Basic Dance Steps

Machol Dance Ministries

 Basic Dance Steps

 

 

Click on a link to the left to find out more about Israeli dance steps.

 

 

 

Dance Abbreviations
3X - Repeat part 3 times
CW - clockwise
CCW - counter-clockwise
HH - holding hands
L - left
R - right
 

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Balance 
(Sway-Sway) With feet in place, sway RLRL

Basketball Turn
Facing center of circle, step forward on R foot, keeping L foot on ground.
Pivot on both feet 1/2 turn to the L facing outside of circle
Repeat. At the end you should be facing the center of the circle.

Box Step
Hop on R foot facing forward (R hand swings up)
Turn 90 degrees over L shoulder & Hop on L foot (R hand swings down
    during turn & up on hop)
Turn 90 degrees over L shoulder & Hop on R foot (R hand swings down
    during turn & up on hop)
Hop backwards on L food, R hand swings down.

Brush
(an 8-count step) right foot brushes counter-clockwise and then crosses behind left foot;  follow with six grapevine steps.

Chug Step
With weight on R foot and R knee bent, quickly straighten R leg and drag R foot backwards a short distance.

Coupe 
Right Coupe
In Right direction…    Fall on L, lifting the R, R in place,   L joins.
Left Coupe
In Left direction…    Fall on R, lifting the L,   L in place,   R joins.
(can be done holding hands --or--one hand to the front and the other to the back (R hand copies R Foot)

Debka Step

Step with the right heel to center of circle, and then bring it back to join the left foot. Step with the left heel to center of circle and bring it back to join the right foot. Debka steps are usually bouncy, quick steps.

Debka step can also include a jump on both feet.

Grapevine 
Similar to a Mayim, only without a specific amount of counts.

Holding Hands 
Right palm up, Left palm down

Hora 1 
Right Hora
3 quick steps to the Right   RLR                                                 
Left Hora
3 quick steps to the Left     LRL
Front Right Hora
3 quick steps to the center of circle RLR
Front Left Hora
3 quick steps to the center of circle LRL
Back Right Hora
3 quick steps backward RLR
Back Left Hora
3 quick steps backward LRL

Hora 2
L foot steps L; R foot crosses behind L; L foot steps L
R foot kicks L; L foot kicks R  (“Step behind, step kick, step kick”)

Jazz Square
Step on R foot forward (1), step on L foot across R foot (2), step on R backwards (3), step on L foot to L (4).

Kibbutz Step
R steps R, L behind, R steps R, L heel to L Side - reverse to L

Mayim
(Mayim begins by crossing in front)
Right Mayim
L crosses in front of R, R moves R behind L,                       
L crosses behind R, R moves R behind L.                       
Left Mayim
R crosses in front of L, L moves L behind R
R crosses behind L, L moves L behind R.
Open Mayim
Right Open Mayim
begins with a step to the Right (with R foot) before Left crosses over.
Left Open Mayim
begins with a step to the Left (with L foot) before Right crosses over.
Mayim Lift
(allows for changing of circle direction)
Begin with R Mayim. On 4th count of second R Mayim, lift R foot pointing toes to the left, PAUSE, then use that foot to go directly into L Mayim
Right Mayim with a 7-Up Hop
(allows for changing circle direction)
Perform R Mayim twice and replace 4th step with a 7-Up Hop the second time through. Dance goes into Left Mayim twice with a 7-Up Hop.
(Count 12342234Hop) (For Hop) R foot is lifted with toes pointed L, Hop, go directly into a L Mayim with a 7-Up Hop.

Praise Movement
Part 1
Facing toward center of circle, Double-Hop in R R L L
(R arm rotates from back to front, clap Hands on 3rd count entering)
Hop-Out R R L L (L arm goes upward & over L shoulder)

Part 2
Double-Hop in R R (turn 180 , backing into circle), Hop Backwards L L
Hop Backwards R R - ( R arm rotates backward)
Hop Backwards L L - (L arm rotates backward)

Part 3
Double-Hop Facing Out R R L
(R arm rotates from back to front, clap Hands on 3rd count exiting)
Hop-Backwards toward Center R R L L
(L arm goes upward & over L shoulder)

Part 4
Double-Hop Out R R
(turn 180 degrees, backing out of circle)
Hop Backwards L L
Hop Backwards - R R ( R arm rotates backward)
Hop Backwards - L L (L arm rotates backward)

7-Up Lift
2 L mayims (after the 7th count, lift L foot, pause, 2 R mayims.)
7-Up Lift (or hop) allows you to change the direction of circle movement

Tcherkessia
(Done to a 4 count – R L R L)
R forward  (hands up when you step forward)
L in Place  (lifting L, then back down)
R behind (while lifting L in place, then L back down)
L in Place          

Three-Point Turns
Right - Facing center of circle, pivot on right foot in clockwise direction until facing outside circle.  Step on left and continue pivoting, until facing center of circle; step on right.
Left - Facing center of circle, pivot on left foot in counter-clockwise direction until facing outside circle.  Step on right and continue pivoting, until facing center of circle; step on left.

World Hands
Standing with hands at side,  cross hands front lower center, continue circular movement until hands are raised to ceiling.
 
Yemenite
Right Yemenite
Imagine a "circle" drawn around your two feet.
Step out of "circle" with R foot to R.
Step out of circle with L foot to behind the R.
Step into circle with R foot  
      (R steps out of circle; L steps behind R; R steps back into circle)
Left Yemenite
Imagine a "circle" drawn around your two feet.
Step out of "circle" with L foot to L.
Step out of circle with R foot to behind the L.
Step into circle with L foot  
      (L steps out of circle; R steps behind L; L steps back into circle)
There is also a Back Right Yemenite, Back Left Yemenite, Yemenite-Hop