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How every dance is counted, and how to practise it. Pick a dance.
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How to Count Jive: 1 2, 3 a 4, 3 a 4
Jive is counted 1 2, 3 a 4, 3 a 4: a rock step and two chassés over six counts, after a 1 2 3 4 lead-in. Here is how to say it and hear it.
Latin ballroomGuide4 min readStep Aerobics BPM: Tempo and the 32-Count Block
Step aerobics music runs about 118 to 128 BPM, with choreography built in 32-count blocks of four 8-counts. Here is how to read the tempo and count the block.
Fitness5 min readLine Dance BPM: How Fast Are Line Dances?
Line dances run about 80 to 160 BPM in 4/4. The song sets the speed, not the 32, 48 or 64-count wall. Here is how to read it and count at speed.
Line and country4 min readHow to Count Foxtrot: Slow, Quick, Quick
Foxtrot is counted slow, quick, quick: two beats, then one, then one, filling a 4/4 bar. Here is the count, the social variant and the tempo.
BallroomGuide4 min readBallet 'And 1' Counts: What the 'And' Before the 1 Is For
The 'and' before the 1 is the lead-in that prepares the first count. Here is how ballet adagio, 3/4, 6/8 and petit allegro use it.
Ballet4 min readK-Pop Dance BPM: How Fast Is K-Pop Choreography?
K-pop dance tracks do not share one tempo. Here are real BPM examples, how to count them in eights and how to pick a practice speed.
K-pop4 min readHow Many 8-Counts in a Cheer Routine? 1:30, 2:00 and 2:30
At 144 BPM a 1:30 cheer routine has 27 eights, 2:00 has 36 and 2:30 has 45. Here is the formula, a table for 136 to 152 BPM, and how to plan sections.
Cheer4 min readEast Coast Swing Count: The Rock Step and the Triple Step
East Coast swing is a six-count: one rock step and two triple steps, counted 1 2 3&4 5&6. Here is how to say it, step it and keep it on the beat.
SwingGuide4 min readBachata BPM: How Fast Is Bachata Music?
Bachata dancing sits between 108 and 152 BPM. Here is how that range feels under your feet, and how to check any song.
Bachata4 min readHow to Count Hip Hop Choreography: Eights and the &
Count hip hop choreography in eights after a 5, 6, 7, 8, and add an & for hits and quick footwork. Here is how to count a whole combo.
Hip hopGuide4 min readHow to Count Salsa On1: 1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _
Salsa On1 is counted 1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _: steps on six counts, a pause on 4 and 8. Here is where the break falls and how to find the 1.
SalsaGuide4 min readHow to Count Kizomba: Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow
Kizomba is counted slow, slow, quick, quick, slow in 4/4. Here is how to say it, find the 1 in the music and practise it at a tempo you can hold.
Kizomba and zoukGuide4 min readHow to Count Music for Dance: Beats, Eights and Phrases
Find the steady beat, count it in fours, join two fours into an eight, and follow the eights through the phrase. Here is the whole method, step by step.
Counting musicGuide4 min readHow to Count Bhangra: The 8-Count on the Dhol Chaal
Count bhangra in eights, grouped 4 + 4, with a 5 6 7 8 lead-in and the lift on the &. Here is how to hear the 1 in the dhol and put your steps on the count.
Bhangra and BollywoodGuide4 min readMaqsum Rhythm: How to Count Dum and Tek
Maqsum is a 4/4 belly dance rhythm counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & and said Dum Tek _ Tek Dum _ Tek _. Here is how to say it, clap it and keep the rests.
Belly danceGuide4 min readHow to Count Argentine Tango: The Walk and the Eight Count Basic
Argentine tango is taught with an eight count basic, but the numbers name places in a figure, not beats in the music. How to count the walk and the music.
Argentine tangoGuide5 min readLatin Ballroom Dance Counts: Jive, Samba, Rumba and Paso Doble
Jive is 1 2, 3 a 4, 3 a 4. Samba is 1 a 2. Rumba is 2 3 4-1. Paso doble is a step on every beat. Counts, time signatures and tempos side by side.
Latin ballroom4 min readHow to Count Merengue: A Step on Every Beat, in 8s
Merengue is counted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, a step on every beat in two groups of four. Here is the march, the hip action, and how to find the 1.
MerengueGuide4 min readHow to Count Tap Dance Rhythms: 1 e & a, Eighths and Triplets
The beat is the number, & is halfway, and e and a fill in the sixteenths: 1 e & a 2 e & a. Here is how to count eighths, sixteenths and triplets, step by step.
TapGuide4 min readHow to Count Ballet Music in 3/4: The Waltz Count
Ballet waltz music is counted 1 2 3, with the weight on the 1. One bar holds one pas de valse or one balancé. Here is how to count it, hear it and drill it.
BalletGuide4 min readHow to Count Contemporary Dance: 6, 7 and 8 Counts
Contemporary phrases come in 8s, 6s and 7s. Count a 6 as 3+3, a 7 as 4+3, and let a breath count run free. Here is each one, step by step.
ContemporaryGuide4 min readHow to Count Jazz Dance: Eights, the & and the Swing Feel
Jazz counts in eights after a 5, 6, 7, 8 lead-in. Add the & for quick steps, and say it late when the music swings. Here is the method, step by step.
JazzGuide4 min readIrish Dance Counts: Reels, Jigs, Slip Jigs and Hornpipes
A reel counts in 4/4, a jig in 6/8, a slip jig in 9/8 and a hornpipe in swung 4/4. Here is how each is counted, and how many bars you dance.
Irish dance4 min readZumba and Aerobics: How Instructors Count a 32-Count Block
A 32-count block is four 8-counts, 1 to 8 four times. Here is how Zumba and aerobics instructors count it, cue ahead and match tempo to the rhythm.
FitnessGuide5 min readHow to Count K-Pop Choreography in Eights
Count K-pop choreography as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, one block at a time, and add an & for the fast steps. Here is how to number a chorus and count from a video.
K-popGuide4 min readCounting Odd Meters: 7/8, 9/8 and 11/8 for Balkan and Greek Dances
Odd meters are counted in quick (2) and slow (3) groups, not one long run. Here are 7/8, 9/8 and 11/8 written out for kalamatianos, daychovo and kopanitsa.
Balkan and Greek folkGuide4 min readSalsa Clave: 2-3 vs 3-2 Explained for Dancers
Clave 2-3 and 3-2 are the same two-bar pattern in opposite order. Here is each one on the 8-count, and how to hear which side a song starts on.
Salsa4 min readAdi Tala for Bharatanatyam: 8 Aksharas and the Three Speeds
Adi tala is an 8-akshara cycle counted 4+2+2: one laghu and two drutams. Here is how it is counted in Bharatanatyam, and what the three kalams change.
Bharatanatyam4 min readLine Dance Counts: 32, 48 and 64 Counts, Walls, Tags and Restarts
A line dance count is how many beats one pass takes. Here is what 32, 48 and 64 counts mean, plus walls, tags, restarts and how to read a step sheet.
Line and country4 min readWest Coast Swing Count: 6-Count and 8-Count Patterns Explained
Most West Coast swing patterns run six counts, the whip runs eight, and both end in an anchor step. Here is how each is counted and how to practise it.
Swing4 min read
Dances
- Counting musicFinding the 1, eights and phrases, tempo, and counting any song.5 posts
- Hip hop8-counts, “&” and “e & a”, and counting choreography.1 post
- Jazz8-counts, syncopation and counting jazz combos.1 post
- ContemporaryOdd counts, mixed phrases and breath counts.1 post
- Ballet3/4, “and 1”, adagio and allegro counts.2 posts
- Tap“e & a”, triplets and swing feel.1 post
- K-popCounting K-pop choreography in eights.2 posts
- Cheer8-count sheets for a 2:30 routine.2 posts
- SalsaOn1, On2, the pause and the break, clave.4 posts
- BachataThree steps and a tap, and bachata musicality.2 posts
- MerengueThe 1 to 8 march and its phrasing.1 post
- Kizomba and zoukSlow-slow-quick-quick and their 8-counts.1 post
- Cha-cha“2 3 4 & 1” and the cha-cha-cha.1 post
- BallroomWaltz, foxtrot, quickstep and tango: slows and quicks.2 posts
- Latin ballroomRumba, samba, jive and paso doble counts.2 posts
- SwingEast Coast, West Coast and Lindy hop: 6- and 8-counts.2 posts
- Argentine tangoTango, milonga and vals: the beat and the phrase.1 post
- Line and countryTwo-step, walls of 32, 48 and 64, tags and restarts.2 posts
- KathakTeentaal, Jhaptaal, Rupak: tals, bols, sam and khali.1 post
- BharatanatyamAdi, Rupaka and Chapu talas, and speeds.1 post
- FlamencoThe 12-count compás: soleá, alegrías, bulerías, seguiriyas.1 post
- Irish danceReels, jigs, slip jigs and hornpipes.1 post
- Balkan and Greek folk7/8, 9/8 and 11/8 groupings.1 post
- Belly danceMaqsum, baladi, saidi and more: Dum and Tek.1 post
- Bhangra and BollywoodDhol chaal and 8-counts.1 post
- FitnessZumba, step and aerobics in 32-count blocks.2 posts