We are teaching four partner dance styles and a bunch of line dances during the hoedown for beginners and intermediate dancers. Here’s what we mean:
- Beginner has little or no experience
- Beginner + has some familiarity with the basics
- Intermediate has solid comfort in the style and ready to learn some fun new moves and combinations.
Partner Dance Styles
We will be offering our staple Two-Step and West Coast Swing partner dance workshops with either a Hustle or Nightclub Two Step workshop.
You do not need a partner to partake in these lessons/workshops.
These are just some of the partner dance styles we will be playing music for at the dances — look for Cha Cha, Lindy Hop/East Coast Swing, Waltz, and more sprinkled out throughout our dances.
The Hustle
Saturday 12-noon workshop at Town Hall with Simone Assboeck
The Hustle (also known as the New York Hustle and “Latin Hustle” is a swing dance that you can do to any disco or club type music. It incorporates moves from samba, salsa, and swing dancing and is fairly easy to pick up and this is workshop will get you hustling in no time flat. I did this with a friend at a wedding and impressed everyone (and my partner didn’t know it!).
Simone will bring you up to speed with the basics and teach you a fun pattern or two.
Nightclub Two-Step
Saturday 12-noon workshop at Pilgrim House with Alan Gaskill
Nightclub Two-Step (also known as “disco two-step” and “California Two-Step) is a partner dance that was developed in the 1960’s to dance to some of the slow ballads of the time. It is a side to side dance done in a “slot”. (i.e., it usually doesn’t “progress” around the dance floor). This is the type of dance you wish you knew at the high school prom when those torch songs came on. A great dance style to have in your arsonal.
Alan is teaching the basics as well as a pattern or two that will having you move with grace and elegance on the dance floor.
Two-Step
Two-step (Country Two Step), at least in New England, is a partner dance where you progress around the dance floor with the pattern of quick-quick-slow-slow to 4/4 music (Our friends from the west coast start slow-slow-quick-quick and texas folks add a lock step in one of the quicks). Two step is one of our favorites and will be played a lot during throughout the weekend.
Here’s a list of our Two Step lessons and workshops:
Hint: If you are absolutely new to two-step (never taken a lesson), consider taking the Friday night lesson, ask everyone to dance, and then the beginner workshop. This will allow you to have a great basis for the workshop.
Beginner Lessons
Friday at 8:00 pm and Saturday at 7:00 pm at Town hall with Art Sullivan
Learn the basic form (quick-quick-slow-slow), a hesitation move, and an under-arm turn. This will get you the basics to get out on the floor.
Beginner + Workshop
Saturday 10:00 am Workshop at Town Hall with Simone Assboeck
Moving on from the basic noted above, learn a few new patterns. You can still take this if you are new to two-step.
Intermediate Workshop
Saturday 10:00 am Workshop at Pilgrim House with Alan Gaskill
Assumes you know a few moves in two-step and are comfortable with the basic mechanics.
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing has a long history but not as West Coast Swing. It stems from the Jitterbug and became popular as a slot style dance that can be done on a very crowded floor. The jitterbug’s bouncy movements were smoothed out, slowed down, and the result is a sexy dance where a leader guides his partner back and forth along the slot. It’s a damn sexy dance.
Here’s a list of the workshops for Stomp:
Beginner +
Saturday 4 pm workshop at Town Hall with Alan Gaskill
Learn the basic 6 count form and some other patterns that will get you on the floor.
Intermediate
Saturday 4:00 pm workshop at Pilgrim House with Simone Assboeck
Assumes you solidly know the basics and are ready to learn a more complicated pattern that will be sexy as hell on the dance floor.
Line Dances
Numerous line dances are taught in the lessons and workshops this weekend. Check out the demos below. If you want to be even more geeky, check out the step sheets to see what the notations are.
Better When I’m Dancing
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 11 am at Town Hall
32/2 (count/wall) • Beginner by Choreographer: Conrad Farnham
Music: “Better When I’m Dancin’” by Meghan Trainor
Cowboy Up!!!
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 11 am at Town Hall
32/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Conrad Farnham
Music: “Cowboy Up” by Jill Johnson
Everybody Dance Now
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 3 pm at Town Hall (if time permits)
32/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Conrad Farnham
Music: “Everybody Dance Now” (Power Mix Workout version) by C.C. Music Factory
I Got a Woman
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 11 am at Pilgrim House
32/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Michael Desire NIETO
Music: “I Got A Woman” by Rudedog feat Ray Charles
I Got This
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 11 am at Pilgrim House
48/3 (count/wall) • Intermediate by Randy Pelletier
Music: “I Got This” by Jerrod Niemann
I’ll Take You Back… Not
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 11 am at Town Hall (if time permits)
20/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Conrad Farnham
Music: “I’ll Take You Back” by Brad Paisley
Sing
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 3 pm at Town Hall
48/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Conrad Farnham
Music: “Sing” by Pentatonix
Sweet Caroline
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday dance Lesson 7:30 pm at Town Hall
56/2 (count/wall) • Intermediate (“Phrased Improver”) by Darren Bailey
Music: “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
Whole Lot in Love
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 3 pm at Pilgrim House
32/2 (count/wall) • Improver by Randy Pelletier
Music: “Whole Lot in Love” by Austin Burke
You Look Good
Stepsheet • Demo
Saturday Workshop 3 pm at Town Hall
32/4 (count/wall) • Beginner by Conrad Farnham
Music: “You Look Good” by Lady Antebellum