Gays for Patsy Dance Club

Partner and Line Dances

Photo from Stomp 2015 two step workshop

Overview | Registration/Cost | Schedule | Partner and Line Dances | Instructors and DJs | Getting Here | Accommodations | Volunteering

We are teaching four partner dance styles (Cha Cha, Two-Step, East Coast Swing, and West Coast Swing) 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 + (also Improver) 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 along with a East Coast Swing or Cha Cha 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 Nightclub Two-Step, Lindy/East Coast Swing, Hustle, Waltz, and more sprinkled out throughout our dances.

Cha Cha

Cha Cha (and Mambo — the precursor to Salsa), first became popular in the United States in the 1950s originated in Cuba. Cha Cha’s name comes from the chasses (cha-cha-cha) in the basic rhythm. It’s a fun and lively dance that you will hear in a lot of line dances. Mambo is similar but more sultry and doesn’t have the chassis.

A LOT of line dances have a cha cha rhythm to them. If you don’t know the line dance, but hear the rhythm, try the cha cha off to the side (if space permits).

Alan is teaching the basics as well as a pattern or two that will have you move with grace and elegance on the dance floor.

Cha Cha Workshop

  • Saturday, 3:00-3:50 pm with Alan Gaskell (The Pilgrim House)

East Coast Swing

We mainly do Triple Step or a Six Count moves. Both have their roots in Lindy Hop, with Triple Two arriving around late 1920’s and Six count in the 1930’s.

East Coast Swing Workshop

Hustle

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. It is fairly easy to pick up and this is workshop will get you hustling in no time flat.

Bob comment: I did this with a friend at a wedding and impressed everyone — and my partner didn’t know it! The hustle is a blast to do if you have room on the dance floor, not recommended if you’re at a disco shoulder-to-shoulder (not that I tried that noooo… hobbling off the dance floor after smashing a beer bottle). 

Two-Step Lessons and Workshops

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 lockstep in one of the quicks). Two-step is one of our favorites and will be played a lot 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 on Saturday. It will give you a dance and a break to absorb the basics before moving on to the Beginner + lessons.

Two-Step Beginner Lessons

For people who have never danced two-step (or need a refresher on the basics). Learn the basic form (quick-quick, slow-slow), a hesitation move, and an under-arm turn. After this lesson, you will be able to navigate around the dance floor.

  • Friday,  8:00-8:30 pm
    • Beginner Two-Step with Art Sullivan (Town Hall)
  • Saturday, 7:00-7:30 pm
    • Beginner Two-Step with Art Sullivan (Town Hall)

Beginner+ Two-Step Workshop

Moving on from the basic pattern noted above, learn a few new patterns. You can take this without experience doing it but I suggested you the basic two-step lesson with Art on Friday night to digest it a bit before moving to patterns.

  • Saturday 12:00-12:50 pm

Intermediate Two-Step Workshop

Assumes you know a few moves in two-step and are comfortable with the basic mechanics. This will be a bit faster-paced than the Beginner + lesson.

  • Saturday 12:00-12:50 pm
    • Intermediate Two-Step Workshop with Alan Gaskill (Pilgrim House)

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 West Coast Swing Workshop

Learn the basic 6-count form and some patterns that will get you on the floor. 

  • Saturday 4:00-4:50 pm
    • Beginner West Coast Swing Workshop
      with Alan Gaskill (The Pilgrim House)

Intermediate West Coast Swing Workshop

Intermediate assumes a solid familiarity with the basic count patterns and are ready to learn a more complicated pattern that will be sexy as hell on the dance floor.

  • Saturday 10:00-10:50 am
    • Intermediate West Coast Swing Workshop
      with Alan Gaskill (Pilgrim House)

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 geekier, check out the step sheets to see what the notations are.

Friday, April 29, 2022
  • 8:30-9:00 pm
    • Beginner Line Dance Lesson
      with Art Sullivan (Town Hall)
      I’m Glad You Exist beginner by Kickin’ it Country
Saturday, April 30, 2022
  • 9:30-9:50 am
    • Line Dance 101: Part I with Bob Sweeney (Town Hall)
      I’ll go through shuffles, coasters, sailor steps, weaves vs. vines, and more. What we don’t cover, I’ll cover in Sunday’s Part 2.
  • 11:00–11:50 am
  • 2:00–2:50 pm
  • 3:00–3:50 pm
    • Intermediate Line Dance Workshop with Jen Collins (Town Hall)
  • 7:30–8:00 pm
    • Beginner Line Dance with Art Sullivan (Town Hall)
Sunday, May 1, 2022
  • 10:30-11:00 am
    • Line Dance 101: Part II (Town Hall)
      Building on Part I, I’ll continue onto monterey turns, tips on doing things quicker.
      with Bob Sweeney
  • 11:00–11:30 am
    • Beginner Line Dance (Town Hall)
      with Bob Sweeney
      Style beginner by KyungOk Kim