Let me say at the very beginning that Rhythm 2-Step (AKA: Arizona 2-Step) is a very fun dance. It is exciting to watch and has a great many Step Patterns. It even progresses on to a more exciting style referred to as "Half Time" (a definite misnomer). I enjoy doing these dances myself.
Rhythm 2-Step is normally done in a side-to-side fashion. The downside is that if a student is taught Rhythm 2-Step first, they will develop some very bad habits that will severely hamper their ability to go on to other forms of dance.
To prevent bad habits from being formed, I teach Rhythm 2-Step as though it were Progressive 2-Step - including 6 and 8 beat step patterns as are allowed under UCWDC Progressive 2-Step rules. Then I teach the students how to stop the patterns (in-place, non-progressive) on the next to last or last lesson of a 4 or 6 week lesson series.
All of the following Step Patterns can be stopped and done in place as Rhythm 2-Step is normally done.
CPB: Solar Plexus.
Movement: Move your "CPB".
Foot Positions:
1st Foot Position: Feet together.
2nd Foot Position: Feet about shoulder's width apart.
4th Foot Position: Walking
Frame: Is the means of connecting the CPB of the Leader to the CPB of the Follower.
Open Position (Two Hand Lead):
Body Positions: Facing each other about one arms length apart.
Arms: Upper Arms down with Lower Arms extended forward.
Elbows: Just forward of center of rib cage.
M Hands: Cupped inward.
M-Thumbs: Rest on top of W: Hands, but don't press hard.
W Hands: over top of Mans.
Rhythm Unit Cards: 2 Single Rhythm Unit Cards.
Frame: Open Position - 2 Hand Lead - Stand Tall. M: Starts with Lt Foot - Stepping Lt in 2nd Foot Position. W: Starts with Rt Foot - Stepping Rt in 2nd Foot Position.
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4
[ X /] [ X /]
M:Foot L R R L
M:Dir S T S T
M:Pos 2 1 2 1
W:Foot R L L R
W:Dir S T S T
W:Pos 2 1 2 1
Verbal: [Side Touch] [Side Touch]
2nd and 1st Foot Positions. Drive CPB, your Feet will Follow. Count [&a1 &a2] [&a3 &a4]
Rhythm Unit Cards: 2 Single Rhythm Unit Cards.
Frame: Open Position - 2 Hand Lead - Stand Tall. M: Starts with Lt Foot - Stepping Forward in 4th Foot Position. W: Starts with Rt Foot - Stepping Back in 4th Foot Position.
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4
[ X /] [ X /]
M:Foot L R R L
M:Dir F T B T
M:Pos 4 1 4 1
W:Foot R L L R
W:Dir B T F T
W:Pos 4 1 4 1
Verbal: [step touch][step touch]
4th and 1st Foot Positions. Drive CPB, your Feet will Follow. Count [&a1 &a2] [&a3 &a4]
Frame: Open Position - 2 Hand Lead - Stand Tall. M: starts Fwd with Lt foot - stepping directly into lady. W: starts Bk with Rt foot. Footwork: Foot brushes floor on beats 4 and 6 in 1st foot position (sandpaper the floor).
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6
[ X X] [ X /] [ X /]
M:Foot L R L R R L
M:Dir F F F T F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1
W:Foot R L R L L R
W:Dir B B B T B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1
Verbal: [quick quick] [slow ] [slow ] Verbal: [step step ] [step brush] [step brush]
Listen to music. Don't watch feet. Drive CPB from "Sending Foot" to "Receiving Foot". All students say either verbal outloud
Active Resistance: During Lead - Notable Compression or Tension
Passive: During Follow - Slight Compression or Tension - transferred from the CPB of the Leader to the CPB of the Follower.
Lead (Action): Man leads from CPB (not arms).
Follow (Reaction): Woman follows from CPB (no spaghetti arms).
General Info: There must always be some form of resistance between partners which will be either Active or Passive. Arms can not be allowed to just hang there lifeless. When the man moves the woman's arms, the woman's body must respond in the direction of the movement - that is, her body must move, not just her arms. Caution: Stiff Arms or a Stiff Body are not proper Resistance techniques.
The purpose of this lesson is to help the students get the feeling of Compression Resistance. They will compress toward each other then away from each other without losing hand contact. It is not just lean in, then hit the partner's hand and push away. It is a smooth motion that compresses toward each other then away from each other. This exercise will be done to music so both dancers can learn to react equally in time with the music. A music tempo of about 100-110 bpm is good for this exercise.
"&a3": Compression Resistance - CPB's move toward each other. "&a4": Compression Resistance - CBP's move away from each other.SETUP
Frame: Open Position - 2-Hand Lead - Hands Up, Palm to Palm. M & W: Standing on both feet.PATTERN
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 [..count..] [..exercise..] Verbal: [&a1 &a2] [&-a-in &-a-out]
LESSON SEQUENCE 4
(Closed Position Frame)
DEFINITIONS
Posture: Pulling your muscles into your CPB will help accomplish all of the following.
Stand Erect.
Eyes Level (don't look up or down).
Buttox tucked in.Frame - Closed Position:
Body Positions: Directly facing each other.
Man's Lt & Woman's Rt. Hand: Palm to palm, at about the chin level of the shorter person.
Man's Rt Hand: On woman's back just below her Lt shoulder blade with his finger tips just about touching her spine.
Woman's Lt Hand: On top of man's right shoulder or on man's upper right arm - subject to preference.
Arms:
Rt. Arm bowed.
W: Rt. Arm on top of M: Lt Arm, but the woman must not press down onto M: Lt Arm.
Frame, 4th Foot Position in LOD - Music
SETUP
Frame: Closed Position in LOD. Stand Tall. M: starts Fwd with Lt Foot - stepping directly into lady. W: starts Bk with Rt Foot.PATTERN
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6 [ X X] [ X /] [ X /] M:Foot L R L R M:Dir F F F T F T M:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1 W:Foot R L R L W:Dir B B B T B T W:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1Verbal: [quick quick] [slow ] [slow ]
IMPORTANT POINTS
Down LOD in 4th Foot Position. Double Tracking. Resistance
LESSON SEQUENCE 5 - TURN TECHNIQUE
(Flashlight, FFF, Spotting, Pivot)
DEFINITIONS
For this exercise, the Man and Woman will both do the Woman's Absolute Step Pattern with their back to LOD. The pattern will be stopped at different points so the students can make sure they are executing each pattern element correctly. The students will start by stepping back on their Left Foot on the "&a6" counts prior to this pattern so the students can make sure they have their Right Foot Forward. This will help them get use to the concept of turning in the direction of the Forward Foot.
M & W facing Back to LOD. M & W start with Rt Foot Free. M & W will do the same step pattern. Single Tracking - on same line.
&a5 &a6 &a1 &a2
[ X /] [ X X]
Foot L R L
Dir B F B
Fpos 4 4 4
Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt>
Verbal:
Setup...... [&a5 &a6] ... stop prior to executing pattern.
Pattern.... [&a1 &a2] ...
The following are examples of what happens on every dance count - prior to entering the turn and during execution of the turn. Have the students stop at each point to make sure they are executing each element correctly.
Single Tracking - on same line. Press into turns. Monitor full ½ turn with Flashlight (Spotting) Count [&a1 &a2]
M & W facing Back to LOD. M & W start with Rt Foot Free. M & W will do the same step pattern. Single Tracking - on same line.
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6
[ X X] [ X /] [ X /]
Foot R L R L
Dir F B B T B T
Fpos 4 4 4 1 4 1
Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt>
Verbal: [&a1 &a2] [&-a-slow &-a-brush] [&-a-slow &-a-brush]
Single Tracking - on same line. Press into turns. Full ½ turns with Flashlight - Spotting. Keep Inner Thighs together in turns. Count outloud.
All of the following Step Patterns will be executed in LOD
This exercise is a Woman's Right Turn (CW) and is executed in LOD. The man leads with his Left Hand (M:Lh). His lead must start "up" on the "&a" counts prior to count "1". The Woman must complete a 1/2 Rt Turn (CW) and have her weight transferred to her Right Foot on count "1". The woman must also complete another 1/2 Right Turn (CW) and have her weight transferred to her Left Foot on count "2". Her CPB must be over her weighted foot on counts "1" and "2". The Man's Left Hand will then come down to normal position by count "3" (the first Slow) thereby allowing him to step into Closed Position Frame by count "5" (the second Slow). Throughout this process the Man's Left Hand moves up and back down in an arc in LOD without moving from side to side. Any movement of the Man's hand out of LOD will throw the Woman off balance. The man is not to assist (or crank) the Woman in her turn. The Woman is to execute the turn under her own power. The dancers must not grab each others hand. The Man's fingers of his Left Hand should be pointed down which will allow the Woman's hand to turn against his fingers without a grasp by either dancer.
Rhythm Unit Cards: Double, Single, Single
Frame: Closed Position
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6
[ X X] [ X /] [ X /]
M:Foot L R L R
M:Dir F F F T F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1
W:Foot R L R L
W:Dir F B B T B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 1
W:Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt>
Verbal: [Quick Quick] [Slow ] [Slow ]
This exercise is a Woman's Double Right Turn (CW) and is executed in LOD. To execute a W:Double Right Turn (CW) we are going to insert a Double Rhythm Unit Extension after count "2" which makes this an 8 beat Step Pattern. As with the Womans single Rt Turn (CW), the man starts his Lh lead up on the "&a" prior to count "1" continues with his Lh up moving in LOD until count "4", after which the Man's Left Hand will then come down to normal position by count "5" (the first Slow) thereby allowing him to step into Closed Position Frame by count "7" (the second Slow). The Woman's weight must be changed and her CPB must be over her weighted foot on each beat count.
Rhythm Unit Cards: Double, Double, Single, Single
Frame: Closed Position
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6 &a7 &a8
[ X X] [ X X] [ X /] [ X /]
M:Foot L R L R L R
M:Dir F F F F F T F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 1
W:Foot R L R L R L
W:Dir F B F B B T B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 1
W:Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt>.1/2Rt>1/2Rt>
Verbal: [Quick Quick] [Quick Quick] [Slow ] [Slow ]
Rhythm Unit Cards: Double, Single, Double, Single
Frame: Closed Position
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6 &a7 &a8
[ X X] [ X /] [ X X] [ X /]
M:Foot L R L R L R
M:Dir F F F T F F F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 1
W:Foot R L R L R L
W:Dir F B B T F B B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 1 4 4 4 1
W:Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt> 1/2Lt>1/2Lt>
Verbal: [Quick Quick] [Slow ] [Quick Quick] [Slow ]
Rhythm Unit Cards:
Double, Double, Single, Double, Double, Single
Frame: Closed Position
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6
[ X X] [ X X] [ X /]
M:Foot L R L R L
M:Dir F F F F F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1
W:Foot R L R L R
W:Dir F B F B B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1
W:Turn 1/2Rt>1/2Rt>.1/2Rt>1/2Rt>
Verbal: [Quick Quick] [Quick Quick] [Slow ]
&a1 &a2 &a3 &a4 &a5 &a6
[ X X] [ X X] [ X /]
M:Foot R L R L R
M:Dir F F F F F T
M:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1
W:Foot L R L R L
W:Dir F B F B B T
W:Pos 4 4 4 4 4 1
W:Turn 1/2Lt>1/2Lt>.1/2Lt>1/2Lt>
Verbal: [Quick Quick] [Quick Quick] [Slow ]