Quickstep - Running Finish

A nice way to finish off the last quickstep sequence we looked at, which finished with the Leader backing LOD (it can also be danced when the Leader starts Backing Diagonal Wall) is the Running Finish. The key to this step is in its name. It should feel like a run! When danced properly, it has a great feel to it that gives you momentum - which in Quickstep is what it is all about!

The diagrams below show Back Lock, and then Running Finish. (Only the Running Finish is counted as it is the only thing actually explained in the step breakdowns.


Leaders'/Men's Footwork


In this case you are starting Backing LOD (this step can also be done on other alignments), and it is three quick and simple steps. Start by stepping backwards onto your Left foot. Opening your body to the right, step side onto your Right foot and then continue the body movement to step forward (most likely facing Diagonal Wall of New LOD) - wihch means that your Left side is leading. My preferred counting for this is Quick, Quick, Slow; though it is also correct to do Slow, Quick, Quick - to me this breaks the momentum at the beginning and makes it a little trickier to get around.


The next step after this will be outside partner, but can take you into any other Natural figure.


Follower's/Lady's Footwork


For once the Lady is facing LOD at the beginning of a step. Start by stepping forward with your Right foot. Step side onto your Left foot as you feel your partner begin to turn and then backwards onto your Right foot. It is worth noting that at this point, your right shoulder is also pulled back. As mentioned above, my preferred counting for this step is Quick, Quick, Slow, however, it is also correct to dance it Slow, Quick, Quick.


Notes for the Leader and Follower:


- The sway in this movement is what really gives it the nice rush of momentum that you should be aiming to achieve. Guys, you are swaying to the Left on the second and third steps, therefore, Ladies, you are to the Right.

Quickstep - 1-3 Natural and Back Lock

If you have not already looked at the basic Lock Step in Quickstep, I recommend you practice that before this sequence.

This step essentially takes the dancing couple into a lock step in the reverse direction to what they are each usually moving (the Lead is going backwards while the Follow is moving forwards) and in order to get them in that position, we are using the first three steps of a Natural Turn.


Leaders'/Men's Footwork


Starting facing Diagonal Wall, you step forward on your Right foot, side onto your Left foot, and together (Right foot to Left) to end up backing Line of Dance. (Slow, Quick, Quick)


Then begin the Back Lock by stepping back once onto your Left foot, backwards again onto your Right foot, Cross your Left foot in front of the Right, and then backwards again with your Left foot. (Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow)


Followers'/Lady's Footwork


Backing Diagonal Wall, take your first step backwards on your Left foot. Step side onto your Right foot, and then bring your Left foot together with the Right foot. (Slow, Quick, Quick)


You are then facing Line of Dance, and begin the lock step by stepping forward on your Right foot, another step forward on your Left foot, then cross your Right foot behind your Left foot, and one more step forward with the Left. (Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow)



Notes for both the Leader and the Follower:

- As with the "normal" lock step, be careful not to have the Lady end up under the Man's armpit. You ARE slightly outside each other, as it would be impossible to be on the same foot track, but remember you are working together... not running a race. It doesn't matter who gets there first!

Quickstep - Style

As you can expect from the name, the Quickstep is a rather fast dance. This requires fast footwork and a light, easy, approach to the movements. The upper body should remain as smooth and unaffected as possible, while the legs and feet work quickly underneath.

The rise and fall of the dance helps to provide the momentum needed to drive along the long lines, but being able to stop immaculately and show some complex footwork is also usually an element of show/competitive choreography.

A fast and upbeat dance, the Quickstep has similarities to the Social Foxtrot and has a crossover of steps from dances like the Waltz as well, but uses the rise and fall more conservatively than the Waltz and also can incorporate elements of Charleston and other swing dances of the early 30's.

Quickstep - Progressive Chasse

This is essentially the step that is the second half of your basic, but I thought it deserved a look at of its own.

Begun when the leader is stepping backwards, it can be used to travel or kept on the spot depending on what is needed. The rhythm is Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow, Slow.

Leaders'/Men's Footwork

Start by stepping back on your Right foot when you are backing diagonally to the centre of the room. Next you step side on your Left foot, together with your Right and then side and slightly forward onto your Left. The final step is taken forwards - having come back to facing diagonal wall (which is where we generally start all our ballroom steps).

Followers'/Lady's Footwork

Step forward on your Left foot and then side onto your Right. Close your Left foot to your Right and then take a step back and slightly to the side onto your Right foot. Finish the step with a step backwards on your Left foot.

Quickstep - Natural Turn

(After getting all out of sync last week, I will aim to get back on track now... sorry for any inconvenience!)

Great for getting out of corners, the Natural Turn in Quickstep is slightly different from those you have seen in waltz so far. The timing changes from a straight forward "Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow" pattern and becomes "Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow, Slow, Slow" over the course of the six steps.

Leaders'/Men's Footwork

Starting Diagonal to Wall, step forward onto your Right foot. As you do this you should already be turning your shoulders to the Right to begin the turn. On the "Quick, Quick" you Step side onto your Left foot and then close your Right foot to your Left having completed just over a quarter of a turn and ending facing the wall that used to be behind you.

Step backwards onto your Left foot and continue to turn to the Right as you take another step this time to the side onto your Right foot, doing what is called a Heel Pull before stepping forward on your Left. All of these are Slow counts!

What is a Heel Pull?
The technique book is quite specific on how a proper Heel Pull should be done. In basic terms, the turn is completed on the heel of the supporting foot, which means that you need to step first and THEN turn. The moving foot (in this case your Left foot) is pulled to follow the other foot - back and to the side. It is moved with the inside of the foot on the floor, leading with your heel, and is always kept a small distance from the supporting foot.

Follower's/Lady's Footwork

For once your feet are simpler than the guy's - you dont have a Heel Pull!
Start by stepping backwards onto your Left foot. You partner should already be initiating the turn to the Right and therefore causing you to rotate your upper body in the right direction. Step side and then together with your Right then Left feet. You should now be facing LOD.

Next go forward with your Right foot, continuing to turn to the Right. Side onto your Left foot and backwards onto your Right. Remember... all of these steps are Slow counts.

Notes for both the Leader and the Follower:

- This step is done here going around a corner and getting you back facing Diagonal to Wall on the new alignment. It can be done with varying degrees of turn if necessary.

Quickstep - Spin Turn

Very much like the Spin Turn in Waltz, the footwork is the same but the main difference in the Quickstep is your timing. The total pattern for this step will be "Slow, Quick Quick, Slow, Slow, Slow" (whereas most of your other patters have been simply a repetition of "Slow, Quick, Quick). The rise and fall is slightly different as well, but I will talk about that in a later post.

Remember that there is a varying amount of turn that you can do when you do a spin turn, depending on whether you are doing one in a corner or along a long line. This set of diagrams shows the amount of turn in a corner and assumes that you are going to use the following step to turn to face diagonally to the new line of dance.

Leaders'/Men's Footwork

Start with the first three steps of your Natural Turn (forward on your Right foot - turning to your right - and then side onto your Left, and close your Right foot to your left) to finish with your back directly to the line of dance. (Counts Slow, Quick Quick)

Step back onto your Left foot but think of keeping your knees bent and close together - because you are now going to pivot on that Left foot - think of pulling your Right shoulder backwards and bringing the Right foot around as if connected and immovable from the position it was placed in when you stepped back. Step forward onto the Right foot and then "fall" back onto your Left now facing Diagonal Against your New Line of Dance. (Counts Slow, Slow, Slow)

You can follow this with a Progressive Chasse which will keep you moving along the LOD and allow you to get back into your "basic" pattern of Quarter Turn to Right and Progressive Chasse.


Followers'/Lady's Footwork

Start with the first three steps of your natural turn. Step back on your Left foot, side on your Right and together with your Left to end facing Line of Dance. (Counts Slow, Quick, Quick)

Step forward into your partner with your Right foot (Count Slow), beginning to curve to your Right, the next step is taken forward as your partner is pivoting, which means that you end up with your weight on your Left foot and your back to the diagonal you initially started on on a second SlowCount. (Which in the technique books is therefore labelled as a step back and slightly to the side.) With your weight on the toe of your Left foot, lightly brush your Right foot towards your left (Count "2-and") and then back out on a diagonal to step forward on another Slow Count.

Following this step, you can go straight into a Progressive Chasse.


Notes for both the Leader and the Follower:

- When doing the pivot, it is very important that the gentleman keeps his weight over his supporting foot at all times... if you start to lean forward or backwards, you make the turn impossible for your partner. This also goes for the women, however. Ladies, do not hold on to your partner for dear life or lean into him, this will make the turn heavy and difficult to turn - it should feel light and easy!!

Quickstep - Check (or Rock) Step

The steps you already have for Quickstep are easy enough to simply navigate around the circle of the room, but sometimes corners jump out at you unexpectedly, or there are other people on the floor that you need to be able to drive around. The Check Step is perfect for that.

Repeat it as many times as necessary, with turn or without, it is versatile and when coming after a long string of movement, feels fun too.

Leaders'/Men's Footwork

Basically the man leads the first step forward (on his Left foot) but keeps the pressure behind the Lady's back to tell her that she is not going to keep moving backwards. He then rocks backwards to replace the weight onto his Right foot (Both of these being "Slow" counts)

and then takes the side together on the quick quick, starting on the Left foot and closing the right.

You can do this step with no turn, a quarter turn on the side together, or any amount of turn that is needed. You can do four in a row to go in a circle (if using a quarter turn) should you get blocked in somewhere on a busy floor, or one to help you navigate a corner.

Followers'/Lady's Footwork

As usual you will step back on the Right foot on a Slow count. Instead of continuing to move backwards though, you will be led by pressure on your back to rock forward onto your Left foot on the next slow.

Then the following two quicks are done as usual stepping side on your Right and together on your Left.

Notes for Both Leaders and Followers:

- The amount of turn you do is dictated by the motion in the man's upper body on initiating the movement. Turn the shoulders slightly pulling the left one back and right one forward as you initiate the turning portion of the step.

Quickstep - Lock Step

One of the steps that is strongly associated with the Quickstep is a Lock Step.

Done on the Man's forward portion of the Basic Movement, instead of turning the 90 degrees on the "Quick, Quick" it continues forward (backwards for Ladies) and the legs come together in a crossed position.

This type of movement plus the speed (and therefore momentum) of the dance is what allows the dynamic and floor covering qualities that define a good quickstep.

Leaders'/Men's Footwork

This step begins with your Right foot forward and then your Left foot following the same diagonal forward. Cross your Right foot behind your left so that your toes are pointing in opposite directions and your insteps are touching. (Your heels shouldnt be on the floor at this stage.) (Slow, Quick, Quick) Step forward onto your front/Left foot (Slow) forward again with your Right (Slow) before taking your quarter turn on the Quick Quick as in the Basic Movement.

Followers'/Lady's Footwork

Ladies, you are doing the natural opposite to the men. You begin with your Left foot going backwards, take another step backwards with your Right. Cross your Left foot in front of your Right foot - toes turned out and insteps together, heels off the ground. (Slow, Quick, Quick) Then take two more Slow steps backwards before taking your quarter turn on the Quick Quick as in the Basic Movement.

Notes for both the Leader and the Follower:

- The part of this step that is the "Lock" is done outside of partner. Gents, you take your second step slightly to the side in order to get outside your partner which both gives you room to do the lock step and tells your partner that it is coming. Do not make that a large movement to the side or allow your partner to suddenly be under your armpit! Keep your frame and the general line of dance, simply step slightly outside.

- This step can be followed by the second half of the basic movement.

Quickstep - Basic Movement

Much like the Social Foxtrot, the Basic for the Quickstep is a zig zag step. Aside from the fact it is done to slightly faster music than Foxtrot, the main difference in the basic is that instead of starting forward on the Left foot and taking two steps before taking the side together (Quick Quick) only one is taken to start and therefore is taken with the Right foot. (Reverse that when thinking of the Ladies steps!)

LEADERS'/MEN’S FOOTWORK

Face your nearest wall . Then turn to your left slightly so that you are on a diagonal.

Start with your Right foot and take one Slow step forward. On the “Quick, Quick” you take a side step onto your Left foot first, changing your angle 90° so that you are now facing the corner to your right. And close your Right foot to your Left on the second Quick.

Step back on your Left foot for the next set of two walks (Slow, Slow) and side together Left, Right – changing the angle back to your original line (Quick, Quick).

Repeat moving forward with your left foot again to continue.

FOLLOWER’S/LADIES’ FOOTWORK

For this basic movement, the lady exactly mirrors the man’s steps. You start with your back to the closest wall and then turn slightly so that your Right shoulder is closer to the centre of the circle.

Start with your Left Foot and take one step backwards on a “Slow” count.

Step side onto your Right foot and close your Left foot to your Right on the “Quick Quick”. As you take these two steps you should change the angle of your body 90° to be facing a new diagonal.

Step forward with your Right foot and then your left on the next two “Slow” counts and then do another 90° turn back to where you started on the “Quick, Quick” stepping side on your right foot and bringing your feet together with your left.

Continue by stepping back again with your Right foot.

Notes for both the leader and follower:

- All forward and backwards steps should be “in line” – which means on the same track as your partner’s feet. Do not attempt to step around or outside your partner, merely place your foot into the space vacated by theirs.

- To turn corners, slightly change the degree of your turn on the side together to facilitate moving around the corner. Make sure that the gent is always moving generally towards his left side and the lady to her right around the room.

- When stepping forward, step onto your heel – as you would when walking normally.

- When stepping backwards, step onto your toe and roll through the foot – as you would should you need to walk backwards generally.

- As this is a dance which ALWAYS changes feet – and is very much like walking in that way – I would count the rhythm when practicing instead of the feet. It is always “Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick-Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick-" etc instead of "Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right..." etc