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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

The Rock Step

This was invented about 10 thousand years ago. 9 thousand? I will not argue the point. Basically it is two changes of weight, each in the opposite direction and the first part of the rock is called the break. It is on record that it is done in only 650 different dances. (670 ?) Regularly you can do the rock step eight different ways depending on the break. You can break forward on the left or on the right foot. You can break back on the left or right foot. You can also break to the right on the right foot or to the left on your left foot, in a side rock. Half of these are the regular normal ways.

“Social dancers believe that they must dance to the music,

the music of their souls!”


The other half are "unnatural" steps and there are even more complicated ways strictly for show. In most dances you break in a complementary fashion. The man breaks forward on his left foot. The lady breaks backward on her right foot. Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Mambo, Beguine, Calypso and perhaps another couple hundred dances can be good examples, in the “natural” step rhythms. Moreover, they are normally programmed so that the man breaks forward on his left foot and breaks back on his right foot. Any other way can be done but is considered “an unnatural” step.

"Tangerine" by Jimmy Dorsey


As we approach the end of the year, many things are developing in the Social Dance field. We, the social dancers are definitely coming into our own in the entire state of Hawaii. We, the ones who have become accustomed to dancing in malls, school cafeterias, district parks, community centers and night clubs. We seem to accept that we can do it very well and have a very enjoyable evening with just 30 or less steps in basic movements in each dance. You want more? No hu hu - up to you.

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you've never been hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.”


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