Do you want to learn Quick Step dance? You couldn't have picked a more fun, more energetic dance to learn!
Quick Step is just one of the great ballroom dances to learn, and like the Foxtrot, it is quick and provides a good workout. While learning to waltz can sometimes come across as a bit boring, Quick Step lessons are sure to keep you on your toes. From the quick music to the traveling steps, you won't be able to 'fake it' in the least. Stay on your toes and you'll be whirling around the dance floor in no time.
History of Quick Step Dance
Nowadays, the Quick Step is found at many ballroom dance competitions, but when and where did it start? The quick Step is a dance primarily evolved from the Foxtrot and the Charleston, and began in the 1920s in England. Since that time, the dance has gone through many evolutionary changes; the dance is now quicker than ever (although it can still be done more slowly for beginner and intermediate students) and there is more and more use of syncopation in the steps.
This ballroom dance may look a little bit like the whirling figures of a waltz on the dance floor, but if you listen to the music, you will hear that the Quick Step is done in 4/4 time instead of the 3/4 time of the waltz. Of course, you don't have to count out the music to notice that the songs chosen for Quick Step are fast and jazzy, whereas waltz songs tend to be slower and more beautiful. Show tunes, jazz, ragtime, and swing are common types of music that inspire dancers to start up a Quick Step.
Learning to Quick Step
Learning Quick Step dance involves being ready to really move! Be prepared to run and hop and generally bounce around. Of course, if you're just beginning with Quick Step lessons, they won't take off for a little bit, but do be aware the Quick Step is a very energetic dance!
See the Quick Step
The following videos will give you an idea of how fast the Quick Step is and how graceful it can still look. Learning to Quick Step involves learning the steps, but it also involves learning the coordination to travel around the dance floor without knocking your partner, or other couples, off their feet.
Quick Step Video Clips:
- 2002 Quick Step Toronto Competition: A clear view of why it's called the Quick Step! Lots of traveling across the floor makes this an exciting dance to watch.
- UK Open 2007: Several talented couples manage to dance circles around each other at this 2007 competition.
Learning the Steps
While learning how to really move around the dance floor can only be done in a studio with an experienced teacher, there are opportunities to learn the Quick Step steps themselves either online or with a Quick Step Instructional DVD. If you don't want to invest in a DVD, online free ballroom dance instruction videos can be a good place to start learning the steps. Whether you opt for free online options or invest in a DVD, learning the basics at home will allow you to concentrate on the dancing and moving aspects, and not on the details of the actual steps, when you attend your first lesson.Start out with your partner and you watching instructional videos online or on DVD. Once you've seen the video once, get up and give the steps a try. Practice the steps both with each other, and standing next to each other so that you can also have the freedom to make mistakes without stepping on your partner's feet. Practicing the steps in this manner will give you both the space and the confidence to learn the steps well.
Once you each have your own version of the step mastered, come back together in a 'closed' dance frame and try the steps again. Getting it right while facing each other and so close together will take some time…when it's difficult just remember how much fun you'll be having every time you do the Quick Step!
