Country-western two-step

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Drum pattern known as the "Texas three-step" due to its association with the dance step Play Texas two-step drum pattern.png
Drum pattern known as the "Texas three-step" due to its association with the dance step Play

The country/western two-step, often called the Texas two-step [2] or simply the two-step, [3] is a country/western dance usually danced to country music in common time. "Traditional [Texas] two-step developed, my theory goes, because it is suited to fiddle and guitar music played two-four time with a firm beat [found in country music]. One-two, one-two, slide-shuffle. [4] The two-step is related to the polka, the Texas waltz, and the jitterbug. [5]

Contents

The Texas two-step is the same step known to ballroom dancers as the international fox-trot. Except for the one-step, which is just that, most Texas dances are variations of a two-step, also called a half-step, which is simply a step-close-step. The Texas two-step is generally done with two long steps and a step-close-step to two-four time. Speeded up, it's a shuffle or double shuffle, but still a two-step. [5]

As with other country/western dances, there are many different versions of two step across the United States, and there may be no one truly "correct" way to perform a particular dance. Even individual dance halls may have their own unique variations which they consider correct. [6]

QQS

The Deux Temp, also known as Two-Step, was described by Wilson in 1899. Her description can be read as step, together, change weight onto other foot. [7]

Traditionally, Two-Step includes three steps: a quick step, a quick step, and then a slow step. In modern times, this is also known as Texas Polka. It can be danced to music with either a 2/4 or 4/4 time signature. [6]

Older dance manuals specified the best effect is achieved when dancers have a smooth gliding motion in time to the music. For example, the 1939 book "Cowboy Dances" states that, "The real two-step should be smooth and beautiful to watch. But in a Western dance it is quite in kind to make it joyous and bouncy." [8] [9] Modern styles however continued with the smooth style and added a slight "lilt."

This same step pattern, step, close, step, with a timing of quick quick slow was given as the definition of Country-Western Two-Step in 1983. [10]

This Two-Step was influenced by European and Mexican dances. [11]

Dance positions include: an open position with the lead's right hand on the follower's left shoulder, a closed position with no space between the partners, and a closed overhand position in which the lead wraps their left forearm over the follower's right forearm and clasps their hand with the palm against the back of the follower's hand. A "side by side", "shoulder hold", "cape", or varsouviana position is also used. [6] [11]

QQSS

Originally called the Texas Shuffle Step (or Foxtrot step), at some point this became better known as Texas Two-Step, in Texas, while just called, Two Step across the country which is now the most common dance with that name. [12] Danced to music with 4/4 time signature, it consists of four steps with timing quick, quick, slow, slow, where the pattern of movement is often referred to as "Step-together, walk, walk." [11] This Two-Step has been taught as early 1983. [13]

The Two-Step can be danced over a fairly wide range of tempos, from 130 beats per minute (bpm) to over 200 bpm, with anything over 185 bpm generally considered advanced. [14] The United Country Western Dance Council (UCWDC) lists competitive Two-Step at 180-210 bpm, while the Country Western Dance International (CWDI) lists competitive Two-Step at 160-192 bpm. [15]

Basic two-step consists of two quick steps, followed by two slow steps (or alternately, two slow steps followed by two quick steps). Dancing may start with either the slow steps, or the quick steps, as the local custom dictates. However, patterns begin with the first quick and finish on the second slow.

The leader begins by stepping forward with his or her left foot. The follower begins by stepping backward with his or her right foot.

Formally, the quick steps are half strides, with one foot passing the other on each step while the slow steps are full strides. This allows dancers to move through space at the same rate while doing quicks and slows. However, many older dancers may close their feet on the second quick by bringing their feet together. This style has been passed down from generation to generation but does is not well suited for traveling turns and spins.

This style has roots with the first level of Foxtrot and basic two-step patterns are equivalent to those of many other progressive partner dances.

More advanced figures can be syncopated, following other patterns such as QQSQQS or QQQQSS (where Q represents a quick step and S a slow step).

Variations

Other dance styles related to the two-step exist.

Shadow dancing

In shadow dancing, a variation found in some country/western venues, the follower stands in front of the lead and both face down the line of dance. [16] The lead places their right hand over the follower's midsection or belt buckle, and the follower places their right hand over the lead's hand. The lead takes the follower's left hand in their own and holds it loosely out to the left in a position similar to the one used in standard two-stepping.

The count is the same as for the non-shadow two-step. The follower uses the same footwork as the lead in this case, beginning on the left foot. The lead propels the follower down the floor, with bodies touching or close together, as though the lead were the follower's shadow. The pair will normally turn and weave, and the lead may turn the follower before returning to standard position. The lead may also bring the follower behind him/her, giving the appearance of having swapped roles but with the lead still in control, and the lead may then bring the follower back in front.

The rhythm for the country shadow is not the same as that for the two-step. The shadow is done to a swing or shuffle step which has the same footwork as the two step, but the timing of the steps is different. In two-step, it's danced to a 4/4 time with one basic done in 3 counts (SSQQ) where each slow is 1 beat and each quick is 1/2 of a beat. The dancers end up on the same foot free each time so it takes 4 measures to get back to the first beat of the measure with the first dance step.

In shadow, the timing is more shuffle where the music is most often a 6/8 time. This is essentially a swing step beat. The shadow pattern is the same as the two step (2 slows and 2 quick steps), but it's not the same timing. It's more closely counted as "shuffle, step, step" where the shuffle is 3 counts of exactly the same timing. One could argue that the patter from the QQS is the same as the shuffle, but since it's done to a different music timing, that is incorrect. Many people count it as if it were a two step (SSQQ or QQSS), but that doesn't mean they don't alter the timing to match the music which then becomes a shuffle step.

Other Two Steps

Double two-step

Double two-step, also referred to as triple two-step (and so designated by the UCWDC, [17] which classifies it as a separate competitive dance style), is usually danced to slower music. The two slow steps are replaced by two sets of triple steps. By contrast, the two quick steps are now slow steps. One way to count double two-step is "1 and 2", "3 and 4", step, step. The count is the same as that of triple count East-coast swing.

The leader steps forward with their left foot to begin the dance. The follower steps backwards on their right. The partners embrace each other as in the basic two-step.

Double two-step is also referred to as "shuffle". Fort Worth Shuffle has the same pattern as double two-step, except that the first triple-step begins with the right foot. [18]

Texas Two-Step or Progressive Double Two-Step

The Progressive Double Two Step is a type of country and western dance popularized in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It typically consists of 6- and 8-count dance patterns. The basic 6-beat pattern consists of two shuffle steps (counted as "1 and 2", "3 and 4") with the woman being led by an arching one quarter semicircle clockwise then counterclockwise followed by two walking steps (counted "5, 6"). [19] [20]

The two-step is a partner dance, consisting of a "leader" and a "follower." The leader determines the movements and patterns of the pair as they move around the dance floor. It is a progressive dance that proceeds counterclockwise around the floor. Generally, the man would lead the dance as the "leader." In the cases where they dance in the circle, the leader dances in the inside of the circle.

The partners generally begin in closed position with the leader facing the line of dance. The follower stands facing the leader. In a traditional "frame" the leader places their right hand over the partner's left shoulder. In the more contemporary styling, closed position is formed by placing the right hand under the follower's left arm, on their back. In either case, the leader holds the follower's right hand in their left hand at about shoulder height.

Other dance positions include:

Night Club Two Step

Nightclub two step is a partner dance initially developed by Buddy Schwimmer in the mid-1960s. The dance is also known as "Two Step" and was "one of the most popular forms of contemporary social dance" as a Disco Couples Dance in 1978. [21] It is frequently danced to mid-tempo ballads in 4
4
time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat. A classic example is the song Lady In Red .

Related Research Articles

In some types of partner dance, lead and follow are designations for the two dancers' roles in a dance pairing. The leader is responsible for guiding the couple and initiating transitions to different dance steps and, in improvised dances, for choosing the dance steps to perform. The leader communicates choices to the follower, and directs the follower by means of subtle physical and visual signals, thereby allowing the pair to be smoothly coordinated.

Nightclub two step is a partner dance initially developed by Buddy Schwimmer in the mid-1960s. The dance is also known as "Two Step" and was "one of the most popular forms of contemporary social dance" as a Disco Couples Dance in 1978. It is frequently danced to mid-tempo ballads in 4
4
time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat. A classic example is the song "The Lady In Red".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charleston (dance)</span> American swing dance

The Charleston is a dance named after the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson, which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade. Runnin' Wild ran from 28 October 1923 through 28 June 1924. The Charleston dance's peak popularity occurred from mid-1926 to 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Swing</span> Dance style

West Coast Swing is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop, characterized by an elastic look that results from its extension-compression technique of partner connection and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor. The dance allows for both partners to improvise steps while dancing together, putting West Coast Swing in a short list of dances that emphasize improvisation.

Dance moves or dance steps are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each other. However, more complex movements are influenced by musicality and lyrical relevance to express emotions or refer to a message. Dance moves tend to emphasize the concepts of lead and follow and connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swing (dance)</span> Group of dances tied to jazz

Swing dance is a group of social dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origins of each dance predating the popular "swing era". Hundreds of styles of swing dancing were developed; those that have survived beyond that era include Charleston, Balboa, Lindy Hop, and Collegiate Shag. Today, the best-known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, which originated in Harlem in the early 1930s. While the majority of swing dances began in African-American communities as vernacular African-American dances, some influenced swing-era dances, like Balboa, developed outside of these communities.

Modern Jive is a dance style derived from swing, Lindy Hop, rock and roll, salsa and various other dance styles, the main difference being the simplification of footwork by removing syncopation such as chasse. The term "French Jive" is occasionally used instead, reflecting the origins of the style, as is the term "Smooth Jive". The word "modern" distinguishes it from ballroom Jive.

This is a list of dance terms that are not names of dances or types of dances. See List of dances and List of dance style categories for those.

Cajun Jitterbug is a style of Cajun dancing with two variations. The main style is a classic two-step form of a six-count East Coast Swing, which is differentiated from the one-step Cajun Jig. The other is considered a cowboy-style of Jitterbug or swing dance, also referred to as the Lake Charles Slide, the Cowboy Jitterbug and the Whiskey River Jitterbug.

The Hustle is a catch-all name for some disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Late 1970s, Bump, Hustle, Watergate and Spank were popular. It mostly refers to the unique partner dance done in nightclubs to disco music. Hustle has steps in common with Mambo and Salsa and basic steps are somewhat similar to Euro dance style "discofox", which emerged at about the same time and is more familiar in various European countries. Modern partner hustle is sometimes referred to as New York hustle, however, its original name is the Latin hustle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cha-cha-cha (dance)</span> Dance of Cuban origin cha- cha

The cha-cha-cha, is a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by the Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrin in the early 1950s. This rhythm was developed from the danzón-mambo. The name of the dance is an onomatopoeia derived from the shuffling sound of the dancers' feet when they dance two consecutive quick steps that characterize the dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgarian folk dance</span> Ethnic folk dance tradition

Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats. The music, in Western musical notation, is often described using compound meter notation, where the notational meter accents, i.e., the heard beats, can be of different lengths, usually 1, 2, 3, or 4. Many Bulgarian dances are line dances, in which the dancers dance in a straight or curved line, holding hands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chassé</span> Type of dance step

The chassé is a dance step used in many dances in many variations. All variations are triple-step patterns of gliding character in a "step-together-step" pattern. The word came from ballet terminology.

Kopanitsa or kopanica is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria done to music in 11
8
meter, and also sometimes for the accompanying music. Some sources describe the rhythm in terms of "quick" and "slow" beats, the pattern being quick-quick-slow-quick-quick. The name comes from the verb kopam, which means "to dig" or "to hoe", so the name is sometimes translated as "little digging dance". As with other Balkan dances, different regions and even different villages have their own variations of the dance.

Zydeco as a dance style has its roots in a form of folk dance that corresponds to the heavily syncopated zydeco music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone Creole peoples of Acadiana. It is a partner dance that has been primarily danced socially and sometimes in performances.

Dajchovo horo is a Bulgarian folk dance done to a nine-beat meter. It is unique in two ways: it is a circle dance, and yet it has a leader.

Chicago-Style Stepping is an urban dance that originated in Chicago and continues to evolve nationwide and overseas, while defining its unique style and culture. within urban community. "Chicago-Style Stepping" makes reference to other urban styles of dance found throughout the United States in urban enclaves such as Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Pravo horo is a very popular, simple folk dance from Bulgaria that is done throughout the Balkan countries. In Greece, it is called Zonaradiko. It is considered the "national dance" of Bulgaria, Albania, and North Macedonia. It is a rustic village line dance with a three-measure pattern, done to 2
4
or 6
8
music, and is a staple of weddings, feast days, and other celebrations. As with other Balkan dances, each country and even local region has its own variation of the dance, often interspersing other steps with the basic pravo step, to the extent that these different versions amount to distinct dances.

The Collegiate Shag is a partner dance done primarily to uptempo swing and pre-swing jazz music. It belongs to the swing family of American vernacular dances that arose in the 1920s and 30s. It is believed that the dance originated within the African American community of the Carolinas in the 1920s, later spreading across the United States during the 1930s. The shag is still danced today by swing dance enthusiasts worldwide.

References

  1. Strong, Jeff (2011). Drums For Dummies, p.111. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   978-0471794110.
  2. Casey, Betty (1985). Dance Across Texas, p.106. University of Texas. ISBN   9780292715516. "The Texas Shuffle step was formerly called a foxtrot step and has erroneously been called Texas Two-Step. This error causes confusion because this dance is entirely different from the real two-step as danced in the forward-moving section of Cotton-Eyed Joe, Cowboy Polka (Jessie Polka), and other dances."
  3. Scheff, Helene; Sprague, Marty; and McGreevy-Nichols, Susan (2010). Exploring Dance Forms and Styles: A Guide to Concert, World, Social, and Historical Dance, p.222. Human Kinetics. ISBN   9780736080231. "The Texas Two-step is the most widely known and performed dance in North America. There are really two histories of what is called 'two step dance,' because the name jumped from one type of dance that is no longer done to another that is done, called the Texas Two-step or collegiate Fox-trot. The original Two-step was a simple dance that caught on with the public when John Philip Sousa came out with the 'Washington Post March' in 1891."
  4. Flemmons, Jerry (2000). Curmudgeon in Corduroy: The Best of Jerry Flemmons' Texas, p.67. TCU. ISBN   9780875652177.
  5. 1 2 Chadwick, Susan (Aug 1985). "The Two-Step", Texas Monthly, Vol. 13, No. 8, p.128. Emmis. ISSN 0148-7736.
  6. 1 2 3 The Official Guide to Country Dance Steps. By Tony Leisner. 1980. Chartwell Books. pages 16, 64, 70. ISBN   0-89009-331-8
  7. Dancing. Marguerite Wilson. copyright 1899. The Penn Publishing Company
  8. Cowboy Dances. A collection of Western Square Dances. Lloyd Shaw. Cowboy Dances. Lloyd Shaw. 1939-1952. The Caxton Printers. page 46, 7. no ISBN
  9. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/cowboy-dances/cowboy-dance%20-%200147.htm Retrieved 1.1.2010
  10. A handbook of novelty, country and western dances. Ray, Ollie M., 1983. Siddall and Ray Research Found. Charleston, Ill
  11. 1 2 3 Dance Across Texas By Betty Casey 1985 University of Texas Press pages 16, 67, 111 ISBN   0-292-71551-X
  12. "Armadillo Rodeo Texas Two Step Directions". www.janbrett.com. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  13. Country Western Dance Steps. Dee Pierce. Flower Drum Lounge. Portland, Oregon. 1983. page 31. no ISBN
  14. "Two-step Music". Archived from the original on 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-05-14. This site no longer exists 1.1.2010
  15. The Pablo Stories. A Slice of the Country Western Dance Era. Paul McClure. 2008. BearManor Media. page 218. ISBN   1-59393-303-7
  16. Anthony Palombit (director) (2008). Out on the Dance Floor (Documentary).
  17. "The Whole Story - UCWDC.org". UCWDC website. United Country Western Dance Council. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  18. "Shuffle, Fort Worth Shuffle, South West Shuffle, Houston Shuffle". www.eijkhout.net. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
  19. D Magazine (2003-02-01). "The Best Places to Dance in Dallas". D Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  20. "Swing N Country Dance Club Chicago". Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  21. Skippy Blair on Contemporary Dance" Skippy Blair 1978 pages 55, 184 ISBN   0-932980-01-5

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