Notes from Rachel's Lesson #1

          This is a walking dance and the man keeps walking with his feet passing across each other and not stopping. Positioning is essential and the man must plan his final positions so that he ends up in the right place for the next step after completing his last step with the woman. Count (slow, slow) before starting your dance on the first fast so that you will start the Two Step on time. We start foot movements on the (Quick, Quick). In other words, start on the first Quick but get ready before moving by counting the slow, slow in your head before moving.

Notes from Wayne Abbey Lesson 10/25/09

          Wow. Timing and musicality rule. I have never been musically inclined. I just danced and carefully watched everyone else and mimiced them. When you dance enough you have dance problems. When you find the root cause of each problem, the dance problem goes away. An experienced dance instructor can watch you and tell you where you are making the mistake. Obviously you don't know where the mistake is since if you did, there would be no problem. Rex Jones would always say "Quick, Quick, Slow, We Open". I completely misunderstood his statement and would always try to perform a dance move/pattern at "We Open" rather than on the upcoming fast and it should be done. He would also say "Quick, Quick, Slow, We Close". Even though I intellectually knew that you begin a maneuver at the first quick, my body would always prematurely start the manuever during the slow.

Notes from Rachel Jones 3/10/10

I Turns
     A. Forward Line of Dance (FLOD) Turn Q Q 1st Q
     B. Back Line of Dance (BLOD) Turn Q Q 2nd Q
II. Alternate Rhythms
     QQS QQS
     Even #
     XO examples: Samba turns and In and out turns
III Lace Patterns
     A. Cut
     B. Chase
     C. Pretzel
     D. Whip

Rex & Rachel Group Two Step 4/11/10

Basic forward open, man's cross around with woman's underarm turn to forward line of dance to woman's free spin with front to back hand hold then a woman's outside turn ending back line then three free spins ending with a woman's free spin.

Rachel Champion Jones 12/2010

(1) Forward Basic (2) Open to Promenade (3) Woman's Counterclockwise Turn (4) Man and Woman dual Spin Turns ending in a raised Handshake
Hand Hold/Palm to Palm - Woman's One and a Half Turn & Catch her hand on the end of the first turn (5) Weave (6) Weave with Woman's Clockwise turn
Woman and Man's over the head catch (7) Men's Telemark with Woman's Throw Out and Clockwise Turn (8) Forward Basic (9) Wrap (10) Samba Turns
(11) Free Spin

Samba Turns are in Samba Timing: Quick Quick Slow. It's three steps with the last step turning in to the woman.You catch the woman and there's an elastic stretch and then a pull to turn the woman for the next Samba Turn.You can practice the Man's steps yourself. Call out your timing during practice. The reason that I am sometimes on the wrong foot is that I am not counting and stepping as the woman turns. The Wrap can be easily started from the Forward Basic. I have previously always used a counterclockwise woman's turn for the weave but the opposite is also an option.Be sure to cut back/step back on the weave so the woman can get by.

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