’s start with a song having music measures of four beats each, each beat a quarter note in length.

Dancer counts along with the band. Since we are working with 4/4, the same as the Fox Trot, the heavy beat, usually played by the drummer, should be on 1 of each measure and you should also hear another beat on 3. 2 and 4 are possible, but frequently quieter, depending on the drummer and the song. If you don’t have a drummer, listen to the guitar or keyboard.

Beat 1 – Quick - Left foot step forward for man

Beat 2 - Quick – Right foot step forward for man

Beat 3-4 – Slow – Left foot step forward for man

Beat 5-6 – Slow – Right foot step forward for man

Repeat the pattern until the song is over

This means as you continue:

Beat 7 – Quick - Left foot step forward for man

Beat 8 - Quick – Right foot step forward for man

Beat 1-2 – Slow – Left foot step forward for man

Beat 3-4 – Slow – Right foot step forward for man

And so on, and so on. For the rest of the step descriptions, we will try to use the format below.

Gentleman Lady
1. Left foot step forward 1. Right foot step backward
2. Right foot step forward 2. Left foot step backward
3-4. Left foot step forward 3-4. Right foot step backward
5-6. Right foot step forward 5-6. Left foot step backward

Dancer now knows how to count and when to move, but let's look at how to move.

Now let’s look at the length of the step and the style of the step.

Each step passes the weight bearing foot.

The steps are actually smooth glides, just over but not touching, the surface of the floor.

On the quick steps, you can try to step with your toe only.

On the slow steps, take a walking step. This means the heel goes down first and the foot rolls forward with the weight of the body.

The quicks will be short steps and the slows will be long steps.

Dancer determines to keep moving as the speed changes.

Let’s change the speed of the music from extremely fast to slow and do this step. On some steps, you will feel that they are so slow you will surely fall off balance. Try this count to be able to continue dancing two step.

Beat 1 – Quick - Left foot step forward for man

Beat 2 - Quick – Right foot step forward for man

Beat 3 – Slow – Left foot step forward for man

Beat 4 – Slow – Right foot step forward for man

Repeat the pattern until the song is over

This means:

Beat 5 – Quick - Left foot step forward for man

Beat 6 - Quick – Right foot step forward for man

Beat 7 – Slow – Left foot step forward for man

Beat 8 – Slow – Right foot step forward for man

What do I mean by counting using the quicks and slows, but dropping to 1 beat for all steps? That is done to help you remember to take the short steps on the first two counts and long steps on the second two counts in each measure. Yes, it is wrong terminology. You must remember that a lot of country folk are accused of wearing boots because they can’t tie shoes. The terminology in most of the country is quick, quick, slow, slow and rarely will you have this option in counting taught in your basic and intermediate classes. It is there that most social dancers will stop and not progress to advanced and that is why this must be taught earlier.

Faster Yet?

Many dancers do not prefer extremely fast Two Step music, except for a Texas style polka beat.

Then you may notice what appears to be one or two cha-cha steps followed by one or two regular steps. That is really a different issue. Let’s get you into the two patterns above and worry about this later.

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