KEEP IT SMALL

All steps should be not more than about one foot-length long. Keep knees relaxed, don't wiggle or tilt your hips or torso, pitch your weight slightly forward but don't do a pronounced lean.

It is NOT Impolite to get CLOSE to your partner

The figure is done in the "mush" position: Follower's right leg in line with Lead's sternum, torsos touching, Lead's right arm wrapped well around Follower's back, Follower angled slightly to Lead's right side. There is also contact between the outer forward quarter of the Lead's right thigh and the inner fwd quarter of the Follower's's left thigh. Lead's L eft hand holds the Follower's Right hand; height of hands is unimportant, but keep the hands close to the body line. Most leads are body/frame leads.

The mush position is relaxed, but as little as possible, for most Bal-Swing figures.

Balboa Basic Step --- Maxie Dorf Version

Perspective of Lead

• Beat 1: Step (L) BACK
• Beat 2. Step (R) IN PLACE
• Beat 3: Slide (L) FWD (perhaps half a foot length)
• Beat 4: Step (L) IN PLACE
• Beat 5: Step (R) FWD
• Beat 6: Step (L) IN PLACE
• Beat 7: slide (R) back and slightly behind
• Beat 8: Step (R) IN PLACE

Perspective of Follow:

• Beat 1: Step (R) FWD
• Beat 2: Step (L) IN PLACE
• Beat 3: slide (R) back and slightly behind
• Beat 4: Step (R) IN PLACE
• Beat 5: Step (L) BACK
• Beat 6. Step (R) IN PLACE
• Beat 7: Slide (L) FWD (perhaps half a foot length)
• Beat 8: Step (L) IN PLACE

Basic Balboa Step: Bart Bartolo version (via Erik and Sylvia)

Perspective of Lead

• Beat 1: Step (L) BACK
• Beat 2. Step (R) BACK
• Beat 3: Gently kick (l) FWD or touch L heel FWD
• Beat 4: Step (L) FWD
• Beat 5: Step (R) FWD
• Beat 6: Step (L) FWD
• Beat 7: touch (r) back
• Beat 8: Step (R) BACK

How to Enter and Exit the Basic Step

Enter Balboa from ON-RAMP

"On-Ramp" --- done from facing (open or closed) position OR from side by side position, say at the end of a Lindy Circle.

Perspective of Lead

• Beat 1: Rock L back
• Beat 2: Step R recover from rock
• Beat 3: small lift L (not really a kick) (Mush!)
• Beat 4: step L fwd
• Beats 5-8: as for basic step

Perspective of Follow

• Beat 1: Rock R back
• Beat 2: Step L recover from rock
• Beat 3: small lift R (Mush!)
• Beat 4: step R back (don't think BACK, just think STEP)
• Beats 5-8: as for basic step

Exit From Balboa

Perspective of Lead

• Beat 1: Rock Back Step (L)(leave MUSH)
• Beat 2. Recovery Step (R)

Mirror for follower

From then on any Lindy Step you want to do from a rock step

About our Photo: This is a 1938 photo of dancers at the Rendezvous Ballroom, near Newport Beach, CA. That is where the Balboa dance got started. The Balboa dancers would have had their own corner of the room. The photo came from a Life magazine article.

We got this note from a fellow who used to dance at the Rendezvous Ballroom:

...The Rendezvous Ballroom was never ever on Balboa Island. It was next to the Balboa Inn on the Balboa Peninsula facing the Pacific Ocean. I went to dances there on a regular basis from 1963-1966 when it was burned down. Both incarnations of the Rendezvous were in the same location. And you have to take the ferry (two blocks from the Rendezvous) to get over the bay to Balboa Island.

The Balboa Pavilion was also on the peninsula two blocks down the street from the Balboa Inn…both of which are there to this very moment. It faces Balboa Island which is across the bay from the peninsula. To get the wonderful photos of the Pavilion you stand on Balboa Island and take photos over the bay for the nice reflections and sunsets that you could not get had it been the other way around....

Thanx to Barry Kazmer for this bit of History!