CHAPTER 7

Common Rhythm Patterns

I actually think to be a complete person I should know how to dance.

Kurt, movie producer

Ballroom Bootcamp, The Learning Channel

The rhythm patterns in this chapter will get you through most social situations. Your wedding dance? Done. A survival dance at a friend’s wedding? No problem. Lounge dancing? Nailed it. Country and western bar? Affirmative. Big band at a banquet or a ball? Have at it. Latin combo? You betcha. Slow dance? Sign me up. Blues band? Somebody stop me. Welcome dance on the space shuttle? Bring it on!

I can’t stress enough that the rhythm patterns below are just different combinations of single, double and triple rhythm. Begin to think about dance in 2-beat dance rhythms and life on the floor will be much easier. Note: Throughout the book the waltz has been the exception to all the rules. Sadly, the rhythm patterns in this chapter will not help you to waltz—but Chapter 18 will. 

Before we get into the three main patterns of this chapter—salsa, fox trot and swing—recall, from the last chapter, that you already learned two of the handiest patterns to know when attempting to shuffle your way through an evening of dance. They are the repetition of single rhythm, single—single—single—single, and the repetition of double rhythm, double—double—double—double. These basic rhythm patterns are extremely versatile and can be used in many situations, especially to improvise. Along with triple—triple—triple—triple, also introduced in the last chapter, these are your foundation patterns. Learn them well.

SALSA. The 8-countt basic salsa rhythm pattern, double—single—double—single, is the most important rhythm pattern. It’s also the rhythm pattern for the basic step pattern in rumba, it’s common in fox trot and it’s great for surviving and improvising on the dance floor. This is the rhythm pattern to use if you have to fake a dance. This is the mother of all rhythm patterns, the one pattern you should know:

Musical Count            1       2            3      4            5      6           7      8

Verbal Call 1           STEP  STEP     STEP  TOUCH   STEP STEP    STEP TOUCH

Rhythm Pattern            double            single              double           single

The above verbal call, STEP STEP—STEP TOUCH—STEP STEP—STEP TOUCH, is not the only way to call a salsa. For example, the basic step pattern of the salsa is a forward and back motion that’s some times called using words that show direction. Using FORWARD for a step forward, BACK for a step back and TOGETHER for a step where your feet come together, salsa can also look like this:

Musical Count              1         2               3         4               5         6               7          8

Verbal Call 2        FORWARD  BACK     TOGETHER  TOUCH      BACK  FORWARD   TOGETHER  TOUCH

Rhythm Pattern              double                  single                    double                  single

(That’s for the guy; the lady is the opposite: BACK FORWARD—TOGETHER TOUCH—FORWARD BACK—TOGETHER TOUCH.)

For contrast, the rumba (the way I learned it) moves in a square, called a box step, and gets a different directional call: SIDE TOGETHER—FORWARD TOUCH—SIDE TOGETHER—BACK TOUCH, where SIDE is just a step to the side. For the men the first side movement is to the left and the second side movement is to the right.

FOX TROT. Next up is the 6-count fox trot rhythm pattern, double—single—single. It’s also used in the country two-step and the “single rhythm east coast swing ” which is a simplified version of east coast swing (also known as the jitterbug) sometimes used to teach beginners as well as to survive when the tempo gets too fast. It looks like this:

Musical Count                1       2           3       4             5      6

Verbal Call                  STEP  STEP     STEP  TOUCH    STEP  TOUCH

Rhythm Pattern               double             single                single

SWING. Next is the 6-count swing rhythm pattern, double—triple—triple, which is used in both east coast swing and west coast swing. Remember, triple rhythm steps between beats of music, which is a lot of steps, so up-tempo music may be difficult. Here goes:

Musical Count            1        2           3             4                5             6

Verbal Call              STEP  STEP      STEP-THREE-TIMES       STEP-THREE-TIMES

Rhythm Pattern            double                 triple                         triple

In addition to words that describe direction, sometimes a specific kind of step is called. For example, a “rock step”, common in the east coast swing, is a 2-beat movement that steps backwards on the first beat and steps forward on the second beat, in sort of a rocking motion. You often hear the basic step for the east coast swing called like this: ROCK STEP—STEP-THREE-TIMES—STEP-THREE-TIMES. In contrast, the west coast swing has a different floor pattern that walks backward for the man (forward for the lady), instead of a rock step. One verbal call for the west coast swing is, BACK TOGETHER—STEP-THREE-TIMES—STEP-THREE-TIMES.

The patterns above reveal an important aspect of rhythms patterns: they can do double duty. For example, the salsa rhythm pattern is shared between salsa and rumba. This came as a revelation to me: two (or more) completely different dances can have the same rhythm pattern. Huh…I mean, how can two different dances have the same rhythm pattern? Rhythm patterns alone do not define the dance since they do not tell us what direction to move. In addition to rhythm pattern and direction, styling and music play a part in defining a dance. I found that by identifying the similarities between dances, and there are many, you can use your experience in one dance to learn another.

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Every Man’s Survival Guide to Ballroom Dancing