

Rock and roll dance works on the 4/4 measure, one basic step comprising six beats and therefore one and a half measures.

However, all have the four classes listed above (though some rules may differ). National associations usually have additional classes (e.g., a C class for beginning competitive dancers). lifts, jumps, throws and flips) are allowed. Only difference to B-Class is that almost all acrobatics (e.g.
#ORIGIN OF THE WORDS ROCK AND ROLL FREE#

The male may throw the female into the air, but no flips are allowed. One is a dance program with no acrobatics allowed ( footwork, or foot technique), the other an acrobatic program ( acrobatic) requiring six acrobatic moves.

The "swan", a popular acrobatic move in the Junior class. This means that a correct rock and roll kick will have the supporting foot settling on the floor a tiny moment before the kicking foot settles. With the 6-basic one counts (1)step (2)step (3)kick (4)settle (5)kick (6)settle or (1)kick (2)settle (3)kick (4)settle (5)kick (6)settle, with the 9-basic it is (1)kick (2)ball (3)change (4)kick (5)settle (6)settle (7)kick (8)settle (9)settle. The name of the basic step comes from the number of separate actions. Because of its demanding technique, high speed, and acrobatics, rock and roll is a straining high-performance dance and is most often performed by young dancers. Other characteristics are techniques such as the man's body wave movement, which he uses to fling his partner from a sitting position upwards, and the throwing basic movement, where she steps onto his hands and is catapulted upwards into breakneck jumps. Over the years rock and roll dancing has experienced several important changes: the former 6-basic step was converted into the modern tournament's 9-basic step with its typical kick ball change. It is danced in pairs or in formation and can even be danced with one male and two females simultaneously, a form called "triples". Today's rock and roll dance is focused on show and competition dance and, with the exception of its name, has nearly nothing in common with earlier dance steps done to rock music. The most obvious acrobatic feature of the this dance sport are its kicks (into thin air) and its gymnastic elements like lifts, jumps, throws and flips. Leader starts with their left foot and does a back step, then a tap step (left), tap step (right).įollower starts with the right foot and does a back step, then a tap step (right), tap step (left). Leader starts with left foot kick ball change, kick step (left), kick step (right).įollower starts with right foot kick ball change, kick step (right), kick step (left).Īnother simple form of basic footwork uses a tap step: The Rock and Roll form's specifics vary across the world, but its kick-step footwork style starts with the 6-basic step: Today's rock and roll dance has gone far beyond these origins, especially in its gymnastic moves. It is danced by both couples (usually of mixed gender) and groups, either all-female or four to eight couples together.įrom swing dance, which had come into being around 1920, there emerged Lindy Hop, the first partner dance ever to feature acrobatic elements, which was later modified to suit faster music, spawning dance steps to accompany rock 'n' roll as that genre developed. The double somersault, one of the most demanding acrobatic moves (Daniela Bechtold and Bernd Diel, World Games 2005 in Oberhausen, Germany)Īcrobatic rock and roll (spelled rock'n'roll by its organizing body, the World Rock'N'Roll Confederation) is a fast, athletic, physically demanding form of partner dance that originated from Lindy Hop but has evolved to a choreographed sport, often done in formal competition.
