Are you ready for some more Intermediate Step? This is combo 1 of a routine I just finished teaching at my gym. I kept it longer than usual because my participants really enjoyed it, and also because it has some more advanced aspects (i.e., syncopation and cross-phrased moves), and I wanted to give them more time to work with it and really master it. I hope you enjoy this.
Dana
Choreography:
Up & stomp in front, Box cha-cha (8)
Stomp & Stall across (6)
Rock 3 on the floor & stomp (6)
Scissor Over (4)
Knee on the Floor (4)
Cut the Corner (4)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Making Baby Steps
Hi everyone,
I thought I'd share with you a bit of news. I've been slowly taking steps towards being able to provide continuing education workshops to instructors who want to learn how to teach Step or to provide smoother breakdowns for their classes. I have submitted paperwork to my state to set up my own company, under which I'll do my workshops, and once that is all in place, I'll be submitting my workshops for approval through ACE and AFAA.
The notes and handouts for my first workshop are basically complete. It's a comprehensive workshop to help instructors learn to teach Step and do breakdowns the way that I do them. It involves a full day of instruction, including a practical session and a master class, and I'm hoping it will be approved for a large number of CEUs/CECs. I'll keep you posted on that. Future workshops may include time-saving methods for creating choreography and breakdowns, and a workshop on teaching syncopation.
I also hope to soon offer a website where you can see choreography videos, communicate with me, and shop for choreography DVDs. Many of these tasks, unfortunately, require me to wait until my business license is completely set up, so there's the delay. Well, that... and TIME! I never seem to have enough time for everything I want to do.
I hope to have my first workshops in the Northern Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, and North Carolina areas. If you live in these areas and might be interested in having your gym host a workshop, please email me. A link to my email is located on my profile page of my blog. My best guess at this time is that I should be all set for doing workshops by the September or October time frame. We'll need several weeks advanced notice anyhow to provide people enough time to sign up.
As always, I love to hear from you. If you have questions, comments, or ideas for workshop topics, please share them with me!
Dana
I thought I'd share with you a bit of news. I've been slowly taking steps towards being able to provide continuing education workshops to instructors who want to learn how to teach Step or to provide smoother breakdowns for their classes. I have submitted paperwork to my state to set up my own company, under which I'll do my workshops, and once that is all in place, I'll be submitting my workshops for approval through ACE and AFAA.
The notes and handouts for my first workshop are basically complete. It's a comprehensive workshop to help instructors learn to teach Step and do breakdowns the way that I do them. It involves a full day of instruction, including a practical session and a master class, and I'm hoping it will be approved for a large number of CEUs/CECs. I'll keep you posted on that. Future workshops may include time-saving methods for creating choreography and breakdowns, and a workshop on teaching syncopation.
I also hope to soon offer a website where you can see choreography videos, communicate with me, and shop for choreography DVDs. Many of these tasks, unfortunately, require me to wait until my business license is completely set up, so there's the delay. Well, that... and TIME! I never seem to have enough time for everything I want to do.
I hope to have my first workshops in the Northern Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, and North Carolina areas. If you live in these areas and might be interested in having your gym host a workshop, please email me. A link to my email is located on my profile page of my blog. My best guess at this time is that I should be all set for doing workshops by the September or October time frame. We'll need several weeks advanced notice anyhow to provide people enough time to sign up.
As always, I love to hear from you. If you have questions, comments, or ideas for workshop topics, please share them with me!
Dana
Advanced Step, May 14, 2010
Hi Everyone!
I'm a bit behind in my postings. Sorry about that! This is an Advanced Step combination with breakdown. What I found interesting about this combination is that while there isn't any off-beat moves, I still consider this to be an advanced routine, based on the swivel on top and the syncopation. The breakdown is fairly straightforward, too. Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography Notes:
Swing Repeater (4)
Step back & Swivel (4)
Box on the floor (4)
Knee Lift Over (4)
Stomp & Walk back/forward (8)
Cut the corner (4)
Pivot (4)
I'm a bit behind in my postings. Sorry about that! This is an Advanced Step combination with breakdown. What I found interesting about this combination is that while there isn't any off-beat moves, I still consider this to be an advanced routine, based on the swivel on top and the syncopation. The breakdown is fairly straightforward, too. Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography Notes:
Swing Repeater (4)
Step back & Swivel (4)
Box on the floor (4)
Knee Lift Over (4)
Stomp & Walk back/forward (8)
Cut the corner (4)
Pivot (4)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Another Intermediate Combo for you, May 7, 2010
Can you believe I'm back already? I have produced another intermediate Step combination, with its breakdown. The choreography notes are posted below the video. I had a lot of fun with this combo because of all the variations that are possible from the 4 squats. While I didn't say so on the video, the easiest, and least taxing, version of the 4 squats is the very first one I show, where all 4 squats are done at the home side, with no popping over to the front, and no jumping flips. This combo may not look like it, but it is a butt-kicker.... especially if you do the options with the flips.
Advanced Step video coming next!
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
4 Squats (any option) (8)
Repeater knee (8) - also any option you want can go here, not just the one I show.
Chasse with Rock back, x2 (8)
1 Knee & Walk back/forward (8)
Advanced Step video coming next!
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
4 Squats (any option) (8)
Repeater knee (8) - also any option you want can go here, not just the one I show.
Chasse with Rock back, x2 (8)
1 Knee & Walk back/forward (8)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Intermediate Step Combo, 1 May 2010
It's been a little while since I've posted any videos, mainly because I've been overwhelmed with work and family things, but also because I've been dealing with an assortment of injuries. Last Saturday I was feeling like I needed a Step "fix" because I'd taken off some time to rest and go out of town, so I set up my step outside and taped 3 combos. This is the first one. I'm venturing into the realm of high-def video, so I hope it will play for you. Choreography notes are shown below.
Choreography:
Hangover Hamstrings (4)
Rock back (2)
Abduct & cross on top, exit (5)
Rebound (5)
L-Step (8)
Diagonal, Box, Cha-cha (8)
One more intermediate routine, plus one advanced coming soon!!!
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
Hangover Hamstrings (4)
Rock back (2)
Abduct & cross on top, exit (5)
Rebound (5)
L-Step (8)
Diagonal, Box, Cha-cha (8)
One more intermediate routine, plus one advanced coming soon!!!
Enjoy!
Dana
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Advanced Step, 3/14/2010, Final Product!
All right. Now we get to the good stuff! Here is how the 3 combos get pulled together.
After breaking down all of the combos, practice them on the right and left leads. Then weave them together as taught. While weaving, be sure to tell the class which moves are the "filler" moves (see choreography notes below). When you think they are ready, start from the top and take out the filler moves, jumping directly to the next combo's first move. This condenses the routine down from 96 counts to 64.
I love this way of teaching Advanced Step because when you take out the filler, and assuming you've double checked approach angles and how many counts each move takes, your final run throughs have a completely different feel because once you hit Combo 2, the moves are now occurring on different beats of the musical phrase from the way the class has practiced them so far in class. It's almost like doing a completely different routine, except that everyone is familiar with all the moves. And, everything feels much faster, even though it really isn't.
So, here's the final choreography:
"1-3-7" (10)
Knee-ball-change over, x2 (6)
Reverse up, Rock back, ball-change-kick (8)
Hamstring, x2 (4) -- filler move
Up & Switch feet on top, exit into tango (9)
Double stomp & spin into a straddle (5)
Drag & Pivot (6)
Stomp Across, box (8)
1 Basic (4) -- filler move
Kick & Rock (5)
Up-up, HOLD, Double switch on top & exit (7)
4-knee repeater, x2 (20) -- filler move
Have fun with it!
After breaking down all of the combos, practice them on the right and left leads. Then weave them together as taught. While weaving, be sure to tell the class which moves are the "filler" moves (see choreography notes below). When you think they are ready, start from the top and take out the filler moves, jumping directly to the next combo's first move. This condenses the routine down from 96 counts to 64.
I love this way of teaching Advanced Step because when you take out the filler, and assuming you've double checked approach angles and how many counts each move takes, your final run throughs have a completely different feel because once you hit Combo 2, the moves are now occurring on different beats of the musical phrase from the way the class has practiced them so far in class. It's almost like doing a completely different routine, except that everyone is familiar with all the moves. And, everything feels much faster, even though it really isn't.
So, here's the final choreography:
"1-3-7" (10)
Knee-ball-change over, x2 (6)
Reverse up, Rock back, ball-change-kick (8)
Hamstring, x2 (4) -- filler move
Up & Switch feet on top, exit into tango (9)
Double stomp & spin into a straddle (5)
Drag & Pivot (6)
Stomp Across, box (8)
1 Basic (4) -- filler move
Kick & Rock (5)
Up-up, HOLD, Double switch on top & exit (7)
4-knee repeater, x2 (20) -- filler move
Have fun with it!
Advanced Step, 3/14/2010, Combo 3
And, here is Combo 3 of this step class. I'm sure everyone noticed that I put the same background picture on the videos that form one class.
Now, on this video, more than half of it is two 4-knee repeaters. I know, I know... it doesn't feel very "advanced" when there is that much easy stuff in it. Just trust me. You'll see why in the final video.
Combo 3:
Kick & Rock (5)
Up-up, HOLD, Double switch on top, exit (7)
4-knee repeater, x2 (20)
Enjoy!!
Now, on this video, more than half of it is two 4-knee repeaters. I know, I know... it doesn't feel very "advanced" when there is that much easy stuff in it. Just trust me. You'll see why in the final video.
Combo 3:
Kick & Rock (5)
Up-up, HOLD, Double switch on top, exit (7)
4-knee repeater, x2 (20)
Enjoy!!
Advanced Step, 3/14/2010, Combo 2
Here is Combo 2. Just like in Combo 1, the breakdown is shown in the video.
Combo 2:
Up & Switch on top, exit into Tango (9)
Double Stomp & spin into a Straddle (5)
Drag & Pivot (6)
Stomp Across, Box (8)
Basic (4)
There are several versions of the "stomp across, box" shown in the breakdown. You can use any of them, including keeping the stomp at the end instead of the box.
Have fun with this one!
Combo 2:
Up & Switch on top, exit into Tango (9)
Double Stomp & spin into a Straddle (5)
Drag & Pivot (6)
Stomp Across, Box (8)
Basic (4)
There are several versions of the "stomp across, box" shown in the breakdown. You can use any of them, including keeping the stomp at the end instead of the box.
Have fun with this one!
Advanced Step, 3/14/2010, Combo 1
Okay, so let's get on with some videos! This is combo 1 of 3, Advanced Step. The breakdown is shown in the video, and the final choreography is as follows:
Combo 1:
"1-3-7" (10)
Knee-ball-Change over, x2 (6)
Reverse up, Rock back, Ball-Change Kick (8)
Hamstring curls, x2 (8)
Combo 1:
"1-3-7" (10)
Knee-ball-Change over, x2 (6)
Reverse up, Rock back, Ball-Change Kick (8)
Hamstring curls, x2 (8)
One Step Closer - Pun Intended!
Hi everyone!
I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted on my blog. After this, I have some videos to post, along with the choreography.
But first, I wanted to say that I've taken one more step towards my goal of being able to provide workshops to other Step instructors. In January, I passed my ACE certification test!!! Yea! and Phew! I've been working on developing the content of the workshop, and hope to be able to get started with providing CECs and CEUs for ACE and AFAA very soon.
The first workshop I've put together is to provide a way to make the whole process of planning a class and its breakdown a whole lot faster and easier. This workshop would be for people who already teach Step. I'm also considering a very basic class that is just "how to teach Step", which would be for people who want to learn to teach Step.
If you have any comments, please send me an email, or place a comment on this entry. I'm sorry to say that I had to turn on "comment moderation" again, because some folks started posting some links to ... well, let's just say... non-fitness-type websites. You get my drift... So, fear not, I will post any legitimate comments, but they won't appear until I moderate them.
Dana
I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted on my blog. After this, I have some videos to post, along with the choreography.
But first, I wanted to say that I've taken one more step towards my goal of being able to provide workshops to other Step instructors. In January, I passed my ACE certification test!!! Yea! and Phew! I've been working on developing the content of the workshop, and hope to be able to get started with providing CECs and CEUs for ACE and AFAA very soon.
The first workshop I've put together is to provide a way to make the whole process of planning a class and its breakdown a whole lot faster and easier. This workshop would be for people who already teach Step. I'm also considering a very basic class that is just "how to teach Step", which would be for people who want to learn to teach Step.
If you have any comments, please send me an email, or place a comment on this entry. I'm sorry to say that I had to turn on "comment moderation" again, because some folks started posting some links to ... well, let's just say... non-fitness-type websites. You get my drift... So, fear not, I will post any legitimate comments, but they won't appear until I moderate them.
Dana
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