Slow Two Step, Switches

by Harold & Meredith Sears

In half open position, facing line of dance, the man begins to turn to the right and steps forward and side left, crossing in front of the woman and moving to the outside of the circle. He steps side and forward right, turning to left half open position, and then forward left. The woman takes small steps: fwd R, fwd L, fwd R (SQQ). In the second measure, the woman "switches" across. She steps forward and side L, crossing in front of the man and turning right-face, fwd and sd R turning to half open position again, and finally fwd L (again SQQ).

For the one switching across, that first step can be quite a sharp turn, taking you all the way from half open position to left half open position (or visa versa). Well, a "switch" should be a sharp turn. Think of the Switch Cross or Switch Rock in rumba -- from an Aida position, we take that first step and turn to face partner -- sharply. Similarly, in our slow two step Switch, we take one step and turn almost all the way around. So, the exciting part, the real "switch," is done on the S; the QQ is a relatively quiet fwd fwd to finish the measure.

We may dance Switches in a more rounded manner, using steps 1 & 2 to make the turn, rather than doing most of it on step 1. You might still be facing your partner at the end of step 1. Step 2 would then be side and back, rather than side and forward. The figure becomes less like a Switch and more like an Open In & Out Run (although with the outside feet rather than inside feet).

However, do get to the outside of the circle on the first step. You needn't complete all the turn on the first step, but do get all the way across.

The Square is a newer figure that consists of four Switches that have been modified to move the couple counterclockwise to the four sides of an imaginary square. We can begin in half-open position facing line of dance. The man switches across but underturns to face center. The woman takes her small steps and turns 1/4 left-face to end in left half-open position facing center. The second measure is a mirror of the first. The woman switches across the man but underturns it to end in half-open position facing reverse. The third measure is the same as the first and ends in left half-open position facing wall. The fourth measure is the same as the second and ends facing line again in the starting position. This figure has also been called a Switch Box.

Published in Dixie Round Dance Association (DRDC) Newsletter, May 2013.