Counts the whole family uses
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 60–180 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- hip hop, jazz, contemporary, commercial, k-pop, musical theatre, lyrical, tap
8-count, counted: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 812345678
The everyday dance count: one count per beat, two bars of 4/4 per eight. Phrase number shows which eight of the 32-count phrase you are in.
Where it comes from
- Studio convention: 8-counts with a '5, 6, 7, 8' lead-in, as taught in jazz, hip hop and commercial classes (e.g. the counting taught in RAD, ISTD and NDTA-affiliated studios)
- Music is phrased in 4-bar 8-counts and 32-count phrases in most popular music
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 60–180 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- hip hop, jazz, contemporary, commercial, k-pop, musical theatre, lyrical, tap
8-count with &, counted: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 &1&2&3&4&5&6&7&8&
Eighth-note subdivisions: '1 & 2 & ...'. Use for hits and quick footwork.
Where it comes from
- Studio convention: 8-counts with a '5, 6, 7, 8' lead-in, as taught in jazz, hip hop and commercial classes (e.g. the counting taught in RAD, ISTD and NDTA-affiliated studios)
- Music is phrased in 4-bar 8-counts and 32-count phrases in most popular music
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 50–140 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- hip hop, jazz, contemporary, commercial, k-pop, musical theatre, lyrical, tap
8-count with e & a, counted: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 5 e & a 6 e & a 7 e & a 8 e & a1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a5e&a6e&a7e&a8e&a
Sixteenth-note subdivisions: '1 e & a 2 e & a ...'.
Where it comes from
- Studio convention: 8-counts with a '5, 6, 7, 8' lead-in, as taught in jazz, hip hop and commercial classes (e.g. the counting taught in RAD, ISTD and NDTA-affiliated studios)
- Music is phrased in 4-bar 8-counts and 32-count phrases in most popular music
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 50–140 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- hip hop, jazz, contemporary, commercial, k-pop, musical theatre, lyrical, tap
8-count in triplets, counted: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a 5 & a 6 & a 7 & a 8 & a1&a2&a3&a4&a5&a6&a7&a8&a
Triplet subdivisions: '1 & a 2 & a ...' (also said '1-trip-let').
Where it comes from
- Studio convention: 8-counts with a '5, 6, 7, 8' lead-in, as taught in jazz, hip hop and commercial classes (e.g. the counting taught in RAD, ISTD and NDTA-affiliated studios)
- Music is phrased in 4-bar 8-counts and 32-count phrases in most popular music
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 3+3+2
- Tempo
- 160–280 BPM
- Styles
- reggaeton, dancehall, afrobeats, latin pop, tresillo
Tresillo 3+3+2, counted: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 812345678
Eight eighths grouped 3+3+2, the tresillo under dembow and dancehall: accents on 1, 4 and 7. Tempo is in eighths.
Where it comes from
- Afro-Cuban tresillo (3+3+2) as described in Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix (2009)
- Reggaeton dembow and dancehall teaching: the 3+3+2 feel inside a 4/4 bar
Hip hop
8-counts, “&” and “e & a”, and counting choreography. Hip hop on the blog
Hip hop is counted with the family’s shared counts above: 8-count, 8-count with &, 8-count with e & a, 8-count in triplets, Tresillo 3+3+2.
Jazz
8-counts, syncopation and counting jazz combos. Jazz on the blog
Jazz is counted with the family’s shared counts above: 8-count, 8-count with &, 8-count with e & a, 8-count in triplets, Tresillo 3+3+2.
Contemporary
Odd counts, mixed phrases and breath counts. Contemporary on the blog
- Meter
- 6/4
- Grouping
- 3+3
- Tempo
- 50–140 BPM
- Lead-in
- 3 4 5 6
- Styles
- contemporary, lyrical, modern
Contemporary 6-count, counted: 1 2 3 4 5 6123456
Phrases of 6, often felt as 3+3. Mix with 8s in a phrase sequence (8, 8, 6, 8).
Where it comes from
- Contemporary choreography practice: phrases in 6s and 7s, mixed phrase lengths and breath-led counts (e.g. Graham and release-technique classes)
- Meter
- 7/4
- Grouping
- 4+3
- Tempo
- 50–140 BPM
- Lead-in
- 4 5 6 7
- Styles
- contemporary, modern
Contemporary 7-count, counted: 1 2 3 4 5 6 71234567
Phrases of 7, often 4+3.
Where it comes from
- Contemporary choreography practice: phrases in 6s and 7s, mixed phrase lengths and breath-led counts (e.g. Graham and release-technique classes)
- Meter
- 8 beats a cycle
- Grouping
- 8
- Tempo
- 20–60 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- contemporary, lyrical, modern
Breath count, counted: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 812345678
Breath counts have no fixed tempo: the group moves on a shared breath. Use a slow tempo or tap to set it.
Where it comes from
- Contemporary choreography practice: phrases in 6s and 7s, mixed phrase lengths and breath-led counts (e.g. Graham and release-technique classes)
Ballet
3/4, “and 1”, adagio and allegro counts. Ballet on the blog
- Meter
- 3/4
- Grouping
- 3
- Tempo
- 72–180 BPM
- Lead-in
- and a
- Styles
- ballet, pointe
Ballet 3/4, counted: 1 and 2 and 3 and1and2and3and
Waltz-time class music for pliés, balancés and waltz steps; counted '1 2 3' or 'and 1 and 2 and 3'.
Where it comes from
- Ballet class counting: 3/4 '1 2 3' or 'and 1 and 2', 6/8 counted in two, 'and-a 1' pickups (RAD, Cecchetti and Vaganova class practice)
- Meter
- 6/8
- Grouping
- 2
- Tempo
- 50–120 BPM
- Lead-in
- and a
- Styles
- ballet
Ballet 6/8 in two, counted: 1 and a 2 and a1anda2anda
6/8 counted in two dotted beats: '1 and a 2 and a'. Tempo is in dotted beats.
Where it comes from
- Ballet class counting: 3/4 '1 2 3' or 'and 1 and 2', 6/8 counted in two, 'and-a 1' pickups (RAD, Cecchetti and Vaganova class practice)
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4
- Tempo
- 40–70 BPM
- Lead-in
- and
- Styles
- ballet
Ballet adagio (slow 4), counted: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and1and2and3and4and
Slow 4s for adagio and développés.
Where it comes from
- Ballet class counting: 3/4 '1 2 3' or 'and 1 and 2', 6/8 counted in two, 'and-a 1' pickups (RAD, Cecchetti and Vaganova class practice)
- Meter
- 2/4
- Grouping
- 2
- Tempo
- 100–140 BPM
- Lead-in
- and
- Styles
- ballet
Ballet petit allegro, counted: 1 and 2 and1and2and
Quick 2/4 jumps; many steps start on the 'and' pickup.
Where it comes from
- Ballet class counting: 3/4 '1 2 3' or 'and 1 and 2', 6/8 counted in two, 'and-a 1' pickups (RAD, Cecchetti and Vaganova class practice)
Tap
“e & a”, triplets and swing feel. Tap on the blog
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 60–160 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- tap
Tap e & a, counted: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 5 e & a 6 e & a 7 e & a 8 e & a1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a5e&a6e&a7e&a8e&a
Straight sixteenths. Use the swing slider (50-75%) for swung tap.
Where it comes from
- Tap teaching convention: 'e & a' and triplet counts with swing feel (rhythm tap and Broadway tap)
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 60–160 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- tap
Tap triplets, counted: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a 5 & a 6 & a 7 & a 8 & a1&a2&a3&a4&a5&a6&a7&a8&a
Triplet count '1 & a', the basis of shuffles and paddle-and-rolls in swing tunes.
Where it comes from
- Tap teaching convention: 'e & a' and triplet counts with swing feel (rhythm tap and Broadway tap)
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 80–200 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- tap, jazz
Tap swing &, counted: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 &1&2&3&4&5&6&7&8&
Swung '&': the & falls about two thirds through the beat (66% swing).
Where it comes from
- Tap teaching convention: 'e & a' and triplet counts with swing feel (rhythm tap and Broadway tap)
K-pop
Counting K-pop choreography in eights. K-pop on the blog
K-pop is counted with the family’s shared counts above: 8-count, 8-count with &, 8-count with e & a, 8-count in triplets, Tresillo 3+3+2.
Cheer
8-count sheets for a 2:30 routine. Cheer on the blog
- Meter
- 4/4
- Grouping
- 4+4
- Tempo
- 136–152 BPM
- Lead-in
- 5 6 7 8
- Styles
- cheer, all-star cheer, pom
Cheer 8-count, counted: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 &1&2&3&4&5&6&7&8&
Cheer routines are built on 8-counts; count sheets have 8 boxes per row, one row per eight, with sections for stunts, tumbling, jumps and dance. A 2:30 routine at 144 BPM is about 45 eights.
Where it comes from
- USASF all-star routine rules (2:30 maximum routine length)
- Cheer count-sheet convention: one row of 8 boxes per 8-count
