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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Even Step

Dancing for humans throughout the world began shortly after agriculture when civilizations, drums and music developed. In Mexico, the groups became very large, they built large cities and the "professionals evolved." Royalty, priests, astrologers, mathematicians and of course musicians and dancers. They did not have to labor in the fields. They had a place to sleep and free food. The time was your profession and you more or less did it for seven days a week, all on your own sweet time. Though stepping to music may have been performed by individuals, it was generally performed by groups of three or more, often in arrangements that resemble military formations.

"Social dancers believe that every dance is a kind of fever chart, a graph of the heart."


You can see Africans doing the even step today on TV. It is just up and down. left, right, left, right. Before the professionals in Mexico become involved it is almost certain that the up and down motion led to a rocking movement from side to side. Then they learned to rock going forward and backward and a new movement, the rock step was born, still an even step. And it is still used and defined to this day as an element of dance. Stepping in modern times may also include elements of gymnastics, break dance, tap dance, march, or include semi-dangerous stunts as a part of individual routines.

"Ay, Jalisco, No Te Rajes" por Jorge Negrete


The speed of the step depends on the beat and rhythm the performer wants it to sound. Some forms of stepping include the use of props, such as canes, rhythm sticks and/or fire and blindfolds. There are perhaps 5000 stepping dances in the world today and some are included in our kuleana of social dance. Some of the most pleasant music in the world is the Waltz. And it is basically a step dance, to three count music, just left, right, left, right. There is a marked accent on the one count. So if you push a little extra hard on the one count, a natural rise develops on the two and three counts. Should remain popular for another hundred years among the more experienced dancers.

"Have the courage to say No. Have the courage to face the Truth. Do the right thing
because it is Right. There are magic keys to living your life with integrity."

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