Links and instructions to help you learn how to dance

Doing the MACARENA

Note: Keep knees flexed and transfer weight from side to side

with each beat of music, let the hips sway side to side with heel movements.

COUNTS / STEP DESCRIPTIONS

RIGHT ARM OUT, LEFT ARM OUT / RIGHT PALM UP,

LEFT PALM UP WITH ALTERNATING HEEL DROPS:

Point RIGHT arm straight forward, palm down

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Point LEFT arm straight forward, palm down

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

Turn RIGHT arm, palm up

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Turn LEFT arm, palm up

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

FOLD RIGHT ARM, FOLD LEFT ARM

COVER RIGHT EAR, COVER LEFT EAR:

Place RIGHT hand on left upper arm

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Place LEFT hand on right upper arm

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

Place RIGHT hand over right ear

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Place LEFT hand over left ear

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

RIGHT TO LEFT HIP, LEFT TO RIGHT HIP

RIGHT TO RIGHT HIP, LEFT TO LEFT HIP:

Place RIGHT hand on front of left hip

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Place LEFT hand on fron of right hip

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

Place RIGHT hand on right hip

Lift LEFT heel, drop RIGHT heel

Place LEFT hand on left hip

Lift RIGHT heel, drop LEFT heel

HIP ROLLS WITH 1/4 TURN LEFT:

(Bend Knees during hip rolls Pivoting on ball of both feet)

Move LEFT hip forward,

RIGHT hip backwards

Start slow 1/4 turn left

& Move RIGHT shoulder forward,

LEFT shoulder backwards

Move LEFT shoulder forward,

RIGHT shoulder backwards

& Move RIGHT shoulder forward

LEFT shoulder backwards

Move LEFT hip forward,

RIGHT hip backwards

& Move RIGHT shoulder forward,

LEFT shoulder backwards

Move LEFT shoulder forward,

RIGHT shoulder backwards

Complete 1/4 turn left

& Move RIGHT shoulder forward,

LEFT shoulder backwards

REPEAT

I found this video on You Tube of Kids learning the Macarena dance. The steps are the same for adults.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep9Pkxnsr3I

How to do the Twist Em

I found this dance called the Twist Em on YouTube.

This is a good intruction video with Jo Thompson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sxO0FToFTM

The Locomotion

There are a lot of variations on the Locomotion. The one version that seems to get the most people involved is when you have a person in the front (THE CONDUCTOR) leading the dance around the room or hall and everyone jumps in behind this person and mimics the steps of the Conductor. I have supplied several links of different ways this can be done. Little Eva made this dance popular. As you look at the link of her singing the song, notew the arm movements like the coupling rods on locomotive wheels. You can do this with your hands or place them on the waist of the person in front of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt9cnNRCdsk

Just remember to shake those hips!

Some other Locomotion Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbnV95meGVg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu3GaAG16jw&feature=related

The Twist

Dances don't come much easier than the twist. ‘The Twist’ was Checker’s fifth record and it sold over three million copies around the world and created a dance sensation. Checker said, “You can’t teach somebody to do The Twist, but its still an easy dance. The first position of the stance is kind of like a boxer’s, then move your hips like you’re drying yourself with a towel. Your body goes back and forth in one direction. From that point you ad-lib energetically”.

I haven't found one audiance where someone didn't get up and start Twistin. Check out these links to se it done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGAUTADn47U

I also found this Fat Boys rap version where they still twist like Cubby Checker decades later. Shubby even shows up in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-RfEuTErU&feature=related

The Electric

AKA the Electric Slide

AKA the Electric Boogie

This is not that complcated a dance, but it does require feet movement, torso tilting and hand movements like claping.

In its original form, the dance had 22 steps, as follows:

1–4 Grapevine right (tap and clap on 4)

5–8 Grapevine left (tap and clap on 8)

9–12 Walks back (tap and clap on 12)

13–16 Rock forward & back:

13: Left forward

14: Tap right toe at the left heel, snap

15: Right backward

16: Tap left toe at the right heel, clap

17–20 Repeat 13–16

21 Left forward with 1/4 turn left

22 Hop onto left foot with right leg in the air to start again

The Electric tide is actually a variation step: in place of the grapevine, you step right and slide your left foot over to it.

It takes 78 steps to return to the downbeat (1) and 88 steps to return to your original position.

Variations involve turns during the grapevine, walking backward, a spin on 22, various ways of clapping, and type of steps.

Ron Silver gave the dance 22 steps because his birthday is January 22.[3] The "broken" phrasing was a conscious decision. It introduces a certain diversity of accents which makes the pattern less repetitive. Some dance venues teach variations with extra or removed steps to make the dance fit the 4/4 phrasing, with 16 (The Freeze), 18 (the way most have learned the Electric Slide) or 24 (cowboy motion, cowboy boogie) steps.

The Electric Slide is visually similar to the traditional folk 'brassle' step but has the addition of front and back movement to the traditional lateral line. Here are few examples of how to do it.

http://search.live.com/video/results.aspx?q=How+to+do+the+Electric+slide+dance&docid=435413451307&FORM=VIRE#docid=661892038663

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZwnm6B90M

How to do the Chicken Dance!

At the start of the music, shape a chicken beak with your hands. Open and close it four times, during the first four beats of the music.
Make chicken wings with your arms. Flap your wings four times, during the next four beats of the music.
Make a chicken's tail feathers with your arms and hands. Wiggle downwards during the next four beats of the music.
Clap four times during the next four beats of the music.
Repeat this process four times.
At the bridge, hold your arms straight, in imitation of an aeroplane. All dancers spin around the room in "flight" until the bridge ends. Or....At the bridge, link arms with the nearest person, turn right eight steps, switch arms and turn left eight steps, then repeat until the bridge ends
The dance repeats, progressively getting faster and faster, until the music stops.

If a member of Motley Crew can do it, you can too..... It ain't that square!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGcdGNlKifY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UV3kRV46Zs

Mr. C's Cha Cha Slide

More often than not, Guys set out the line dances and I see all women on the dance floor. The number one excuse is.... I didn't know the steps. The Cha Cha Slide is the cure fror this excuse. The steps are in the song. Just listen and then do what you are told!

http://search.live.com/video/results.aspx?q=Cha+Cha+slide&docid=748635095045&mid=90EF339D745112C1480790EF339D745112C14807&FORM=VIVR

The Cupid Suffle

This website give instrction on how to do the Cupid Shuffle as well as a number of other dances you can do to Rap/Hip Hop music.

http://dancejam.com/dances/cupid-shuffle?gclid=CPzJ2OXL3JkCFdhL5QoduVzXXg

Booty Call dance steps

There are several ways this can be don so here is just one of those ways:

1.) Take 3 steps right

2.) Take 3 Steps left

3.) Take 3 steps back

4.) Take 1 jump forward (I usually just step and not jump) Shake your butt

5.) Step forward with your right foot and shake ur butt

6.) Step forwart with your left foot (your left foot will land IN FRONT of your right, NOT beside it) skake your butt.

7.) Cha-Cha 2 times. (thats where you step forward with your left foot, cross your right foot over your left, step back with your left foot, bring right foot back beside left, your making a square movement)

8.) Do a quarter turn and start over.