Sometimes something so simple can open you up to new possibilities.  Learning to Two Step at The Broken Spoke in Austin was a good lesson in following and letting go.

 While in Austin, Texas my family and I hit up the Broke Spoke for a dance lesson which is offered every night before the live music begins.  There you’ll find Terri, daughter of owners James and Annetta White who teaches most of the classes offered Tuesday – Saturday 8-9pm.  Her instruction was clear, comfortable and she offered individual advise to the class of over a dozen new adult dancers.

This is probably going to appeal most to dance nerds, but what was most interesting to me about the Two Step is that it doesn’t fit into an 8 count time cycle.  This makes it a brain teaser for control freaks or those who are inclined to count the music.

The Two Step is a partner dance that can be danced moving in a counter clockwise circle, but many couples also weaved in and out as they pleased.   Just as Texans want to avoid “Big Government” they don’t let a 4 or 8 beat time cycle govern when and how they will step.   Two Two Step is Two Quicks and Two Slows: Quick Quick Slow Slow, with the steps generally on 1,3,5,1…5,7,1,5…  This means every 4 cycles of steps will sync up every 3 cycles of music.  This took me a few minutes to realize that we weren’t going to wind up on the 1 each cycle.

As Terri said, you can dance the Two Step to any 4/4 music which makes it a very versatile partner dance.  The fact that it isn’t syncopated makes it useful for dancing to unexpected musical rhythm emphasis as long as it’s 4/4.  The benefit of The Two Step can then also be its downfall: you don’t have to listen to the music.  You don’t have to be connected to the musicians.  That is, you can still feel connected, but your body doesn’t have to show it in the detail.  Yet this separation from the potential complexities of the music does leave room for connection to your partner and a space where all levels of dancers can participate.