Have you ever been at an event where a slow song comes on and people come out with their dance partners and start to slowly dance, back and forth? Have you ever wondered if there were proper steps for this kind of dance? These slow, romantic ballads are played everywhere – starting at awkward Jr. High dances, to weddings and nightclubs.
The problem with these ballads is that they are too slow for traditional ballroom dances. Every ballroom dance has a particular rhythm for it, and many of these ballads do not prescribe to the traditional rhythms. So, swaying back and forth, circling round and round it is. Or is it?
Around thirty years ago, a dance was created for these types of songs. It is the Nightclub Two Step. This should not be confused with the Country Two Step which is an entirely different dance. Think of the song, “The Lady in Red” and you’ve got the type of song that the Nightclub Two Step is particularly good for.
So, how did this dance come about? It was originally created in California by Buddy Schwimmer. Schwimmer had been dancing a line dance with his friends call the Surfer Stomp, that was set to fast music. When he tried to do the steps to a slower song, it just didn’t work. He ended up double-timing the steps and that worked with the slower music. He would take two steps with his left foot and then he would take two steps with his right foot – Two Step was born.
However, it was just something that Schwimmer and his friends would do as a dance. Schwimmer and his dance partner won over 2000 competitions at nightclubs, and people were begging him to teach them. Finally, he opened a dance studio and began to teach his dance.
This dance was born out of a line dance and not subject to the formal dance frame of traditional ballroom dances. The couple can drop their elbows and not look so formal out on the dance floor, while still doing a cool dance. It is well suited for the nightclub dance scene because it doesn’t take up much space – Nightclub Two Step was now in place.
The Nightclub Two Step can be danced in a variety of different events. Weddings are a particularly great place to show off two step skills. It doesn’t have to be formal, but it looks like you’re a star when you dance it. Dancing this as a First Dance when all eyes are on you is a particularly good way to show off. It’s also great because so many modern songs can be danced to the Nightclub Two Step.
If you’ve never heard of the Nightclub Two Step, it may not be popular in your neck of the woods yet. Learn it and WOW everyone with your style and grace!
Written by sktodd
Wedding Dance Specialist at http://weddingdancesongs.net
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