Calypso
This isn't a formal dance - and wouldn't normally even be a pair/couple dance at all.
Individual dancers do their own thing but there's generally a lot of hip sway involved.
It has some similarities with other latin dances, eg mambo, merengue, salsa.
The steps tend to be kept small and include various taps, points and lifts or flicks.
The music has 4 beats to the bar and some syncopation.
The tempo varies but is relatively slow, eg 30 4-beat bars per minute.
Sideways Basic or Chassé
| |
Chassé tap (FP, CH) |
Chassé tap (FP, CH) |
Beat | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Man |  |
LS |  | RC |  |
LS |  | RC tap |  |
RS |  | LC |  |
RS |  | LC tap |  |
Lady |  |
RS |  | LC |  |
RS |  | LC tap |  |
LS |  | RC |  |
LS |  | RC tap |  |
| |
Chassé lift (FP, CH) |
Chassé lift (FP, CH) |
Beat | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Man |  |
LS |  | RC |  |
LS |  | RdF fl |  |
RS |  | LC |  |
RS |  | LdF fl |  |
Lady |  |
RS |  | LC |  |
RS |  | LdF fl |  |
LS |  | RC |  |
LS |  | RdF fl |  |
Diagonal Basic
| |
Promenade + lift (PP-CP, DH) |
Counter-Prom. + lift (CP-PP, DH) |
Beat | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Man |  |
LdF |  | RxF |  |
LdF |  | RdF fl |  |
RdF |  | LxF |  |
RdF |  | LdF fl |  |
Lady |  |
RdF |  | LxF |  |
RdF |  | LdF fl |  |
LdF |  | RxF |  |
LdF |  | RdF fl |  |
Forwards & Backwards Basic
| |
Forwards + lift (FP, CH) |
Backwards + tap (FP, CH) |
Beat | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Man |  |
LF |  | RF |  |
LF |  | RdF fl |  |
RB |  | LB |  |
RB |  | LdB tap |  |
Lady |  |
RB |  | LB |  |
RB |  | LdB tap |  |
LF |  | RF |  |
LF |  | RdF fl |  |
© Susan Foord
(sf@pedag.org)
2010-07-24
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