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Country-Western Dances

The Steps

• Two-Step: These steps are based on combining slow and quick steps:
  • Texas Two-Step, No. 1: Lead steps forward left (1), forward right (2), forward left (3), and closes right to left (and) [GC80].
  • Texas Two-Step, No. 2: Lead steps right forward (1), closes left to right without weight (an), steps forward left (2), closes right to left with weight (and), steps forward left (3), and closes right to left without weight (and) [PL81].
  • Pasadena Polka / Texas Two-Step: Lead steps forward left (1), closes right to left (and), and steps forward left (2), then steps forward right (3), closes right to left (and), and steps forward right (4) [GC80, TL80].
• One-Step: These steps are walking tempo:
  • One-Step (Free-Style): Lead steps forward left (1), forward right (2), forward left (3), forward right (4) [GC80].
• Waltz: These steps are danced in 3/4 time:
  • Waltz: Lead steps forward left (1), close right to left (2), in place left (3), forward right (1), close left to right (2), and in place right (6) [GC80]. Another version simply closes right to left without weight and hesitates for two counts instead of stepping twice in place [TL80].
  • Cowboy Waltz: Same as Texas Two Step No. 2, dancing the six counts of the step to the six counts of the music [PL81].

Sources

• GC80 — Gator Conley, Joyce Claypool. (c. 1980). Country-Western Dancing with Gator at Gilley's. Pasadena, TX.
• TL80 — Tony Leisner. (1980). The Official Guide to Country Dance Steps. Chicago: Domus Books.
• PL81 — Peter Livingston. (1981). The Complete Book of Country Swing & Western Dance. Boulder, CO: Livingston/Boulder Books.

© 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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