Basic Ballroom Dancing Moves

Are you ready to bring out those dancing shoes? Not so fast. Before hitting the dance floor it is important to learn basic ballroom dancing moves and familiarize yourself with commonly used dance terms.

Rock Step is a slow sequence of two steps where the weight is transferred from one foot to another and then back. Rock back and rock forward are two basic versions.

Ball Change is also a sequence of two steps involving a partial weight transfer from the ball of one foot to another.

Kick Ball Change is a popular swing dance step that consists of a kick followed by the ball change. The timing is usually a split beat count of 1&2 or 1a2. Kick ball change has three distinct moves: a kick with the left foot, a slight push off the floor by the ball of the left foot behind the right foot, and a step with the right foot.

Triple step is also popular in swing dances. Three steps are performed on two beats of music, with the first step taken on count 1, the second step on the half beat between counts 1&2, and the final step on count 2. Also called a shuffle step, triple step is done in quick-quick-slow sequences, often counted as one-and-two or three-and-four.

Often a follower’s step in West Coast Swing, Coaster Step is a back-together-forward or forward-together-back triple step danced to the timing of quick-quick-slow.

Anchor Step is the concluding triple step pattern of nearly all main West Coast Swing dance moves. An anchor step ends with partners settling their weights on the back foot, hands held L-to-R, awaiting the leader’s next move.

Lock Step involves locking the moving foot as it approaches the standing foot. In this triple step pattern, the lower part of the moving leg crosses in front of or behind the lower part of the standing leg in the direction of the approach. Lock step is often used in quickstep and cha-cha moves.

One of the more popular basic ballroom dancing moves, grapevine includes side steps and steps across the support foot. It is a continuous traveling step pattern to the side with alternating crosses behind and in front of the supporting foot.