Here is an easy, but fun vertical step combo that I used last night.  It is simple to follow and teach, but criss-crossing the step gets the heartrate up nicely.

Combo:

Note: Start on the left side of the step, towards the back.

4 - Over the Top, R Lead

4 - Diagonal Over the Top, L Lead.  Move to the front of the step.

4 - Over the Top, R Lead.  Stay at the front of the step.

4 - One knee:  Use it to back up again.  I usually cue it as “One hop back”

6 - Two-knee Repeater

2 - Two bounces in place, like jumping rope

4 - Rocking Horse: One hamstring curl (2) One knee (2)

4 - One Jumpshot

Reverse.

 I usually teach this one by doing three of everything, then shortening it up; therefore, no fancy layering techniques.  :) 

Have fun!

This final combo in my July series is almost too easy to post, but sometimes even the no-brainers are hard to come up with.  So here is the basic combo, with definitions.  No progression, because there really isn’t one:

Around the world, anyway you like it (16)
L step (8)
Figure 8 (8)

Definitions:

Around the world, anyway you like it - I like to give my students  the choice to work whichever move they like around the world.  Mix ‘em up for fun or try a different variation everytime you start the combo.  Leg sides, knees, extensions, inner thighs, leg curls, jumpshots, taps, hops, kicks…  so many choices, so little time!

Figure 8 - Step hop R on the bench to turn and face the back (12) two steps LR on the floor facing back (34) step hop L on the floor to turn and face the front (56) two steps RL on the floor moving forward (78)

Enjoy!

In this series of four posts, I’m providing a different step combo with teaching progression - as best I can explain my mad methodology!  Enjoy!

Combo 3:

1/2 V Shake(4) R lead
hop 1/4 turn off the end (4) R lead, exit to the right of the step
split basic (8) L lead
repeater turn (8) L lead
hop turn (4) R lead
4 party marches (4) L lead

Definitions:
V-Shake -   
(1) Step up R
(2) Step up L wide (like you are starting a V step) 
(3-6) shake your hips RLRL
(78) Exit RL

1/2 V-shake  -
(1) Step up R
(2) Step up L wide (like you are starting a V step) 
(34) shake your hips RL

Split Basic -  
(12) Step up RL
(3) tap the floor behind you (or lunge back) R
(4) step on the step R
(5) tap the floor behind you (or lunge back) L
(6) step on the step L
(78) Exit RL

Repeater turn -
3 knee repeater the same as usual, but gradually rotate 1/4 turn around the corner of the bench

Party Marches -
march while shimmying your shoulders and partying with your hips

Teaching progression:

March on top of the bench RLRL (4) + hop R (2) [step R and hop R on top of the bench] +
exit LR to home(2) + 2 basics L.  Reverse and repeat as needed.

Repeater knee R, 1 hop L march 4 steps RLRL.  Repeat as needed.

Add together to create the full combo skeleton:
march on top of the bench hop exit.
2 basics
repeater knee
1 hop march on the floor

Now you will start to layer in all the fun stuff.  I add them in this order:
Party marches in place of the last marches on the floor
Split Basics
Direction changes
V Shakes

Have fun!

 In this series of four posts, I’m sharing the combos I created to sub a step class recently.  Included are my definitions of each non-self-explanatory step and the teaching progressions - as best I can explain my mad methodology!

Combo #2:

3-knee repeater with kick (8) R lead
single knee (4) R lead
mambo across and back (4) L lead
mambo cha cha x2 ** (8) L lead
2 knee repeater (5) ski (3) L lead
Reverse

** To add to this, make the first mambo cha cha ”normal” and do the second on the floor swapping a  pivot turn for the mambo.
 

Definitions:
knee repeater kick - Do a three knee repeater the way you always do.  On count 8, instead of stepping or tapping, do a kick with your lead foot so that you do not reverse.

mambo across and back - Just like a regular mambo, except that instead of taking the first step on the bench, take your lead foot over to step in front of the step.  Step your second step in place.  Then complete the mambo as usual with your lead foot behind and second step in place.

ski - Start with your lead foot slightly behind your other foot, weight evenly distributed. Jump to quickly switch your back foot to the front at the same time the front foot switches to the back.

Teaching Progression:

Teach mambo across the bench and back.  Set aside.

Knee repeater kick x2 or x4 +  knees to 3 corners + mambo across the bench and back 12 counts. reverse.
Then, steadily condense it to one of each step as in the combo.

2 knee repeater(5), march 2 counts(2), clap on 8 - no feet (1).  Repeat to get comfortable with the rhythm.  Either here or later in the progression, change “march 2 clap” to 3 skis.

Mix in the mambo cha chas, starting with each on the bench, then change to one on, one off, and eventually one on, one pivot.

When you have this block down, add it to the first block to complete the combo.

Have fun!

I don’t teach Step regularly anymore as interest in it at the main club where I teach has waned significantly.  It has never really been my forte as an instructor either.  However, I got a call to sub at a different gym last night, and I had the pleasure of putting a few combos together.  Since I wasn’t sure of the audience, I tried to vary the choreography difficulty, without going overboard.  In this series of four posts, I’m including each combo with teaching progression - as best I can explain my mad methodology!

Combo 1: Mambo Madness 

5-count mambo x 2 (10) R lead
3-count mambo x 2 (6)  R lead
reverse turn      (4)  R lead
3-count mambo x 2 (6)  R lead
2 knee repeater (6) to reverse

Definitions:

5-count mambo -
Angle the body to the left front corner of the room. 
 (1) Step R foot on L corner of the step
 (2) Step L foot on floor slightly left of the step.
 (3) Step R foot on the L corner of the step (it stays in the same place, essentially)
 (4) Step L foot on floor behind R foot
 (5) Step R foot on floor next to L foot facing the front

3-count mambo -
Angle the body to the left front corner of the room.  
(1) Step R foot on L corner of the step
(2) Step L foot on floor directly to the left of the step.
(3) Step R foot on the L corner of the step (it stays in the same place, essentially)

Reverse turn -
Angle the body to the left front corner of the room.  
(1) Step R foot on L corner of the step
(2) Face the back of the room, step L foot on the step
(3) Step R foot on the floor, continue turning
(4) Step L foot next to R on the floor, facing front

Teaching Progression:

Teach 3 count mambos, set them aside.

Teach 5 count mambo, 6 marches. Repeat as needed.

Teach reverse turn, 6 marches, 2 knee repeater.  Reverse and repeat as needed.

Combine to have: 5 count mambo, 6 marches, Reverse turn, 6 marches, 2 knee repeater.  Reverse and repeat as needed.

Demonstrate the 3-count mambo in place of the 6 marches then let them go crazy!

Have fun!

I just wanted to share this really great combo I got from Turnstep last week.  I’ve used it twice with excellent results and thought you might want to see it yourself.  Thank you Tina for some easy-to-read, easy-to-teach, fun-to-do choreography!

 http://www.turnstep.com/Patterns/2007/March/Mar07.2.html

I started teaching Step again after years of being away from it!  A brand new, completely amazing gym opened in Mount Pleasant, SC called Eco Fitness and I had to be a part of it since I already knew they were fantastic.  I was a part of the grand opening of their first clubs, Eco Fitness and Blue Turtle Yoga in Downtown Charleston SC.  At any rate, most of my steppers are new to step, or coming back after a time away.  This is not surprising considering Step is coming off most gyms schedules now, in lieu of more functional and core conditioning classes.  So, I had to dust off my stepper skills and decided to dive right into turnstep.com for some assistance in creating just the right moves. I would like to thank Terri for submitting her Fun Step to Turnstep, from which I got Combo #1. My class really enjoyed it — it was easy enough to pick up quickly, but had enough going on that they were challenged by it.   Combos 2 and 3 are my own.

COMBO #1 : Self reversing, start Right lead

Alternate leg curls corner to corner (8)
Rocking horse (4) hop turn (4)
Mambo Left facing the back from the front of the step(4), hop turn Left (4)
3-knee repeater Right (8)

COMBO #2

Split Basic (8)
Alternating knees with optional plyo to make it alt hops (8)
“Karate” L (8)  ** (Cathe Friedrich calls this a knee-smash repeater — it is knee off the end, kick across the bench, then knee exit)
Karate Knee (8)  ** (Just like alternating knees, except the second knee is performed on the floor, not the step)

COMBO #3

Kick the corner Right (2) 6 steps to walk around the bench starting with Left foot (6) **You will end up in the exact same position you would have if you had just done an over the top!
Charleston Left on the front side (4) turnstep still on the front (4)
2 knee repeater (4) Right straddle (2) Stomp Left (2) (you are now back to the home side of the bench)
Reverse turn Left (4) Over the top Right (4)

Reverse this combo by starting on the front side of the bench, facing the same wall you were facing the first time!

* ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ * ~ - ~ *

My Teaching Progression for Combo #1:

1.  I have everyone hold basic right while I demonstrate a hop turn into basic left, then rejoin and all do: 3 basic rights and 1 hop turn right, then reverse to come back over the step, and repeat as needed.

2. Change the basics to mambos, keep repeating as needed.

3. Go corner to corner a few times.  Then do one mambo, one hop turn over and back, then corner to corner. 

4. Insert a repeater knee between the hop turn and the corner to corner when you are ready to reverse.

4.  Finally, change the first mambo to a rocking horse and you have the combo!

Teaching Combo #2:

1.  Teach the split basic.

2.  Split basic, two alt knees.  Throw in the plyo whenever you feel comfortable.

3.  4 L steps,  4 karate kicks

3.  Double everything up:  2 split basics, 4 alt knees, one L step, 2 karate kicks

4.  Cut the extras, there’s your combo!

Teaching Combo #3:

1.  Start with kicks corner to corner.  After a few iterations, change to:

2.  Kick (step on Right, kick Left) walk around the bench 6 steps starting with Left foot that just kicked, then 2 charleston.  Reverse/repeat for a total of 4 times.

3.  Kick, walk around 6 steps, 2 charleston,  2 turnsteps, Repeater knee (with a tap down so there is no lead change). Reverse/repeat for a total of 4 times.

4.  Teach or demonstrate reverse turn. 

5. Slow (half-time) reverse turn,  2 over the tops  - 4 times

6.  Stomp the bench 4 times to get the feel.  Then: Reverse turn, 2 over the tops , 2 Stomps  - 4 times

7.  2 knee repeater straddle down and march 2 (still straddling).  Reverse and repeat, eventually changing the second march to a stomp

8. Now, go back and add the reverse turn so you have:  2 knee repeater straddle down and stomp, slow reverse turn, 2 over the top, 2 turnsteps reverse/repeat

9. By now, they know the meaty section, so I go ahead and put the whole thing together.  If you still need another layer, you can go with:

kicks corner to corner, charleston turnstep, 2 knee repeater straddle mambo, reverse turn over the top

before you change kicks corner to corner to kick walk around.

Wow.  That is long and more detailed that I ever want to be.  Of course, you may have questions or comments, so please post them in comments section!  I would love to have your feedback so that I can continue to improve the choreography and notes I offer to you.   Have a great class and drop back to share your experiences with us!