Double Spin, Double Spin, Double Spin

Just got back from another night dancing. I was feeling a bit ill but I didn't think it was contagious so I went tonight anyway and I was really glad I did. Had a fantastic set of classes and enjoyed so many of my dances. There were some things that I was doing wrong in freestyle and I didn't really branch out in my intermediate moves but I think overall things were good.

Beginners' Class was Yo-Yo, Shoulder Drop, First Move Three Step and, Man Spin. As there were no actual beginners we did the First Move Three Step which starts like a First Move then you move your left hand in front doing a little left step bring in right foot and step with left (like a little skip) before twirling the woman straight out of that. The teacher also said you can try a double spin on the Man Spin which (obviously I tried) I did and then repeated to varying degrees of success in freestyle (about 50% of the time I can do it). She even congratulated me in class. I felt all special :).

• First Move into Swizzle Top. Start with a First Move when you put your hand back on your shoulder push away with it transferring to your right hand so you are at arms length then move your partner in under your arm in a twirl and then move into a Swizzle Top (like a Sway but with right hand firmly on her waist and the left ready for a push spin on her left shoulder). Push spin and catch with left. Return.


• Neck Break. Raise right hand in the air to indicate the move. Draw her forward with the left raising your left hand to your left shoulder while stepping in side to side. The right is then dropped to her left shoulder (slightly over it) you then twist her around using the left (being brought down to your right side). Let go with the left and put the right firmly on her shoulder. Bring her in towards you slightly before spinning her using her right shoulder. Return.


• Armjive Swizzle into Some Super Choke Thing. Start with armjive swizzle but as you finish the swizzle rather than take your left hand out put it on her right shoulder (so she has her right hand on her own shoulder. Then you take her left hand (which is in a half nelson) and turn her anticlockwise (?) and extend the hand out a bit like a swizzle. The right hand rests in a strange pseudo comb over the back of her neck while she faces 90° to your left. Then you bring the left hand up, turning her to face away from you, and comb that over her and onto her stomach. Then you do the same with the left hand you have locked behind her neck trying not to break her neck or anything at the same time. Half the time at least it seems to get caught in her hair but the other half you'll get it over and down to her waist as well. You then lift up the right and then the left begin turning her clockwise while letting go with the right and extend the left out to the right after one and a half turns and spinning her.

The last move was tricky and there were only a few women that I could pull it off with.

Tags: Ceroc

Party Number 2

I'm exhausted. Seriously. So I would say I'm going to keep this short but I know I'm going to write a lot instead. Maybe I should get a cup of coffee. Anyway had a fantastic night dancing. I had no energy left by 23:30 but then just carried on anyway. I think that when I hardly had any energy left I wasn't really dancing as well as I can but I had some of my best dances I've had yet while being at Ceroc which were just ace. The last song of the evening was super fast and turned out to be really good fun to frantically dance to finishing off a really good evening for me.

I met quite a few of the forumites tonight which was interesting to put some faces to the names (or even learn what their names are as well :)). There were probably about half a dozen women there that had never been to a Ceroc event before; I imagine the party must of been tough going for them (though it's more forgiving of beginner women than beginner men). I hope the night was enjoyable for them. They often make a point in class about women asking men up to dance but they didn't at the party so often these beginner women will sit waiting to be asked and in a fairly high ratio women-to-men event then often men will never get the chance to approach them.

So my third month dancing and my second party has passed. If I'm going to try and make a goal for the next one (along with just general improvement and having fun) it would be to work on my First Move stuff mainly just leading it better and improving my style.

Love the moves we learnt tonight as one of them is a nice filler move that works really well and, I think, looks good too; I'd certainly like to learn more of this sort of move and will definately keep using it in future.

Short party routine. It's a shame ducasi hadn't arrived by the lesson (I don't think he had anyway) otherwise it would have been interesting to see how our descriptions of the moves varied :).

• Arm Jive Step. Step in to the left of your partner (rather than turn) then rotate 180° to face your partner and extend arms out to move back. Repeat until bored (or twice); at which stage raise your left hand to indicate and twist the follower clockwise. Return.


• Man Spin Turn Around. Start like a Man Spin but as you move in don't turn and put your right arm behind the woman and on her left hip (well really her hand that is on that hip). Walk clockwise with her doing the same and then (after two turns but in freestyle I'd often do it until I thought there might be something inline with music happening) pull with your right arm sending her into a quick twirl and bringing her into her own arm to move into a Basket. We then twirled her with the right, extended arm to the left and than span her but, hey, it's the Basket go crazy. Loved this move to, I expect, an excessive use boredom by my partners.


• Dip. Tough one this and I don't even think I tried it in freestyle. As the woman is spinning put your right hand on her lower back as she is part way through the spin and your left arm on her upper back when she is finishing her spin. Hopefully she'll pick up the signal and wrap her arm around your neck ready for the dip. It's a really fast execution time though and very few women ever seemed to be prepared for it so I didn't want to dip them. Exited with a spin from the right hand at her waist for what it is worth.

Tags: Ceroc

Fast Dances All Around

It's late and I've got an early start so I'll try and keep this short. Lots of fast tunes but they were enjoyable as a whole. Not sure how my dancing is coming on at times I felt that some of the intermediate moves I was leading I was slightly gripping and yanking the woman into position which isn't really a habbit I want to form (or keep if I am already doing it). I'm still not leading the intermediate great at times; certainly women take the wrong lead from it.

Octopus, Man Spin, Catapult and, Armjive Swizzle. Fine; though a lot of work for a total beginner (three quite complicated moves).

• Start like the Zipper I think by taking the woman past your right while twisting her in towards you (could be wrong though and did it wrong a few times during freestyle) so her arms are crossed. Then pull with your left hand while turning to be back to back with arms high above you. Move left into a half nelson with her doing the same and then back right for the opposite hold. While in this though duck and slip under your nelson and the woman's arm (in towards the woman) and out the other side then twist the woman with your left arm (clockwise I think) for a spin and a quarter taking her to face away from you. At this stage move her to face right then left, right, left before letting go with left and spinning her with right for one complete turn (I think) and take her into a right handed ceroc spin and catch with left. Though I'm currently fairly certain on how to do this move I hope I can revisit it on Saturday to see if this is what it actually consisted of.


• Left handed start while offering with your right behind your back you move the woman towards it but then pull it away so she can't actually take it (it's a strange move) and twirl to face her (now that she is behind you) and swap to your right hand then move into the position where she is on the right and your right hand is on her right hip. Sway her back and forward before indicating her forward and swapping to the left. Return.


• Take both hands and move into a Basket. Only move back though then release with your left hand and spin her twice to bring her in front of you with the right while keeping the left at her waist. At this stage move into a ballroom grip and step back on left bringing her into a lean then dip her to the side (while trying to take your raised left hand past your head; wasn't very graceful at this) resume an upright position and flatten hand for a spin while moving right hand to her hip. Spin and catch left.

Well so much for short.

Tags: Ceroc

Dance!

I had some really enjoyable dances tonight but also some that seem to have just gone wrong (I don't think entirely because of what I was doing). There was a few intermediate moves that I tried and just gave up on. There were some other intermediates that seemed to have been going really well. At the end I was knackered; which was great. My knees hurt a little bit (I'm currently have some problems with 'em) but not as much than when I was sitting in an office so something strange is up. Once again I never got a chance to look at the moves list so I haven't yet had the chance to replace my descriptions with just names (but I'll get around to it).

Armjive Push Spin, Shoulder Drop, Step Across and, Sidestep.

• Archi-Spin Basic. Left hand start. It's on the excellent Jivoholics Anonymous; I'd direct link it but they don't allow you to. I'd just mention it is important to get the woman's hand to face upward and then making a sweeping clockwise motion with it to stop injury. As you do that she begins moving past behind you as you rotate anti-clockwise as she does the same. Return.


• Hand Swap Turny Thing. Start left but swap straight to right hand. Turn yourself anticlockwise and when you turn and face the follower turn her clockwise. Step back and return.


• Err... Move Around Thing. Start like a Yo-Yo except spin the woman aniti-clockwise, for half a turn, rather than push out at the same time pivot 180° yourself. Rest your left hand on her left hip and stand to her right. Push across with the left and spin using the right hand on her hip (while turning 90° to face her). Catch with right.


• Dip Thing. I needed practice with this so my explanation will suck. Right hand start. Offer left hand from up the right hand (so you start with arms crossed). Move in crossing the woman's right arm over your chest. Rotate 180° to face woman. Take your left hand and put it to the woman's right shoulder. Then pivot the woman around with right hand (taking your arm over her head so you are behind her and her arms are crossed in front of her and yours are crossed behind her back. Then you let her drop her arms and lean back with one foot allowing her to dip on your hands and your elbows as support. You then spin her for a half turn using your left arm. Catch with left. There was probably a return.

Tags: Ceroc

I Love It!

Tonight was fantastic but went all to quickly (must like the fast paced music we had for so much of the night) leaving me craving more. Loved so many of my dances though was very surprised to see some people who were attending their first class try the intermediate (they gave up after the first move though).

The teacher kept the intermediate quite simple tonight which was good but did some beginners moves that are no longer in the beginner's set. This was interesting for me who is beginning to see the same beginners moves twice a week (though I still enjoy them). We had the Hatchback, Cross Over, Armjive and, Wulitzer (sp?). The Hatchback starts like a Yo-Yo (but you flatten your hand across your chest) then you step forward right and spin the woman behind you while turning. The Wulitzer we did at the last party but basically it's two handed and you push the woman out to the side using the (flat) left hand and then spin her anti-clockwise using the right. Cross Over might be called that but I appear to be having a brain fart.

I'm actually going to copy down the intermediate name some time soon. The moves tonight had short names but I still failed to remember them.

• Teapot Something. Left hand start; move that up in between you while putting your right hand on the womans left hip (stops her trying to continue forward; even still in freestyle at least a few women took the raised hand as a sign to return). Let go with left and slide your right hand at waist level around her to her left hand side while moving in at her right. She hopefully offers her left hand which you take with your left and then move her back (moving her and your left hand to her right as a nice style tip) and then forward. At this stage push her across to the left while moving her left arm into a half nelson and extending the right. Pull her back to the previous position and do the step back and forwards again but this time push with your right arm to move her out as she piviots around taking your right with her right. Move that across and swap her hand into your left hand (for the next move).


• First Move into some Spintop thing. First Move but when you move her out push further back with your left hand causing her to move her right arm back further and put your right hand inside that loop (on her arm) while letting go with the left. This means you can spin her around behind you and catch with the right


• Catapult into Dip. Catapult but offer left hand on your right side and rotate her anti-clockwise before turning yourself on her back (clockwise) and letting go with the left. Spin her around you then in front for a another spin (for a total of two spins) before putting your left hand on her back; right on her waist; and moving her arm over your neck for a breif dip. Correct and spin. I did something just like this a while back; except the dip ending.

Liked the intermediate moves from tonight and had a good chance to test out other intermediate moves some of which worked and a few that went wrong. However what perked me up was the fact that I lead intermediate moves on women who didn't know the particular move and it worked; which is the first time I've really been able to take that from theory and put it into practice with intermediate moves. However I do want to practice my Lambada Drop but I'm always to shy to ask women if they fancy a go at it so don't get the opportunity to practice it.

Tags: Ceroc

Much Better Than Thursday

Tonight was really good fun. Turned up a little late; about half way through learning the first move; there were a bunch of new people but the girls I danced with were really fast learners and it was a joy dancing with them. Dancing tonight was great and the music was great too.

Beginners were Armjive with a Swizzle, Octopus, First Move Push Spin and, Hand Swap. Intermediate:

• Basket into Slide Thing. Start with a Basket then instead of leading out move the woman across the front of you keeping hold of the left hand and taking the right hand onto the woman's left shoulder. Then spin her around twice (in one beat so it is very quickly) and comb her raised hand to your right shoulder. Then both of you slide to the right as you let go with your left hand and then put it down to your waist level to catch her hand before bringing her under your arm (like the end of a Shoulder Drop).


• First Move into Lunge then Log Step. Start a First Move but spin the woman 1½ times flattening left hand and bringing her in front of you and placing right hand on the small of her back. Step back with the left (bending the knee slightly) as she steps forward into a lunge then she moves into a pretend dip to the left before correcting and moving out of this. Then when you are upright push and lower the left hand while taking a step back on left (the woman does the same with her right foot) and then you guide her right hand to your right (as waist level) than around to the left then up to shoulder and flatten for a push spin. Spin and return.


• Catapult into Spinning Top. Start with a catapult but don't offer your left hand behind you. Move the woman to your left side and then place your left hand on her left side. Move her forward and she moves her right arm above your head. You move her out in front under tension with hands on both hips. You then move her back into your right side while placing your left hand on her left shoulder and your right hand at her hip. You then push and pull at the same time to send her into a clockwise double spin behind you before catching with left hand. Return.

A nice, enjoyable, set of moves.

Tags: Ceroc

Ceroc? No; Salsa!

I fancied a dance over the weekend and nothing really happened to plan so I went to a Salsa class. I had previously read Widipedia's entry on Salsa as my basis of knowledge about it. It was really quiet (which I hope for the lovely instructor's sake isn't a regular night). It took me a while to get into the feel of the footwork which is something like:

The basic movement occurring in the dance patterns of the various salsa styles is the stepping on the beat of the music. Salsa is best grouped in pairs of 4-beat patterns counted "1-2-3-...-5-6-7-...". The leader (male) starts on count 1 by stepping with the left foot. On count 2 and 3, he steps with right and left, respectively. On count 4, he pauses or makes an optional tap with the right foot. On counts 5, 6, and 7, he steps with right, left, and right, respectively, again followed by a pause on count 8. As a standard, every step must be taken with full weight transfer. The follower (female) part is identical, but with left and right reversed. In all patterns and styles, the leader starts with the left foot and the follower starts with the right foot.

Salsa Dance; Wikipedia

So though I'm not going to make it a regular thing we went through the Mambo, Sidestep, Backstep, Backstep Across and, Mambo Twirl. I kept planning on changing moves mid sequence (i.e. on the fourth beat); which I couldn't do. However I did enjoy my dances even though they felt as hopelessly limited as my Ceroc did when I started that.

On top of the Salsa we also learned Merengue which was great fun. It's sort of like a march. It was interesting to see move similarities. The twirls were odd where it takes a full four beats to get around and the woman would do it and then the guy (under the same arched hands). There was also a double hand hold twirl were both people went under their hands and then lifted the other hand while dropping the raised one to complete a circle. There was a move where you turned opposite facings while lifting your hands over each other's shoulders and sliding down the arm into a hand hold (similar to a few ceroc exits just with it taking a bit longer and marching occurring at the same time). There was a move like a Basket as well except you started walking backwards when in the hold. All in all it was most interesting. I hope I can and least try a bit of Salsa at some stage in the next few weeks and see if I can still do the few moves I learnt :D.

Tags: Salsa, Merengue

Not Tonight

I think everyone has fairly poor dancing nights and I think this was one for me. I did have some really good dances and I was real upbeat when a woman complemented me on my ability to adjust to the music (not just the beats but in changing style and my moves). I did stick to mostly basic moves again but the intermediate tonight knocked me down a peg. I also had my new dancing trainers on; which were great and did make a difference (though my attempt at a double spin just resulted in me going off balance).

After going for some drinks after Ceroc I tried my feet at some Salsa but that didn't work very well; I tried to imitate others on the floor but felt like I really wanted to do some Ceroc

Beginner was Yo-Yo, Ceroc Spin, First Move and, Shoulder Slide* except the Shoulder Slide was a variant where as you turned around you pushed on the woman's biceps to send her into a spin (and we did a proposal sort of style things for the guys at the same time). It was fun but this time I kept moving into the next move without the return (which we seemed to have on all the moves).

Lets give these intermediate moves a go.

• Left hand start, step back turning slight clockwise and offer right hand behind back. Woman takes this as you move past her taking your left hand down and your right hand up (so at some stage you are back-to-back). When she comes around begin turning clockwise(?) into a weird hold thing letting go (probably with left) and twirling her around for 2½ times in front before moving her hand out and spinning her catching with right.


• Right hand start with the Yo-Yo but start with offering your left hand behind which she takes when you move her outwards. Then you move across taking your right hand above your head and your left hand across your back then you move her out like the end of a Catapult but you keep hold with both hands. Then, magically, one of her hands is in a half nelson behind her while you take her other hand over her head. Then you move out of that in such a way to end up with her hand over your shoulder and yours over hers hip to hip facing the same direction before sliding left hand down and sending her into a spin in front of you as you step across. There might have been a return, who cares by this stage? As you can see I didn't get the move; I didn't know it then and I sure as hell don't know it now.


• First Move but instead of going back up to shoulder move her hand between you both forcing her to pivot so she is facing the other way from you. Then pivot her back but slightly in front then back directly facing you for a slight lean before moving into a left foot Mambo step. Finish on your left foot forward; twirl her, while keeping on her waist with right hand, 270° drop her hand to your neck while supporting her upper back with left and give her a quick dip; after correcting spin her using right hand.

Not my night for moves at all. I could only do the third move with any success and even then not that often. Obviously this showed in class as twice I was left partner-less after a count (I think that was just coincidence though; I hope... obviously someone did come to my rescue). Anyway scratch tonight's intermediate .

Tags: Ceroc

Singing and Dancing

Well I sang along to a couple of the songs (no doubt my tone-deaf singing was a delight to my partner).

What did they have in store tonight you ask? Started with the First Move, Shoulder Slide, Yo-Yo and, Ceroc™ Spin. Great stuff.

• Hug Strip - Both hands. Move woman past you on the left and then spin her anti-clockwise so her arms are crossed then rotate clockwise 180° so your back is facing and your arms are crossed. Place your crossed arms on your shoulders and then down to your waist. Then there is a "taking your top off" action (without taking your top off; though maybe some people who want to be more stylish do that :D). Raise your hands quickly over your head then switching your hands (so they aren't crossed but the follower's are) drop them back on your shoulder then release and catch both hands behind. Move into a half nelson position (with left arm) and with your partner on the right before letting go with the left and sweeping your partner in front. Twirl her around in front then sweep with the left arm and move down her arm.


• Accordion Seat. We did a quick Man Spin. Right hand twirl woman then take her right with your left into an Accordion where you pivot the woman in front of you. When you get to a right hand at waist with the left high you can then turn her away from you, snap your right hand to the right hand side of her waist. You then kneel behind her while bringing your left hand down to her right hand side causing her to sit on your lap (sort of; there isn't really any weight there as she is supporting herself). Lift left hand out and spin back with right then twirl with both hands still connected.


• Something involving a Crucifix. Both hands still crossed move the woman past your right hand side and then twist in with your left hand causing her to turn in such a way that you complete a 360° turn then both of you pivot left and wrap arms over each others heads (we've done things like this before). Take your right hand away from her shoulder and drop to your right waist which she takes with her now free arm. Step in and angle her other arm upwards before turning her around with the right while simultaneously bringing that arm up. She moves 540° around while your stretch our her arms into a Crucifix like shape. She is then pretty much in control while you just stand around holding her arms. We actually did her doing a few step across before then taking a foot and sliding it (on the floor) between your feet (putting a little bit of lean on your arms).

Was a good range of moves and I enjoyed all so many of my dances. Got some other intermediate move practices in. While dancing with one of the taxis (well she wasn't a taxi this evening) she was stealing the lead again. That nervous feeling of her preparing to steal the lead kept me on my toes. It was interesting; she lead the Accordion move we learnt in Intermediate but the first point I was aware that that was what I was doing was when she yelled Sit! from behind me. It was most amusing.

On another note I got a call today saying my dancing trainers are in stock. Yeay! I might well go buy them tomorrow.

Tags: Ceroc

Dancing On A Monday?

My Monday night game being cancelled twisted my arm into going dancing. I took my notes of previous intermediate moves reading up on them and determined to learn a few well. I was also worried about overloading my brain this week with nine new intermediate moves. As chance would have it they were missing a male taxi dancer so I offered to help out as a taxi dancer minion or something. Anyway so that lead me not to do the intermediate but revise the beginners stuff. The beginners moves were Octopus, Man Spin, Catapult and, The Comb. The beginners were all fun to dance with and it all seemed to work out well.

My intermediate moves are still a bit poor I need to lead them better but a few of them worked; a few others I had to abort. All the dancing was excellent fun though and I probably came away with one of my biggest dancing highs. One of my dances, with the taxi dancer, she kept stealing the lead which was really interesting and good fun. So tonight was my first night of dancing as a follower. It's bizarre I'm not sure how women do it all the time. I suppose my poor analogy is a bit like tickling. Now if you try tickling yourself it doesn't make you laugh that's because you are expecting it. Leading is a bit like that you control the dance; the only reason you are spinning, for example, is because you chose to spin. On the other hand following you don't get any real control someone is spinning you around and you can't really anticipate what is coming (maybe you can; but it requires practice I guess). It was also weird seeing moves from the other perspective and only half way through, say, a Basket I'd actually realise I'd just been put into one. At the same time my brain was working away trying to steal the lead back but at the end it was only when she relinquished it that I actually got it back. I'd definitely like to do that again though.

silverhippo and Graham were asking what sort of dancing it was so my poor descriptions weren't obviously very good. Anyway if you do want to know more check out Jiveoholics Anonymous they have some videos and everything. Speaking of which on of the moves I learnt at the party was a Zipper Basic hurray!

Tags: Ceroc

Hey! This is Ceroc; What's With All The Footwork?

Just got back from another fantastic night dancing. There was quite a bit of footwork in the intermediate, which came as a surprise, along with a drop that nearly put the follower on the floor (in the case of the couple behind me it did though she was fine). Loved all the dances and, scarily, started seeing ducasi's point about faster songs; had a really enjoyable and fluid dance with a quick song and loved it. As per a usual Thursday the floor was packed.

Started out with the teacher demoing something different than we actually did (I'm not sure how many others noticed). Armjive with a Swizzle, Basket, Shoulder Slide and, Catapult was the actual beginner's set we did. The teacher had us men do filler while we spun the woman on the Catapult including a spin and a proposal. I liked doing the filler and will definitely continue doing it in future (I need to spin faster though since often the woman would finish first).

Intermediate had three great (though scary) moves in. Two of them involved quite a bit of footwork which isn't really my strongest point. Anyway all three of them are moves I hope I keep; failing to learn their names though I'll just make them up.

• First Move Step Lean Thing?. Start with a first move but then bring partner to face then step across left foot with right facing away them straighten and face woman then step again (4 times in this case) them move into a slide with left knee out and allow the woman to put her leg slightly up your right leg (as one person said like a dog pissing up a post; though hopefully more graceful than that :D). Step back out of that and you are basically at the middle of a first move you could finish that or...


• First Move into Samba Mapping or Something?. Wow samba mapping geek jokes. I'm not even convinced it was a Samba. Anyway First Move; pivot to be in front of your partner with your right hand on her lower back. Pull her forward while moving your right foot back then left, right and then sweep her around so she is along side you in another first move like style before repeating to go back across the floor. Exit the First Move as normal (or in this case with a push spin).


• Catapult into Cross Steps and Scary Ass Drop?. Catapult; check. Great when the woman is behind you with both arms tense move into cross stepping right-to-left, left-to-right, right-to-left and, left-to-right (sorry about listing them like that) hopefully your partner will follow suit. When that's done move back like a normal catapult but wrap your left hand over her head and right hand to your back and shift hand positions to a tight grip (with your left hand facing away from you across the palm of the woman). Bring the woman forward and do a shallow dip (the arm supplies some additional support) then prep to do it again but possibly with the scary ass drop instead. Move the arm away from behind the woman while still preparing the drop then drop her (hopefully gently) partially against your left leg to, like, and inch of the floor before pulling her back up again. Then spin her out of the the move with the left.

I did the scary ass drop a few times during class but the busy dance floor stopped me wanting to do it during a dance (still loved the Catapult with cross over movements though). Did a Lambada though which was good; and tried doing a fair few intermediate moves. I tried marking all the beginners I danced with and tried to find them later to give them a proper dance but couldn't so I felt really bad.

Tags: Ceroc

What a Night!

Well recently got back from dancing. Had a really good time tonight; though apparently I wasn't smiling as much as normal. I'm going to place the lack of smiling on concentration but I'll do better in the future. My lil' sis was there tonight. Her first night in a long time.

Beginner's Moves were Yo-Yo, Slow Comb, Basket and Man Spin. Interestingly on the Slow Comb we went straight into a double handed catch rather than on the return. It kept things fresh.

Intermediate were all good fun. I thought I was coping ok but the teacher had a fourth move as well which started me messing up the others a bit.

• Yo-Yo Lasso (Push?) Spin - Start with a Yo-Yo rather than locking arms move the follower's arm up and rotate her around 1½ times to face flattening hand at the same time. Go into a push spin then catch with right. Return.


• Start of by pulling woman into your side holding right to right on her right hip. She simultaneously offers her left; which you take with your left. Raise her left hand high rotating her clockwise while holding on with the right. After rotating her once lead forward with the left (causing her to step left foot in front of you) turn her to face and then rotate her anti-clockwise in front resulting in a crossing of hands.


• The last move's exit is great for the next move which starts by stepping side-by-side facing each other, with your partner on the right, with the man holding the hands crossing his waist (meaning the woman has left hand stretched across). Move to turn and face her insuring hands are together take both hands to the right hand side while releasing with the right and holding with the left. Take her hands and rotate her clockwise as you are rotating her hands over her place your right hand on her back and slide to the hip ready to twirl her in the opposite direction. Once this is done move her hands (using a loop) over your head into a double handed comb drop your hand and when she is ready she will release and you take both hands (or with your left just if you like).


• Start with a wertzel or whatever it is called. Push her out holding with right to left. She spins into your waist and takes your hand and she does a brief lean you then raise your left hand then let go and slide your hand down her arm. At the same time take your right hand and turn her clockwise for 1½ turns until she is facing. At this stage drop the right to hip level and put your left hand on her shoulder as she does the same. You take a right then left step back and then go into a Mambo with stepping forward and backward with the left. When you get bored of this step up to her side (on the left) and then move her out back in the wertzel ending style before spinning her and catching (in this case right). There might have been a return.

I'd love to go into more detail but I should call this a wrap. I have to apologize to one woman who I said I'd dance with again later but didn't get a chance before the end. I promised her a dance on Thursday.

Tags: Ceroc