How do you shuffle?

[pygmalion]

Anybody here from Texas? I've been out googling on C&W dance styles, and I keep bumping into various shuffle dances.


So what the heck is shuffle (or shuffle variants) Where is it done, and what does it look like?

[cocodrilo]

There are some salsa moves with the word "shuffle" in them. Usually consist of fast & repetitive forward-backward moves. (I'm working on a heel shuffle now. ) They look pretty cool! 8)

[Vince A]

There are literally 100's of C&W dances with shuffles in them, however the basic shuffle step (you didn't google this???):

The Shuffle is three steps to two beats of music:
1. Step forward with your left foot.
& Quickly bring your right foot next to your left foot and step down
2. Quickly step forward with your left foot

Just reverse these steps for a right foot lead. This move is sometimes refered to as a step-together-step even a Polka step, and in some areas called the Triple Step. The shuffle step differs from the CHA CHA Step in that there is NO rocking motion involved.

Some of the more popular shuffle-stepping C&W dances: the Sixteen Step (not to be confused with the famous 10 Step), the Ski Bumpus, and the Southside Shuffle . . .

[Vince A]

I forgot . . . your moving, correct?

You'll need to learn to dance all over again there . . . :wink:

[jmarkiemark]

We are just learning the "Dallas Shuffle" (what they call it in Ft Worth....in Dallas, they just call it "The Shuffle")

Does anyone know where you can find lists of songs that are appropriate for the different dances (namely The Shuffle)?

How do you know which dance to do to which song?

Thanks!
Mark

[SDsalsaguy]

Unfortunately I don't know anything about the dances/music in question jmarkiemark, just wanted to welcome you to the Dance Forums! :D

Hopefully someone else can be of help...

[Vince A]

How do you know which dance to do to which song?
While you are learning, watch what eveyone else is doing, and then jump in . . . whether you know it or not. The C&W dancers all started this way, and they are a very forgving lot!

Soo, you'll be able to equate particular songs (and beats, drive, etc) to specific steps . . . whether its a plain old shuffle, or a Carolina Shuffle (The 16 Step), or the dances that have shuffle in them, i.e., The Ten Step and Cotton-Eyed Joe, etc. Many, many of your traveling C&W dances have the shuffle in them, and it should take you about 15 minutes to learn how to the shuffle well enough to use in those dances.

[dancersdreamland]

How do you know which dance to do to which song?

Most dances can be done to any song with a similar beat. A lot of time, though, as you learn the dances there will be a slow song, and a fast song to which you'll learn/practice. Usually those are the same songs people dance that particular dance to.

[Lrn2dnc]

Ft Worth Shuffle is danced
Walk-1
Walk-2
Walk-3
Tri-4
ple -&
Step-5
Tri -6
ple-&

start over

It also has a visual "V" characteristic.

For more info, contact Terry Lewis in DFW area

[cwjunkie385]

Hello. here is a small sample on the types of songs and there respective dance. hope this helps.

the shuffle(fort worth shuffle)= pop a top by Alan Jackson
stars in the water by George Strait
little ways by Dwight Yoakam
back when by Tim Mcgraw
Quick step= suds in a bucket by Sra Evans
Jacob's ladder by Mark Wills
chattahoochee by Alan Jackson
redneck woman by Gretchen Wilson
two step= neon moon by Brooks and Dunn
livin' on love by Alan Jackson
sticks and stones by Tracy Lawrence
amarillo by morning by Gerge Strait
waltz= alibis by Tracy Lawrence
you look so good in love by George Strait

[cwjunkie385]

Hello. here is a small sample on the types of songs and there respective dance. hope this helps.

the shuffle(fort worth shuffle)
pop a top by Alan Jackson
stars in the water by George Strait
little ways by Dwight Yoakam
back when by Tim Mcgraw

Quick step
suds in a bucket by Sra Evans
Jacob's ladder by Mark Wills
chattahoochee by Alan Jackson
redneck woman by Gretchen Wilson

two step
neon moon by Brooks and Dunn
livin' on love by Alan Jackson
sticks and stones by Tracy Lawrence
amarillo by morning by Gerge Strait

waltz
alibis by Tracy Lawrence
you look so good in love by George Strait

[Steve Pastor]

I have been doing some work in Wikipedia, and, after having looked at the country western dance entry, think it is very inadequate (hope no one here created that page).
The article lists "shuffle" as one of the country western partner dances. Not where I come from. I sort of agree with Vince, that it is pretty much a triple step, although there are dances with "shuffle" in the name, and shuffles in the dance itself.
Do you guys think "shuffle" deserves the same status as two step, waltz, etc, as a country western partner dance listed in a Wikipedia article?
Please vote if you dance country western.

[kayak]

I never hear anyone use the term shuffle to describe a specific type of dance. Everyone I know calls them 2-step, triple step etc.

[CGInTheSand]

Do you guys think "shuffle" deserves the same status as two step, waltz, etc, as a country western partner dance listed in a Wikipedia article?
Please vote if you dance country western.

I vote "yes". The Shuffle (also known as the Ft. Worth Shuffle) is a lead and follow dance (as opposed to a patterned partner dance).

I think the confusion comes in because of the step sequence known as the shuffle, which appears in many, many patterned partner dances (such as the 16 Step) and also in many lead and follow dances. For example, the timing for the Ft. Worth Shuffle is 1 2 3 4&5 6&1 (as Lrn2dnc pointed out several posts ago in this thread). So the 4&5 and the 6&1 are going to be shuffles. I guess that must be how the overall dance got its name! The Ft. Worth Shuffle includes 2 shuffles as part of its basic step sequence.

(So to avoid confusion, I gave the step called the shuffle a small "s" whenever I referred to it, and gave the lead and follow dance known as the Shuffle a capital "S".)

Both the United Country Western Dance Council (UCWDC) and the American Country Dance Association (ACDA) recognize the Ft. Worth Shuffle as a lead and follow dance.

I am by no means an expert on the Shuffle, though, so while I agree that there should be a Wikipedia entry for it, I would be utterly unqualified to write that entry.

[Sagitta]

I shuffle one foot at a time.... ;-)

[Vince A]

If you can Cha Cha . . . you can do the shuffle.

It's nearly the same as the 4&1 counts in the cha . . . as in 1, 2, 3, 4&1, but do the cha cha cha (the 4&1) continuosly while moving forward and switching the lead foot . . . left cha cha cha, right cha cha cha, and so on . . .

[kayak]

If you can Cha Cha . . . you can do the shuffle.

It's nearly the same as the 4&1 counts in the cha . . . as in 1, 2, 3, 4&1, but do the cha cha cha (the 4&1) continuosly while moving forward and switching the lead foot . . . left cha cha cha, right cha cha cha, and so on . . .

Do you hook the back leg? How is it different from just a triple step or polka?

[Vince A]

Do you hook the back leg? How is it different from just a triple step or polka?
Normally "no," but you can if you want to . . . I have!

[Steve Pastor]

For the first time I can remember (I've been doing this for over 10 years) one of our dance instructors here in the Portland area taught the Forth Worth Shuffle. (I understand he was sidelined for several years after an accident with a large hooved animal.)
He was very clear the the two shuffles start with the man steppting on his right foot. I love the origin story at this url http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_specific/countrywestern5.html
So, does anyone disagree that the first of the two shuffles starts with the man stepping on his right foot?

P.S. I had a talk with one of the gals who wondered if Fort Worth Shuffle would catch on at this club. I'm thinking it won't because people will do either two step or West Coast to all of the songs he used to teach.
And, Fort Worth Shuffle could easily be seen as triple two (on the other foot).

[Vince A]

Starting on the right . . . well, I think that would be the call of the choreographer or whoever made up the dance.

Having said that, in every C&W line dance and couple dance that I know, the man starts the shuffle with his left!!! Ten Step, Cotton-Eyed Joe, and so on...

Excerpted from a glossary of C&W dance step descriptions:

SHUFFLE
A triple step similar to a Polka step with no lilt (says NTA) EXAMPLE: SHUFFLE FORWARD LEFT 1 Step forward left & Bring the right foot up to the heel of the left foot 2 Step forward left Note: From a technical stand point, a shuffle would be smooth, a polka would have lilt (bounce), and a cha-cha would have Cuban Motion. This may be of little or no concern to the social dancer especially the beginner.

However, it's not a hard-fast rule!

[Steve Pastor]

Yup, well, it's the Forth Worth Shuffle. The listed url says it starts on the right foot, just like our instructor said.

[Vince A]

You're absolutely correct . . . and on the downbeat!

Shuffle, Fort Worth Shuffle, South West Shuffle, Houston Shuffle

Shuffle, or Shuffle Hoe-down, is a very fast dance. Anyone for a description?

Houston Shuffle is another name for Triple Two-step or Progressive Double Two-step. See elsewhere on this page.

FWS is a regional C&W dance that origionated about ten years ago in Fort Worth, Texas. It started, according to one account I have heard, when a lady showed a drunk man the ladies footwork from Dallas Progressive Double Two Step (a variation of Triple Two Step). When the man sobered up, he did the ladies footwork from PD2 - not realising what had happened, and a new dance was born.

The count of the dance is 123,4&5,6&. The dance is progressive and generally orbits in a continious left hand turn. Many of the spins and wraps were taken from WCS. The basic position is closed, and the man begins with his right foot on a 'down' beat. From the count, the first 'triple step' begins on an 'up' beat. This makes the dance different from ECS, polka, and T2S which begin the 'triple steps' on the 'down' beat. The dance is growing slowly in popularity, and is currently offered for UCWDC competiton as a regional dance. The 1995 UCWDC rules contain a dance description for Southwest Shuffle (aka. Ft. Worth Shuffle).

I posted a very detailed description of the footwork several months ago. But here is the gist of it again: The footwork is three sliding steps forward (123). A step directly to the side (4), slide the other foot to close (&). Step forward on foot that took 4 (5). A step to the other side (6), and slide the feet closed (&). You should now be ready to step forward on 1 again. The man begins with his left foot, and alternates on every step (left, right, left, right, etc). On the side steps there is ideally no forward progression. The ladies footwork mirrors the mans. You don't pick your feet up. This gives the dance a very smooth appearance on the floor, dancers who are good at it look like they are ice skating.

[CGR]

Is there anyone here, besides myself, that likes to do FT Worth Shuffle on fast music without getting into all the advanced moves? I think having a keen sense of rhythm is what makes it so exhilirating! Kind of wish there was a "speed shuffle" version! And I have seen advanced shufflers do this, but they generally don't dance with anyone but their regular partner.

CGR

[Steve Pastor]

I don't consider myself an advanced shuffler, but even when a fast 2 step comes on, I look around to see who can dance it that fast. There are lots of times that I sit it out, because if we both can't go as fast as the music, I'd rather not dance.

As far as "advanced moves" go, if you let the woman take however long it takes for her to do a turn or whatever you are leading, you can pretty much do anything (unless someone is timing you, or judging you).

So, if you want to do stuff that's pretty difficult, you have to have a good partner. Where I am there are often a handful of single women who are there pretty much to dance, and have good enough basic techinque that they can pick things up if you give them a few chances.
Some nights I feel pretty lucky.

If you can dance shuffle really fast and stay in time to the music, there already is a "speed shuffle", because you're doing it!

[CGR]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess my problem is finding people who want to "speed shuffle". Actually I'm in Tarrant county where FW shuffle is supposed to have originated. But most dancers here take it pretty seriously, and it seems to be a performance issue. Personally, I do it for the fun. Think it's an adrenaline issue.

It actually surprised me to find that FW Shuffle is done other places, because it's not generally done in Dallas, 30 miles from FT Worth. They do double two step.

There is some music that I prefer to double two step on, rather than shuffle, but I'm not sure why. (talking about basic to intermediate again)

[Steve Pastor]

Slower two step songs sometimes make me want to do double two step. There a very few women who can do two step really slow, and give enough feedback to make it worthwhile. So, just to make it more interesting, I'll go to the double two step.
Here in Portland, I've only seen FT shuffle taught once in over ten years of dancing, so it's unlikely that I'll run into someone who will want to do it.
Considering the great fun Texans have with folks from Oklahoma, and the great pride they have in their state in general, it's not a suprise to me that two nearby cities have "their" very own version of a dance.
You have heard or the "origin of" story as posted on one web site?

[CGR]

Yes I heard that story from an instructor. I'm not sure anybody really knows how it started at this point.

If you compare shuffle to double two, what do you see as the plusses or minus's of each?

It's amazing how very different Dallas and FT Worth are too. FT Worth is like a huge town with the advantages of a City, and with an amazing downtown area. People are generally pretty laid back. When the Bass Hall, which cost about 63 million of private money, opened, they had trouble getting people to dress up for performances. They'd come in shorts! I don't have any problem with that myself.

[Steve Pastor]

Trying to get someone to start on the right foot, when they've been doing it for years by starting on the left foot, has got to be pretty difficult. It's like doing the mirror image of how you've always done it, or trying to do things left handed if you're right handed.

People write about, and teach that it is more "natural" to turn one way or the other depending on which foot goes first. That seems to be true. If they really stay in a closed position all the time, you don't have to rethink all the open "turns", like underarm turn, etc.

I think I wrote this already, where I am people aren't likely to change what they already know. That means double two or West Coast Swing in spite of one FT shuffle lesson. Maybe someday I'll give it a try just for the challenge.

Fort Worth sounds a bit like Portland, where some folks wear Birkenstocks to the opera. I'll check on that next Saturday.

Maybe someone else does both frequently?

[alexis21]

the shuffle is a melbourne australia started dance to see a champion visit this link youtube.com/watch?v=DEK3hFV8Sv4 it is a series of sliding moves to tecno music or you can check out melbourneshuffler.com for more insite

[wert1234565]

im an aussie and i sugest these bands with the melbourn shuffle headhunterz and alpha twins there are meny more

[guffy101]

ok if oyu go to youtube and type in moonboy you will find out wat shuffleing is
but the quick low down is it is basicky a fast moveing dance, where you are to keep one foot on the ground at all times so that the dance looks smooth and liquidated

[Vince A]

It actually takes less time to learn how to shuffle than it does to read the 4 pages of this thread!

Honest!