Step Combinations

This page is intended to be a fairly random list of Step Combinations that I use and teach. I  plan to add to the page (I won't promise "regularly"), so come back to see what's new.

New material added 27th June 2004- and a bit more on 8th July 2004- click here

All the combinations are based on counts of 4 & 8.  So they would suit any of the basic 4 rhythms, such as Sa'aidi, Maqsoum, Wahda Wa Nous or Wahda Kebira.

A few general matters before I get started:

• Try not to start any move/step/combination with your weight evenly distributed.  It is more helpful to start with your weight in one leg and the other leg prepared for the move/step/combination.

• Although the descriptions here are one-sided, you should always practice moves equally on both sides.

• It may be obvious but...  R = Right, L = Left

Off you go then...

20 Step Combinations

These are the notes from the workshop I taught at Fantasia in April 2001.  There is a separate page for the notes on the 20 More Step Combinations workshop I taught in October 2003, within the password protected part of the site.

Easy on-the-spot combinations

1. Rotations- 1 big rotation for count of 4, 2 small rotations for count of 2+2.  Repeat, changing direction.

2. Figure 8s (horizontal)- 1 big slow figure 8, for count of 8 (4 R, 4 L), 1 medium figure 8 for count of 4 (2 R, 2 L), 4 small figure 8s for 4 (RLRL).

3. Single hip circles vertical- 2 Forward, 2 to the side

Changing Focus

These all use the hip drop with foot flick.  Remember- the foot flick is just the foot sliding out from under you & avoid lifting the knee.

1. Hip drop with foot flick x 2, cross & flamenco turn.  Over 1st count of 4, dropping R hip- drop, flick, drop, flick; over 2nd count of 4- cross R foot in front of L leg, then squeeze thighs together to untwist and prepare for next move.  This gives a 180° turn, so it is good to use in profile.

2. Side to side, Hip drop with foot flick to pivot round 1/4 turn. Over count of 4- side to side RLRL (you could also use double side to side- RRLL); pivoting (with weight in L hip) hip drop R- drop, flick, drop, flick. Do this 4 times to get yourself all the way round to face front again.

3. Forward back forward pivot hip drop flick. This works in profile well because it gives a 180° turn. Facing L profile, over first count of 4, step R foot forward, L foot middle, R foot back, L foot middle;  on count of 5 & 6, step R foot forward, and keeping R foot in place in front, pivot on the balls of your feet to face back & then R profile- your R foot keeps the weight but because you have changed focus, it is now your Back leg.  Over the count of 7 & 8, do hip drop with a foot flick with your L hip.  You could make that final count of 7 & 8 any move that leaves your weight in the back leg, so your foot is ready for next forward back... e.g. hip circle, lean out & back, figure 8, shoulder shimmy, etc.

Travelling in a Small Space

These combinations are intended to make you travel a little way then return to your starting point.

1. Cross step & Retreat. On the first count of 4, cross step, place x 2 [Step with R foot 1st, then L], then on the second count of 4, retreat [stepping backwards RLR] then Pause -or- Hop -or- Horsestep. Then repeat the other way, starting with L foot.  The retreat can be a plain step or you can use an abdominal pull-in, or a camel.

2. Forward back with Arabesque.  Over 1st count of 4 step R foot Forward, L foot middle, R foot back, L foot middle, over 2nd count of 4 step R foot forward, L foot middle, R foot back and pivot to R on R foot, trailing L leg behind you in an Arabesque.  You are then ready to start the same pattern in the opposite direction.

3. Step push forward with turn back.  3-step turns & 4-step turns.  Step R push L, step L push R, 4 step turn RLRL.  Repeat, with R foot leading as before.  If you want to change foot each time, make it a 3 step turn.  Step R push L, step L push R, 4 step turn RLR, with a brief pause on 4th beat.  Repeat, starting the step push with L foot.

4. 3-step turn hip drop with flick.  Over 1st count of 4 turn to R, with 3 steps RLR, pause with weight in R hip; on 2nd count of 4 hip drop L with foot flick x 2.  Repeat in opposite direction

5. 3-step turn push forward push back. Over 1st count of 4 turn to R, with 3 steps RLR, pause with weight in R hip; on 2nd count of 4 push L hip forward and then back.  You can either keep the body weight in the R leg, so that it is a hip push action, or you can shift the weight so that it is a forward back step. Repeat in opposite direction

6. Zaza Hexagon.  An Arabesque based combination, named after Zaza Hassan, from whom I got this move.  The hexagon is the floor pattern, by the way.  Start with weight in L hip, with R foot ready to go.  Over 1st count of 4, step R foot behind L leg, step L, step R foot in front of L, Arabesque, with L foot trailing.  Over 2nd count of 4, cross L foot in front of R, step R, step L foot behind R, Arabesque backwards with R foot trailing.

Travelling

These are combinations you can use to move around more freely

1. Swerves with changes in level.  Single sided swerves, changing levels by combining swerves where the leading foot is on toes then flat-footed.  Try toes, flat, toes, flat.  Or toes, toes, toes, flat.  

2. Cross step push, cascade hip drop.  Cross R foot in front of L, push L hip up & drop L hip with a cascade (stopping half way down then continuing the full drop), pause on the 4th count, with weight still in R leg.  Repeat to other side.

3. Cross step push, drop, rock.  As No 2 above, cross R foot in front of L, push L hip up & drop L hip with a cascade, pause (with weight in R side); on second count of 4, move L foot forward & rock weight onto it, with shoulder shimmy, move weight back onto R foot, with shoulder shimmy.  Repeat to other side.

4. Linear Camels with forward & reverse turns. (Start travelling to R) camel, travelling sideways, with R foot leading, 2 x slow (on the counts 1-4), 3 x fast (counts 5 & 6).  On 8th count, step onto R foot & pivot either forwards or backwards to turn 360°.  Repeat in opposite direction

5. Crossing Camels with forward & reverse turns. (Start travelling to R) camel, travelling sideways to R, with L foot leading, 2 x slow, 3 x fast, as in 4 above.  On 8th count, cross L foot in front of R & pivot either forwards or backwards to turn 360°.  Repeat in opposite direction

6. Leila's Camel with bottom.  Named after Leila Haddad from whom I learned this combination.  Over 1st count of 4, camel leading with R foot in front, (you are stepping RLR) then cross-step L foot in front, and (keeping L foot on the floor), pull weight into R hip & pull R hip back into R diagonal.  Then repeat in reverse, starting with L foot in front for camels.

7. Inside arabesque walk diagonal. (Travelling to R first) step RLR (it feels as though you are starting off with the 'wrong' leg), 'inside' arabesque (lift L knee, and then twist body to L, letting the L knee trail so your thighs stay together).  Repeat in other direction.

8. Inside arabesque walk diagonal with Camels.  (Travelling to R first) Over the count of 4- step RLR (it feels as though you are starting off with the 'wrong' leg), 'inside' arabesque lifting L knee; over second count of 4- double camel LL RR. Repeat in other direction.  [Instead of the double camel you could do a rocking pivot step turning in circle to L, but you have to make sure you do 4 steps to have the opposite leg ready to take you in the opposite direction].

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Some combinations we worked on in class this term

These use two counts of 8 each 

1. Step Push
   For the first count of 8, step push x 4 walking forward, starting with the R foot.  For the second count of 8, retreat back to your starting point, with 123 steps x 3, RLR LRL RLR, then step back L & R.  Repeat with the opposite foot- L foot starting.

2. Diagonal with Figure 8
   For the first count of 8, travel in diagonal R forward then back.  Step forward RL, then step back RL, then on 5th count, step R foot across L, & turn to face the L side. On the counts of 6,7 & 8, do 1½ figure 8, to RLR, so you finish with your weight in the R side.  On second count of 8 you repeat the same pattern but with the opposite foot, so you travel on the L diagonal, stepping LR forward then LR back, cross the L foot in front and turn to face R, figure 8 is LRL

3. Hip Drop Retreat
   This combination travels backwards.  Start in profile, facing L, weight in L foot, R foot ready to start the hip drops.  Do hip drops with a foot flick x 4 on R, for the first count of 8.  For the second count of 8, travel to the back, with a cross-step x 2, crossing the R foot in front of the L, then cross the R leg in front of the L a third time, but instead of carrying on with the cross-step, squeeze the thighs together, into a flamenco turn.  This should be just enough to get you facing the R, and leave you with the weight in the R leg ready to repeat the move using the L leg first.

4. Grapevine with Jazz Turn
   This combination travels sideways.  You start with your weight in the L foot & travel to the L with the grapevine over 4 counts- the R foot steps across first. You finish with your R foot ready for a pivot turn- on count 5, step forward with the R foot, circling the R hip forward & L, & shift weight onto R foot, keeping both feet in position & swivelling on the balls of the feet, so you are facing back & the L foot is in front of you.  On count 6, step onto L foot. On count 7, step forward with the R foot, circling the R hip forward & L, & shift weight onto R foot, keeping both feet in position & swivelling on the balls of the feet, so you are facing front again & the L foot is in front of you. Mark the 8th count with a R heel drop, horsestepping the L knee up.  Repeat in opposite direction for the second set of 8.

5. Camel with Forward, Side, Back Push
   This combination should *in theory* be on the spot, try not to let it drift off its place.  Start with weight in the L foot.  Camels x 2 for the first count of 4, making sure you finish with weight back in the L foot.  Hip Push R x 3, moving the R foot forward on the first, to the side on the 2nd, and back on the 3rd. for the 8th count, step onto the R foot, dropping down securely onto the heel.  Repeat in the opposite direction for the second count of 8.

Magdy's Hip Drop, Turn & Tombé
This was a combination that I learned at a workshop with Magdy el-Leisy.
Start with weight in L foot, R foot ready to start the hip drops. Do hip drops with a foot flick x 2 on R, for a count of 4.  Then do a 2-step turn to R (step RL). Fall back (or sideways) onto R foot, on the count of 7 and straighten up onto the L foot again on the count of 8. 

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