A step sheet is the written recipe for a dance. The biggest library of them is CopperKnob. Here's how to read one.
The header
- Count — how many beats of music make up one full pattern of the dance, e.g. 32 counts.
- Wall — how many different directions you end up facing as the pattern repeats. A 4 wall dance turns a quarter each time round, so you face front, right, back and left. A 2 wall dance alternates front and back. A 1 wall dance always comes back to the front.
- Level — absolute beginner, beginner, improver, intermediate or advanced.
- Choreographer and music — who wrote the dance and the track it was written for.
- Intro — how many counts to wait before you start dancing (often 16 or 32).
The steps
Steps are written in sections, usually of eight counts, with numbers for the beats. An & between numbers means a quick extra step half way between beats — so "3&4" is three steps in two beats, like a shuffle or coaster step. Directions like ¼ or ½ tell you how far to turn, and "R" and "L" mean right and left foot.
Tags, restarts and bridges
- Tag — a few extra steps added at a set point to keep the dance matched to the music.
- Restart — you stop part way through the pattern and start again from count 1, again to fit the music.
- Bridge — similar to a tag, usually a bit longer.
The step sheet says exactly where these happen ("restart on wall 3 after count 16"). Instructors usually call them out in class — listen for the music change.
Other words you'll see
- Phrased — the dance has different parts (A, B, C) danced in an order that follows the song.
- NC — night club rhythm, a smooth, lilting style.
- Waltz — danced in counts of three to waltz-time music.
- Weight on — which foot your weight should end on; matters for what comes next.