Brazilian Zouk basic timing. Who steps first?

 · dance
Brazilian Zouk basic timing. Who steps first?

Dancers who don’t know the fundamental rules of Brazilian Zouk tend to make these very basic mistakes.

Do you know who steps first when you are being led?

Does the leader step first? Does the follower step after feeling the signal direction? Or do they both step at the same time?

I wonder how many of you even know this…

The answer is.

The follower always steps first, and within split seconds the leader would step.

Who leads the direction?

Obvious one. The leader.

I won’t dive into this much, as in how they lead it, because the intention can come in many forms.

What happens when no intention is shown?

Here’s another question. What happens if no direction intention is shown, and no intention of stopping or blocking by the leader? What does the follower do?

This is another common mistake that followers don’t know, this simple rule. You maintain your direction and keep doing your 3 steps on time, until you find an intention of directional change, or a block to stop, from the leader.

Common pitfall, the leaders. They don’t know this rule, so they don’t know why the followers keep moving, and they try to use strength to stop or block the followers, causing the flow and timing to break. Or the leaders have not trained their body enough to be aware of an unintentional direction change signal by mistake, or an accidental block and stop.

Common pitfall, the followers. They do not understand or know this rule, so they keep stopping and breaking the flow, or stepping in the wrong rotation or direction.

Do you know why this timing is important?

It’s a conversation, inviting each other to speak. We can’t both be speaking at the same time otherwise it clashes. As a leader, I would have shown intention of any directional changes, and we need to listen for the follower to have made that commitment.

Unfortunately, this is one of those basic rules in Brazilian Zouk that most dancers don’t know. This is the basic understanding of its fundamental design, how partner dance foundation works, and how the two dancers communicate through listening to each other’s body and weight transfer to be on time.

Yes, I break this rule myself

You will still find times of me having the step first as a leader. It’s not because I don’t know this fundamental rule. It’s because I have to break this rule, due to the fact the follower does not know this and would not step first unless I show the commitment of the first step instead. So now I am slightly off time as a leader.

Another timing rule is, as a leader, we are supposed to be slightly leading ahead of time. So that when the follower steps, it lands on the beat, on the correct timing. It’s fractional, and it should be unnoticeable. But I am exaggerating so you get the concept in your head.

The idea of being 100% completely in sync is a difficult challenge in partner dance when a leader and follower type role has to be played. The leader should be listening to the follower finishing their steps, always. The follower should also be listening for the leader’s steps for him to finish his steps.

Do we stop and listen on every weight transfer?

So here is another rule. Is it every weight transfer step that we stop and listen to?

I wonder how many of you even know this?

It depends… If a leader is blocking per step, you have to listen every step as a follower. However. What is the default?

By default rule of the fundamentals, Brazilian Zouk is 3 steps per 4 counts. Leaders need to listen that the followers have finished on the third step. Followers need to stop and listen that the leader has finished on their third step.

Do you know why this is important?

Again, it’s the fundamental design of how partner dance works. To do with flow, timing, and communication efficiency.

Imagine this. If this isn’t a default rule that you know about, the dance doesn’t flow. That would mean a leader has to lead every single step the follower takes. Micro manage. Does anyone love to be micromanaged? I know I don’t! Damn, that would be horrible. And actually that is a huge mistake I see leaders do, trying to lead every single step the follower needs to take, causing them to not be smooth, to not flow, and to also be off time because the leader is off time themselves.

This isn’t always the leader’s fault. Followers who don’t know this are just as bad, because at times it forces the leader who does know this rule to lead every single step. It’s exhausting. It’s why I am both mentally, physically and emotionally drained after dancing with dancers whom I would have to lead every single movement and step. The followers are not holding to their responsibility, because they don’t know and have not been taught this fundamental rule, for whatever the reason.

Know the rule first, then break it

So I still stand with my reasoning. If you plan to break the rules, you need to first know it, and understand why you are breaking it and for what reason.

Brazilian Zouk, or partner dance, or ballroom dance, isn’t simply thinking it’s a leader and follower where the leader leads and the follower follows. Each role has fundamental rules and responsibilities that they each own. I wish learning it was that simple. These are fundamental rules that make the partnership work.

By not learning the fundamental rules properly, you’re actually making your dance life harder. The learning is harder because you don’t have the foundation to build upon. You need the understanding of how the dance works together, otherwise everything falls apart.

This is why I hate it when ignorant dancers say it’s easy. They don’t go to class. And they wonder why no one wants to dance with them. No one asks you to dance because you are being held accountable for not knowing the fundamental rules, which makes it difficult, stressful, and challenging to dance with you. It’s not fun, for me and you, or anyone else. We are held accountable for our lives, live the way it is, or change. Choose wisely.

Final questions to think about

I’ll wrap this up with some final questions to think about, because it’s one of the most common mistakes both leaders and followers make when it comes to head movements. It follows the same fundamental rules I have discussed in this blog. Let’s see if you’ve learned anything from here and understood it.

Question for followers. The leader initiates and starts a head movement intention, and shows which rotation direction to go. As a follower you do head movements.

When should you stop?

When would you change direction?

Should you be closing your eyes?

Question for leaders. A follower has entered head movements.

When is it the safest head directional position for you to initiate a change of direction?

Is there any moment when you should be providing constant leading and support of a head movement? (Answer carefully, I said constant.)

If my questions were too easy for you, then answer these, both leaders and followers.

As a fundamental rule, do you weight transfer during head movements? How, when, and why?

What size should head movements be, and how does it impact your axis?

Is a head movement the actual head moving, or the upper torso moving with the head as a consequence? If so, what muscle groups is it using, and how does the muscle tone respond as it moves?

If You Want to Go Deeper

Hoi x