The Progressive Two-Step

{c. 1950}

Introduction

The Progressive Two-Step is a Two-Step mixer sequence dance composed by F. J. Mainey around 1950, at the height of the Old Time Dancing revival in England.

The Position

Holding two hands, Lead facing outside wall.

The Dance

Part I - Back and Forward (4 bars): Four steps back away from old partner (1, 2, 3, 4), then four steps forward toward new partner, diagonally to the left (5, 6, 7, 8).

Part II - Three-Step Promenade (4 bars): Holding two hands, promenade three steps along LOD, lowering the L-to-R hands (1, 2, 3), then promenade three steps against LOD, lowering the R-to-L hands (5, 6, 7).

Part III - Rollaway and Step-Swing (4 bars): Rollaway from partner with a full outward two step (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then step side along LOD (5) and swing inside foot through (6), step side against LOD (7), and swing outside foot through (8).

Part IV - Two-Step (4 bars): Two full turns of two-step.

Repeat from the beginning.

The Music

"Vienna for Aye," or another square two-step at 112 bpm.

Sources

Victor Silvester. (1951). More Old Time Dances. London.

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.

For help crafting a life you love, visit: Project Quartz.

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