Tim originally prepared these Tips for the Washington Area
(D.C.) Square Dancers Cooperative Association (WASCA), for festivals, and for his local dance club. They are now
being reprinted by the Dixie Round Dance Council (DRDC).
A Few Bolero Figures — Right Pass, Opening Out, Riff Turns.
A Few Phase VI Smooth Figures — Big Top, Split Ronde, Traveling Contra Check, Tumble, and Tumble Turn.
A Few Tango Figures — The Criss Cross, Doble Cruz, Closed Promenade, and Open Promenade.
A Few Turns — Waltz Right Turns, foxtrot Feather, and the Double Reverse.
A Few Waltz Figures — From phase 1-6.
A Waltz Clinic — History of the rhythm, general characteristics, and lots of figures.
Actions —
Tips on the Swivel, Fan, Flare, and Ronde.
Advanced Figures in Rumba — the Advanced Alemana, Rope Spin, and Advanced Sliding Door.
Armwork In the Fence Line and Others—Tips
on smooth arm styling.
Bolero — Tips
on the Turning Basic and some lunges and passes.
Bolero Figures — Some more figure descriptions.
Cha
Cha Basic — Cha Cha is an offshoot of Mambo and both had their
roots in Cuba.
Cha Cha and the Chase — Cha Cha is a fun rhythm, and the Chase is a characteristic figure.
Contra Check and Slip —The Contra Check and Slip in Capone by Armstrong.
Eggbeater Turn — A bolero figure introduced in 2015 by Curt & Tammy Worlock.
Feathers — Curt & Tammy Worlock did a clinic on "Feathers." It was the best clinic I've ever attended on feathers.
Feathers II — Three more feather-like figures.
Follow My Lead — The value of using lead and follow.
Foxtrot, Intro — Some history, terms, and figures.
Foxtrot — The
Foxtrot is a “smooth” rhythm characterized by figures that blend
smoothly and glide across the floor.
Foxtrot, Intermediate — A discussion of some beginner and intermediate foxtrot figures.
Heel Turn — A feature of several figures for lady and man.
Hip Twists — The Open, Closed, Advanced, and Continuous Hip Twists in rumba.
Jitterbug Kicks — An unphased jive figure introduced by Tonks in Sunflower.
Jive — Tips on how
to dance some Jive figures better.
Jive II — Some history and more figures.
Jive III — Some fun jive figures, from phase III to VI.
Jive IV — An introduction to the rhythm and some basic figures.
Latin Motion and Technique — Latin dances such as rumba, cha, mambo,
and salsa are characterized by a sensual, undulating motion that
occurs mostly in the lower body (i.e. hips) and legs.
Left Turn Inside Roll — A small adjustment will make the Left Turn Inside Roll in STS flow more smoothly.
Left-Turning Figures — A discussion of the reverse wave, reverse fallaway, and three fallaways.
Look Up — Don't look at your feet.
Make Your Crossing Steps More Comfortable
— Any time you do a crossing step, twist
your lower body to make the cross easier.
Mooch—The mooch in jive.
Neck Is Part Of Posture
— Keep your whole spine aligned; don't let your head drop forward.
Position
Problems — Tips on how better to dance semi-closed, reverse
semi-closed, and sidecar positions.
Paso Doble
— Tips on the hold, the Appel, and the Cape.
Picture Figures
— Tips on the right lunge, same foot lunge, and stork line.
Programming a State Beginner's Dance
Quickstep — An introduction to the rhythm.
Reverse Fallaway Figures
— These turn left and move back in semi-closed (promenade) position.
Rumba — Tips on styling and several figures.
Samba — Tips on
the hold, Basic, Walks, Left Turn, and Volta.
Scissors — You can move smoothly from BJO to SCAR with a good frame and dance position.
Shoes — If you
round dance regularly, you need to get a pair of shoes that you only
use for round dancing.
Standard Figures from I to VI — Helps for the Box through the Telespin.
Stretching — Before you dance,
stretch your muscles to loosen them.
Slow
Two Step — Tips on how to dance the Basic, Left Turn With Inside
Roll, Cross Chasse, and Triple Traveler.
Some Three-Part Figures —Rumba Three Alemanas, Three Threes, Full Natural Top, Continuous Natural Top.
Split Ronde — Tricky, phase VI.
Sugar Push — One of the most basic and characteristic of West Coast Swing figures is the “Sugar Push”.
Sway — Sway is inclination of the body. It adds to the good feelings of many dance figures.
Tango — "The
Tango is the easiest dance. If you make a mistake and get tangled up,
you just Tango on."
Tango Figures — Criss Cross, Doble Cruz, Closed Promenade, Open Promenade
Telefeather — The Telefeather, a phase 6 foxtrot figure, can be
described as a Telespin to SCP with an extra step turning to BJO.
Three Advanced Rumba Figures — The Advanced Alemana, Advanced Sliding Door, and Three Threes.
Timing —
Dance timing: slows & quicks, and 1234.
Turning Away From Partner and Coming Back — Sometimes it is as if we playfully leave only to miss him/her and come back again.
Two Advanced Foxtrot Figures — The Top Spin and Tumble Turn both incorporate a Feather Finish.
Two Foxtrot Weaves — The Check & Weave and the Natural Fallaway Weave.
Two Pairs of Positions — Comparisons of Bolero versus Sombrero and Shadow versuss Skaters.
Two Picture Figures — The Promenade Oversway and Right Lunge.
Two Positions — SCP & RSCP
Two Latin Actions
— Tips on how to dance the Dishrag and Snake.
Two Step — Tips on styling, the Breakaway and the Stair.
Upper Body Dance Frame — The secret to dancing "as one" begins with having
a good upper body dance frame.
Video Web Sites — They are a tremendous resource for round dancers and teachers.
Waltz — Tips on dancing some waltz figures.
