Karen's Beginner Class Syllabus
Table of Contents
American Smooth: Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz
American Rhythm: Cha-Cha, Rumba, Swing
Appendix: a .zip of all the beginner routines in Adobe Acrobat format.
Click on a link above to go directly to that dance routine.
Master List: Beginner waltz
WEEK 1
- Posture/ Walks/ Forward and Backward Balance
- Progressive Basic
WEEK 2
- Progessive Basic
- Right Box, w/ 1/4 Turn
WEEK 3
- Left Box w/1/4 turn
- Combo: Left Box/ Progressive Basic/ Right Box// no turn
WEEK 4
- Combo: Left and Right Box Turns, ¼ turns
WEEK 5
- NUAT
- Corner Hesitation
- 5th Position Balance
- Promenade Balance
WEEK 6
- Turn Combination
WEEK 7
- Around Room
WEEK 8
- Progressive Basic in O.P.
- Progressive Twinkle and close
WEEKS 9-10: Review
- Turn Combo/ Corner Hesitation
- NUAT/ 5th position balances/ Promenade Balance/ Hesitation
- Progressive Twinkle and Close/ Progressive Basic in O.P./ Left Box turn
Master List: Beginner Tango
WEEK 1
- Posture/ Leg Position
- Forward Basic, w/Turning Tango Close
WEEK 2
- Basic w/Turning Close
- Basic O.P.
- Simple Corte
WEEK 3
- Reverse Turn, L.O.P.
- Combo: Basic/ Basic O.P./ Reverse Turn/ Simple Corte
WEEK 4
- Combo around room
WEEK 5
- Basic in Promenade Position, w/Turning Close
- Forward Rock and Close
WEEK 6
- Combo: Basic/ Basic in Prom/ Fwd. Rock and Close/ Reverse Turn/ Corte
WEEK 7
- Forward Rocks
- Rock and Corte
WEEK 8
- Promenade to Open Fan
WEEKS 9-10: Review
- Basic/ Basic O.P./ Reverse Turn/ Corte
- Basic/ Promenade/ Fwd Rock and close
- Basic/ Fwd. Rocks/ Rock and Corte
- Open Fan
Master List: Beginner Cha Cha
WEEK 1
- Triple Rhythm/ Hip and Leg Action<
- Basic in Place
- Progressive Basic, w/2 Handhold
WEEK 2
- Basic in 4 Directions
- Prep Step
WEEK 3
- Crossovers, w/ Walkaround Turn
WEEK 4
- Review: Basic Combo
- Chase Turns, ½, Full
WEEK 5
- Double Crossover, NUAT ending
- 3 ChaChaCha's
WEEK 6
- Open Break/ NUAT
- Pat a Cake Crossovers
WEEK 7
- Two Way UAT
WEEK 8
- Crossover w/hand change
- R/R NUAT
WEEKS 9-10: Review
- Basic/ X over/ WAT/ Chase
- Basic/ Dbl. X over/ NUAT/ 3CCC
- Open Break/ NUAT/ Pat a Cake X over/ Dbl. X-over
- Basic/ Open Break/ 2 Way UAT/3 CCC
- Basic/ X over w/handchange/ R/R NUAT/ Full Chase
Master List: Beginner Rumba
WEEK 1
- Hip Action/ Footwork
- Square
- Forward and Backward Walks
WEEK 2
- Square, w/ Turn
- NUAT
WEEK 3
- Cucharachas
- Combo: Square/ walks/ NUAT/ Cucharacha
WEEK 4
- Umbrella
- Open Cuban Walk
WEEK 5
- Forward and Backward Rocks
- Combo: Fwd. Rocks/ Umbrella/ Cucharachas/ Back Rocks
WEEK 6
- Open Break/ NUAT/ Back Rocks
WEEK 7
- Crossbody Lead
- XBL/ Standard Ending
WEEK 8
- Offset Rocks
- Fifth Position Rocks
WEEKS 9-10: Review
- Basic/ OCW/ Umbrella/Cucaracha
- Open Break/ NUAT/ Fwd and Back Rocks
- Basic/ Offset Rocks
- XBL/ 5ths/ Standard Ending
Master List: Beginner Foxtrot
WEEK 1
- Walking Steps, Forward and Back (knee action)
- Chasses, Left and Right
- Dance Position and Posture
- Basic Step Forward and Back
WEEK 2
- Quarter Turns
- Ad Lib
WEEK 3
- Box Rhythm - w/ ¼ Turn to Left
- Combo: Quarter Turns x2/ Ad lib x2/ Box Turn
WEEK 4
- Dance Combo around the room
WEEK 5
- Basic in Promenade Position w/UAT
- Sway Step w/4 Quicks
WEEK 6
- Progressive Basic
- Progressive Basic in O.P.
- Progressive Twinkle and Close
WEEK 7
- Combo: Prog. Basic in R/L Side /Prom. Basic /Sway- 4Q /Ad lib at Corner, Around room
WEEK 8
- Natural Rock Turn/ (spin turn)
WEEKS 9/10: Review
- Quarter Turns x2/ ad lib x2/ L box Turn/ Promenade/Sway 4Q
- Prog. Basic R/L Side/ Prog Twinkle and Close
- Promenade/ with UAT/ Sway 4Q
Master List: Beginner Swing
WEEK 1
- Knee Action
- Single Time Basic
- Release Break
WEEK 2
- Basic/ Release Break/ NUAT
WEEK 3
- Add: Hand Change Turn
WEEK 4
- Add: RUAT
- Review Basic Combo in Single Time
WEEK 5
- Triple Time Chasse: Foot work and Leg Action
- Basic Combo in Triple Time
WEEK 6
- Wrap
- Reverse Wrap
WEEK 7
- Lindy Rhythm in Place
- Lindy Side by Side
- Two way UAT
WEEK 8
- Hip Bump
- Two Hand Slide
WEEKS 9-10: Review
- Single Time Combo
- Triple Time Combo
- Basic/ Release Break/ Wrap/ Reverse Wrap
- Basic/ / Release Break/ Two way UAT/ side by side rocks