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The Bossa Nova

(Early 1960s)

Introduction

The Bossa Nova was a partnered dance craze of the early 1960s. Or perhaps it's better described as a music craze that was accompanied by a variety of dance steps.

Throughout the history of social dance, there's been an essential co-evolutionary relationship between music and dance: new music inspires new dances, and new dances encourage the creation of more music for those dances.

In the case of Bossa Nova, when the music, an innovative mix of Brazilian samba and American jazz, first hit the scene, there wasn't a dance to go with it. But according to a record executive in late 1962, "To sustain itself, a new beat has to have an accompanying dance." Based on this logic, it was reported that "one record company has arranged with a national dance studio to introduce a Bossa Nova step and it seems certain others will follow" [RW62]. And follow they did: in the next few years, many different teachers came up with a variety of ways to dance to Bossa Nova music, using both adaptations of old steps (e.g., Rumba, Conga, Mambo, and Merengue) and newly created ones. A spokesman for Fred Astaire Dance Studios reported, "The dance is still in the beginning stage. Everyone is making up their own steps by the hundreds. We will know in a month which steps will be accepted" [TH62].

Unfortunately, in 1963, Enoch Light, a popular Bossa Nova musician, reported, "I understand the dance studios have been working on creating a basic bossa nova step, but so far they can't seem to agree among themselves what it should be" [NH63]. In a poll of teenagers that year, while nearly half of respondents said they liked the music, only 25% said they liked to dance to it [EG63]. Without a clearly-defined character, and lacking the support of teenage dancers, the Bossa Nova was relatively short-lived as a dance craze.

The Steps

Below, the wide variety of Bossa Nova steps described in the early 1960s have been organized into several families of similar variations.

• Step Touches: These steps are based on a slow step-touch:
  • Side Touch: Side left (1), touch right beside left (2). Repeat opposite (3, 4) [RD62, AB63, FB64, RK64, JB65a, JB65b, H66, FW69].
  • Forward and Back Touch: Forward left (1), touch right beside left (2). Repeat opposite (3, 4) [TK62, GY62 RK64, JB65a, JB65b]. This can also be turned to the left [TK62, AM64]. Or do the first half back, and the second half forward [RD62].
  • York Basic: Forward left, twisting hips right (1), touch right in front (2), then step back (3), and close left to right. Repeat opposite, stepping back right and touching back left [GY62].
  • Combination Touch: A full Forward and Back Touch, plus a full Side Touch [H66].
  • Underarm Turn: A Follow's underarm turn in place, using three step-touches to finish the rotation, re-gaining partner for 7, 8 [H66].
  • Bossa Nova Walk: Forward left (1), and touch right toe to side (2), then forward right (3), and touch left toe to side (4) [AB63, AM64]. This can also be done backing the Lead [AM64].
  • Fallaway: A full Side Touch falling back away to swingout position, then a full Side Touch coming back together [JB65a]. A shorter version has: back left releasing Follow into swingout position (1), kick right foot back in the air (2), forward right closing up (3), and point left foot beside right (4) [RD62]. Another version takes one SQQ step to fallaway and one SQQ step to get back to closed [RK64].
• SQQ Steps: These steps are danced in SQQ timing (or QQS timing), similar to Rumba:
  • The Side Step: Side left (1), close right to left (2), and step in place left (and). Repeat opposite (3, 4, and) [TK62].
  • Side Twist: Side left, twisting hips to right (1), then twist hips to left (2) and right (and). Repeat opposite (3, 4, and) [JM62].
  • Heel-Toe Twist: Side left, twisting hips to right (1), then tap right toe in place, twisting hips to left (2) and tap right heel in place, twisting hips to right (and). Repeat opposite, stepping side right (3, 4, and) [JM62].
  • The Forward and Back Step: Forward left (1), close right to left (2), and step in place left (and). Repeat opposite (3, 4, and) [TK62, JM62, BC63, NY63, FB64, RK64]. This can also be done turning to the left, with a 1/4 turn each three steps [JM62, RK64].
  • Forward and Back Twist: Forward left, twisting hips to right (1), then twist hips to left (2) and right (and). Repeat opposite, stepping back right (3, 4, and) [JM62].
  • Forward and Back Heel-Toe Twist: Forward left, twisting hips to right (1), then tap right toe in place, twisting hips to left (2) and tap right heel in place, twisting hips to right (and). Repeat opposite, stepping back right (3, 4, and) [JM62].
  • The Chase: In challenge position (no hands, facing partner): forward left, twisting hips to right (1), forward right, twisting hips to left (2), and forward left, twisting hips to right and turning 180° to right. Repeat opposite (3, 4, and), turning 180° to left at the end [JM62].
  • The Chase Twist: A longer version of The Chase with six twist steps in place between the turning halves of The Chase [JM62].
  • The Square: A SQQ box step [JY69].
  • Turning Square: A SQQ box step, turning 90° per half box [AB63, FB64, JY69].
  • Copacabana Promenade: Half of a Bossa Nova Walk, and half of a Turning Sqaure. Step forward diagonally out along LOD (1), and touch to the side out against LOD (2, and), then dance half of a square, turning 1/4 to the right (3, 4, and). Now, step back diagonally in along LOD (5), touch to the side in against LOD (6, and), and dance half of a square, turning 1/4 to the left (7, 8, and) [AB63].
  • Side Break: Side left (1), cross right behind left (2), and replace left (and). Repeat opposite (3, 4, and) [JM62, FB64].
  • Underarm Turn: After a Side Break, a Follow's Underarm Turn, the Follow traveling in a curving path with 6 steps in SQQ timing, while the Lead dances another Side Break [JM62, FB64].
  • Open Break and Underarm Turn: First half of the Forward and Back Step, then second half of Side Break, followed by an Underarm Turn [JM62].
  • The Crossover: Side left, twisting hips to right (1), cross right over left, twisting hips to left (2), and side left, twisting hips to right (and). Repeat opposite [JM62, VY63, FB64, RK64]. Can also be done in even timing [FW69].
  • Cross Pivots: From a cross step, continue to step side left, cross right over, turning to the left as a couple in place, then continue with the Crossover [FW69].
  • Two Step: Reversing the timing (QQS): side (1), close (and), side (2). Repeat opposite (3, and, 4) [JY69].
  • Two Step Combo: One full Two Step (1, and, 2, 3, and, 4), then side (5), close (and), side (6), close (and), side (7), touch closed (8). Repeat opposite [JY69].
  • Toss Across: Do either the Two Step or Two Step Combo tossing across from one half closed position to the other [JY69].
  • Running and Rocking Steps: Half of a side step (1, 2, and), then back the Lead four small steps (3, 4, and, 5), curving slightly to the right (or left), then rock in place: back right (6), forward left (and), back right (7). This can be varied ad lib, combining slightly curved running steps and rocking steps in place [TK62].
  • Steps Borrowed from Rumba: One source suggests simply dancing Rumba steps to Bossa Nova music [BM66].
• Three Steps: These steps are based on three steps and a touch, similar to Conga:
  • Three Steps Forward and Back: Back the Follow three steps (1, 2, 3), then tap right toe to right side (4). Repeat opposite (5, 6, 7, 8) [DB65].
  • Three Steps to the Side: Side, close, side to the left (1, 2, 3), then tap right toe beside left foot (4). Repeat opposite (5, 6, 7, 8) [DB65].
  • The Strut: In half closed position, promenade three steps (1, 2, 3), and kick forward (low, around ankle height) (4). Then back up three steps (5, 6, 7), and touch toe out to the side (8) [DB65].
• Break Steps: These steps are based on a slow break step (forward, replace back), similar to Mambo:
  • The Samba Nova: Forward left (1), replace right back (2), close left beside right (3), and side-close to the right (4-and). Repeat opposite (5, 6, 7, 8-and) [VY63].
  • The Veolanda: Forward left (1), replace right back (2), side left (3), close right to left (and), side left (4), and touch right beside left (and). Repeat opposite (5, 6, 7, and, 8, and) [VY63].
• Quick Steps: These variations add a bit of flare with runaway quick movements:
  • Bossa Breaks: Forward left (1), replace right back (and), close left beside right (2), forward right (and), replace left back (3), and close right beside left (and) [VY63].
  • The Carnival Step: Similar to the Bossa Breaks, but danced solo, side-by-side, both starting forward, with a heel lead on the forward steps. Danced in SQQ timing, twice as fast as a normal Bossa Nova SQQ [JB65b].
  • Bossa Nova Twist: Side left, twisting on the left foot for four quick counts as you draw the right up to the left (1, and, 2, and). Repeat opposite (3, and, 4, and) [AM64].
  • Bossa Nova Cuts: Forward left (1), close right to left (and), side left (2), close right to left (and), side left (3), close right to left (and), side left (4), close right to left without weight (and). Repeat opposite (1, and, 2, and, 3, and, 4, and) [AM63].

Sources

• JM62 — John Monte. (1962, November). "Bossa Nova!" Ballroom Dance Magazine. New York.
• TK62 — Tom Kallard. (1962, December). "Flying Down to Rio with John Phillips in Search of Bossa Nova." Ballroom Dance Magazine. New York.
• RD62 — Rosita & Deno. (1962). Bossa Nova [Vinyl Record with Instructions on Back of Sleeve]. Montreal.
• RW62 — Russ Wilson. (1962, November 18). "Bossa Nova Craze Is Sweeping Nation." Oakland Tribune.
• TH62 — The Terre Haute Tribune. (1962, December 6). "Bossa Nova Finding Favor with Dancers." The Terre Haute Tribune (Terre Haute, IN).
• GY62 — Gloria and Jaro York. (1962, December). "Simplified But Sophisticated Bossa Nova." Ballroom Dance Magazine. New York.
• AM63 — Arthur Murray Dance Studios. (1963). Bossa Nova Steps accompanying vinyl record Bossa Nova! Hollywood.
• AB63 — Albert and Josephine Butler. (1963, June). "The Bossa Nova, You've Heard It, Now Dance It." Pageant. New York.
• BC63 — Bob Cole (quoted). (1963, March 16). "Question of Bossa Nova Is Answered." The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, CA).
• NY63 — Eugene Gilbert. (1963, February 8). "Bossa Nova Is No Craze Yet." The Courier (Waterloo, IA).
• NH63 — The News-Herald. (1963, February 28). "Dance A Rage but Few Can Figure It Out." The News-Herald (Mansfield, OH).
• VY63 — Veloz and Yolanda. (c. 1963). Dance the Bossa Nova accompanying vinyl record Ole! Bossa Nova! New York.
• NY63 — Nancy Yockey. (1963, April 27). "Getting In Step for Bossa Nova." The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH).
• FB64 — Frank Borrows. (1964). Theory and Technique of Latin-American Dancing (Revised Edition). London.
• RK64 — Richard Kraus & Lola Sadlo. (1964). Beginning Social Dance. Belmont, CA.
• AM64 — Arthur Murray. (1964). Arthur Murray's Dance Course. New York.
• DB65 — Dick Blake. (1965). Discothèque Dances. Cleveland.
• JB65b — Joe Bonomo. (1965). How to Be a Good Dancer. New York.
• JB65b — Joe Bonomo. (1965). Improve Your Dancing Step-By-Step. New York.
• H66 — Hullabaloo. (1966). The Hullabaloo Discothèque Dance Book. New York.
• BM66 — Bob and Margaret More. (1966). Latin American Dancing. London.
• FW69 — Flash World Library. (1969). Let's Dance . . . From the Waltz to the Latest. Verviers, Belgium.

Thanks to Richard Powers for first introducing me to the dance, Forrest Outman for providing some of the magazine sources, and Sonny Watson for leading me to the newspaper sources.

© 2018 Nick Enge

For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.

For full-length teaching videos, visit: University of Dance.

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