One of the first dances we were taught by the Dayton Two Steppers founders C.W. PARKER and his wife ARLENE was the country two step. We worked hard to perfect the pattern – quick, quick, slow, oops. It took many weeks of practice to be able to move smoothly and with some grace, no bounce, around the dance floor. We would call the steps quick, quick, slow slow, and then we would try calling short, short, long, long, to each other and return to quick, quick, slow, slow. Quick, quick, slow, slow seemed to work the best for us. Our minds were trying to comprehend what our feet were supposed to be doing. Lots of times our feet wouldn’t cooperate. We practiced constantly. This was a dance we wanted to learn. We liked the challenge it offered and the movements of the dance when performed correctly. We both liked the line and the fixed-pattern partner dances, but really relished the challenge of the couples dancing. It gave us the opportunity to be creative as a couple. We enjoyed it so much that we concentrated on it with a passion. We wrote up outlines of the routines we were taught and used them many times for reference; a practice we have continued.
We continually try to perfect and increase our knowledge in all areas of couples dancing. It is our first love. We attend several workshops throughout the year. Over the last several years we have traveled to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada and as close as Cincinnati in our search to improve our dancing and teaching technique. With our teaching schedule, it is impossible for us to remember every routine we teach once we teach it. We find ourselves continually working toward new routines (moves) to teach with time only to incorporate a few learned moves in our own dancing.
It is fun to watch a routine come together. You feel so proud of what you have accomplished. We are not experts, and never will be, but we are avid couples dancers. We’ve come a long way baby!
It is important to practice your footwork and then begin to incorporate simple moves and build. Seek to be challenged, but don’t try to progress too fast. If you take a class with turns you can’t master, there is a good possibility you will become overwhelmed and discouraged. Develop your skills and routines in stages. Feel comfortable with what you know and be able to execute it smoothly and to your satisfaction before you attempt more difficult moves. It can be extremely frustrating to learn too quickly.
Continually combine the new moves with other moves you have mastered to create a new pattern. It is important for the gentleman not to always follow the same pattern in a routine. This allows the lady to follow. Using the same sequence of turns every time you step on the floor tends to make the two step a fixed-pattern partner dance rather than a lead and follow dance.
It really pleases us to watch the excitement generated between a couple who has just accomplished the understanding of a new routine in class and then later be able to go out on the dance floor and execute the new move without difficulty. That is where the work begins. Regular practice is an essential part of all couples dancing.
With the vast variety of turns and routines possible, two step or any other couples dance creates a new challenge.
