| These descriptions are for the typical way they are | | | | waving wheat, hence the name. |
| danced; in particular dances they may have small | | | | Lock step |
| variations, eg a stomp or a point instead of a touch, | | | | Can be done to the back or the front, starting on |
| as given in the vine. | | | | either foot. Works like a shuffle except that the |
| Chasse or chassé is a dance step used in many | | | | second step locks the foot behind or in front of the |
| dances in many variants, all of them being three-step | | | | first step. eg Step left to the front, lock right behind |
| patterns of gliding character, steps going basically | | | | left, step left to the front. |
| step-together-step. The word came from ballet | | | | Lock Step refers to any of dance steps which |
| terminology. It is not to be confused with The Chase | | | | involve the "locking" of the moving foot: the moving |
| figure of Tango. | | | | foot approaches to the standing foot, crosses in |
| There is a huge variety of them in many dances: | | | | front of or behind it in the direction of the approach, |
| The direction may be sideways, diagonal or even | | | | stops close to the standing foot, and the weight is |
| curving. | | | | fuly transferred on the (previously) moving foot. |
| Sizes of steps may vary. This also concerns the | | | | The closeness of the feet so that the lower legs of |
| second, "Together", step: the moving foot may land | | | | the dancer are "locked" together crossed is the main |
| right beside the standing foot or leave some space, | | | | difference from other cross-steps used, e.g., in the |
| or even barely move from its previous position. | | | | Grapevine, where the moving (crossing) foot travels |
| Timing may vary. Typical timings in ballroom dances | | | | away from the standing foot and the lower legs are |
| are qqS (1/4, 1/4, 1/2) and SaS ("slow-and-slow", 3/8, | | | | separated. In the Whisk the crossing foot travels |
| 1/8, 1/2). | | | | around the standing foot, rather than "locks" from |
| Footwork may vary. | | | | the direction of approach. |
| Grapevine | | | | The term "lock step" or simply "lock" may be applied |
| Can be done to the left or the right. eg Step right to | | | | either to a single "locking" step or to a whole step |
| right, step left behind right, step right to right and | | | | pattern, e.g., of three steps, such as "step diagonally |
| touch left next to right. The name is sometimes | | | | forward, lock behind, step diagonally forward". The |
| abbreviated to vine. | | | | footwork varies depending on the actual dance |
| Grapevine is the name of a dance figure, which may | | | | figure. |
| look different in different ballroom, club, and folk | | | | Shuffle step: Done to the front or the back, starting |
| dances, but shares a common appearance: it includes | | | | on either foot. Usually has a one-and-two beat, i.e. a |
| side steps and steps across the support foot. | | | | triple step. eg Step left to front, step right beside |
| The most basic endless grapevine sequence of steps | | | | left, step left to front. Done to the side works the |
| may look as follows: | | | | same way, but it is more properly called a chasse |
| ... | | | | step. Shuffles can also be done while you are turning, |
| Side step, | | | | eg through 180 degrees, and this is often called a half |
| Step across in front of the support foot, | | | | shuffle turn. |
| Side step, | | | | Triple step |
| Step behind the support foot, | | | | Triple Step is a generic term for dance step patterns |
| Repeat the sequence... | | | | that describes three steps done on two main beats |
| The whole movement is in the same sidewise | | | | of music. Usually they are two quick steps and one |
| direction. The sequence may start from any of the | | | | slow one, i.e., often they are counted as |
| four listed steps and may break at any place | | | | "quick-quick-slow", "one-and-two", "three-and-four", |
| wherever it is convenient to go into another dance | | | | etc. |
| figure, e.g., into a grapevine in the opposite direction. | | | | Some dances have a pattern known as such: "triple |
| A special kind of grapevine is called "waving the | | | | step". |
| wheat." This is essentially a grapevine with a few | | | | Some triple steps are performed in a chasse-like |
| stylistic changes. First, instead of stepping across the | | | | manner: "side step, together, side step". The |
| support foot, one spins to complete the grapevine. | | | | "cha-cha-cha chasse" is an example of this kind of a |
| While spinning, the dancer will put their hands straight | | | | triple step. In some other cases the steps may be |
| up in the air, bring them down as they turn | | | | done in place. |
| backwards, and then back up as they turn back | | | | Some dances, e.g., many swing dances have several |
| facing in the original direction. The waving arms in this | | | | variants of triple step. |
| dance step gives the appearrance of a field of | | | | |