Cowboy Dances

A collection of Traditional Western Square Dances By Lloyd Shaw

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	102	COWBOY DANCES
	young couple who have just taken lessons in the modern waltz from a famous New York teacher. If we watch their footwork, they will probably advance in a series of lovely looping, elongated triangles. The first step forward, the second foot loops in toward it and then out to the side where the first foot joins it; that is, the second step swings close but stops.out to the side even with the first step, while in the old waltz the second step swung clear on past as in natural walking. The diagram illustrates this.
	MORE MODERN PURSUIT WALTZ WITH SHORTER STEP
	TWO MEASURES First Measure Count 1—Step forward with left foot. Count 2—Step with right and place it out to right of the left foot. Count 3—Close left foot to right foot. Second Measure Count 4—Step forward with right foot. Count 5—Step with left and place it out to left side of right foot. Count 6—Close right foot to left foot. Repeat over and over, continuing forward, until steps become instinctive. Ancient to modern, what is the waltz? Does it have a lovely little Viennese dip, or should it be so smooth and even you could carry a glass of water on your head without spilling a drop? Oh, here comes an old-timer, and from the look on his face the dear old man is going to tell me some­thing is wrong. "Professor," he says in kindly reproach, "you are backing your lady. When I was a young feller we considered that such an insult that we'd fight the feller that backed a girl we liked/' What spacious ballrooms or barn floors they must have had, when the man dared to back up so