Hello!

I am an Austrian hobby dancer. Now I want to write down the steps I learned. Does somebody know a programme with witch I can do it very easy and clear.
If you can help me please send me a mail (TheDancer@gmx.at)
Thanks, Dancer

Thanks for your help. I have the two books technique of Latin Dancing and Technique of Ballroom Dancing. But its not easy to deal with them. What I want is to write down special combinations we learn in higher levels (after Gold Star). I'll try Dance 4. The Programme seams to be a little bit difficult but I'll try it.

Thanks a lot!
Dancer

you might want to check this out

www.markus-bader.de

(sorry, I don't remember where is the english version of that page!!)

I believe that it would be difficult to understand your own notes after some years. That's why I want to use "Dance". There I can see how I have to step. I also thought of making a video but I'm not sure if it will be easier to remind them having a video than writing them down...

Language must be a problem, but believe me your English is far, far better than my German/Austrian.

Perhaps you could ask your dance school to write out the routines for you, without letting on that you may not be dancing with them for a while.

I know several people who have returned to dancing after a long break, armed with a notebook full of scribbles which they obviously understood when they wrote them, but which later become a confused and meaningless jumble. I wish you luck and suggest you try to use standard terminology to make it easier if you later need to consult a teacher for assistance in decyphering your notes.

Oh, and if you use the "Dance 4" prog and take a very long break from dancing, make sure you keep a PC capable of running the software when you need it. Windows 2020 may not do the job. ;-p

If you are dancing above Gold Star your needs may be different from the answers given so far. Assuming you have not been rushed through your medals you should have a good understanding of most of the figures in the technique books and I would have expected you to have developed your own form of shorthand for note taking. Higher level figures are usually developed from the basics so you may be able to just list the figures and any differences from standard. Have you seen Alex Moore's "Standard Variations" book, which does that, expanding only those elements considered necessary.

I haven't used Markus' "Dance" software for some time but it does require some time consuming input to get the full figure recorded. If you do use it, don't forget to upload the new figures so we can all benefit from your work

Yes, abbreviations will certainly help. The ones Keh mentioned are good ones to know and use. I'd suggest using DC and DW for Diagonal Center and Diagonal Wall though; shorter and that's how they're written in the technique books. If you have PP you should have CPP (Counter Promenade Position), too, as well as FA (FallAway) but I don't think that's exactly a standard abbreviation. You'll also want the footwork ones like H for Heel, T for Toe, B for Ball. For things like side leads, RS (Right Side) and LS (Left Side) are good. You'll probably come up with your own as you go along as well. For example, one of my teachers who made us take notes in class (he would stop class, tell us all to get out some paper, and write down what he was about to say, so "made us" is accurate ) used NST for Natural Spin Turn in routine and combination write-ups.

To answer the original question though, I don't know of any program that was designed for writing down dance figures. You might want to consider buying technique books from the ISTD and/or the IDTA though, especially if you're being taught from one of those syllabi. The books will contain all the essential information about every syllabus figure including things like precedes and follows. With the books, you won't have to write down the actual figures and can concentrate on taking notes about the figures that aren't included in the book descriptions. Plus the books are a great place to put your notes, all your notes will be right there by their figures. Just something to think about. The books aren't an absolute necessity, but many dancers, social as well as competitive, find them useful to have.

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

Hello SocialDancer

I have Laird (Latin) and Howard Ballroom) at home but one big problem for me is, that the names of the steps are in English and I only know the German (Austrian) names of them. The second problem is that my English is more than worse*g*. And in my dance school most steps are danced in amalgamations. For Example our Wing step consists of Whisk - Wing - Reverse Chassé and a step I don't know the English name.
I've nerver written steps down because I never needed it before. But now I want to start writing down them because I don't know how long I can continue dancing. It might be possible that I have to take a longer break and I don't want to forget too many steps.
"Dance" seems to be very difficult. I think that lerarning to deal with this program would take me a long time. If I have steps I will post them

lg. Dancer

I am also a believer of writting down the notes right after each lesson or else I would forget rather quickly. In doing so I have a note book and erasered pencil with me and sit in the room for 20-30 minutes right after the lesson to write down every thing I still recall.

It will make it easy with a list of short-hand such as:
RF
LF
LOD
DIAG C(diagonally to center)
DIAG W(diagonally to wall)
BACK
FWD
CBM
CBMP
OP(outside partner)
PO(partner outside)
PP(promenade position)
REV(reverse turn)
Nat(natural turn)
UAT(under arm turn), R or L
and more

I also draw some foot prints of each figure connected with lines and arrows of direction where each step is followed. I review the notes often and and make correction if needed.

Hope this helps.