"Dancing Tid-bits" Issue #182, Thursday, May 13, 2004


Dancing Tid-bits
The ISTD Test continued, Part 5, Quickstep

This is the continuation of Tid-bits series on "So, you want to be a teacher," and the ISTD Test on different dances. Again this is not the official guide to ISTD but just a personal recall of an Associate Level Test. Nothing wrong with it I hope.

So, now it is Quickstep. Following is a summary of the questions asked by the examiner.

What is the construction of the Quickstep?..Hmmm, Just listen to him.The answer is......... "Quickstep is constructed on Walks and Chasses". Sounds good. Also Chasse is like chase one foot to the other. It can be side, diagonal, forward or back. Also a Lock step is a type of chasse.

How many types of Rise and Fall do you know in Quickstep? This is an interesting point. Answer is, 2 common types.

1. If the rise is on 3 steps (such as 123 of Natural Turn or Chasse reverse Turn), you rise at the end of 1, up on 2 and 3 and down at the end of 3.

2. However if the rise is taken on 4 steps (such as Progressive Chasse or a Lock Step), then you commence to rise at the end of 1, continue to rise on 2 and 3, up on 4, down at the end of 4. In other words there is gradual rise.

Show the Ladies and Mans part in basic QS i.e. Quarter Turn to Right and Progressive Chasse. Describe Feet Positions and Alignments. OK, no big deal, just show it. However when you go into details on the amount of turn for outside and inside steps it gets interesting. The person going outside splits the turn but the person on inside makes 1/4 turn between the first 2 steps.

What is difference in Feet positions in Back Lock vs Natural Turn, Back Lock and Running Finish? Of course as you know that in a regular Back Lock the first step is in CBMP and partner outside but in Natural Turn to Back Lock the first step is just back (not CBMP) because it is an in line step.

That was the end of QS and next time we have Tango. With Best Wishes, Max


This article is part of and should be seen in the frame context of Dancesport UK, Tid-bits