Samba the hardest of all the dances to do correctly. Excluding Social Dancing where you would be taught 1a2a3 and so on. Counting that way will produce a count of 1/2 1/2 1/2. i'll keep this as short as possible and leave you to work on it. A Reverse ot a Natural Basic is not 1a2a3a. It is 3/4 1/4 1. In the first example what are you going to do with that last (a). If you haven't fell in yet 2 bars of voltas has four beats and seven steps. That's an odd number of steps, so what is the beat value of the seventh step. A Boto Fogo counted 1 a 2 thats 1/2 1/2 1/2. It is supposed to be 3/4 1/4 1. which is three steps four beats. Then it gets even better. Promenade and Counter Promanade Runs. Now we have 3/4 1/2 3/4 repeated three times, 9 steps 6 beats. Then low and behold a Lock Step 1/2 1/2 1. And it doesn't stop there either. But I will. As I said this is competition dancing . Social you can go on with 1a2a3a. It will never win you a Samba Competition dancing in half beats when it should be 3/4 1/4 1.

Are you not aware that an "a" count has a value of 1/4?

Counting "1,,a2" gives you a value of 3/4, 1/4, whole. Counting "1 AND 2" gives you a value of 1/2, 1/2, whole. There's a big difference.

"a" = 1/4 beat, borrowed from the previous count.

"and" = 1/2 beat, borrowed from the previous count.

There are two exceptions to this rule:

(1) When the music has a "swing feel", each beat is divided into thirds, not halves or quarters. Therefore, in swing music "a" has a value of 1/3 beat. (The "and" count would theoretically be 2/3, but an "and" without an "a" is extremely uncommon, and basically non-existent as a dance rhythm to swing music).

(2) When an "a" piggybacks and "and", the "a" steals the time from the "and", which has in turn stolen time from the original beat. So in straight-time music, "1--and-a-2" amounts to 1/2, 1/4, 1/4, whole, meaning the "and" and the "a" both have an equal value of 1/4. In swing feel, they both have an equal value of 1/3.

Regards,
Jonathan

I'm very aware that the (a) is a 1/4 of a beat as you can see from about four above. But what does the average person do unless they have been told or rather instructed correctly. When the count is given for a Volta 1a2a3a4 that count leaves 1/2 a beat over. So what do you do that with that half beat. It is wrongly to use it to change from one set of Voltas to the next two bars, and low and behold we still have a half a beat left over at the end. The 4 should not be called 4. It is 1 meaning a whole beat.
Then we go to the Promenade to Counter Promenade Runs. 3/4 1/2 3/4 In the book by Wally Laird there is 1 2 3 steps. With a timing given as 1 2 3.And beat value of 3/4 1/2 3/4 value Which most seem to teach as 1 a 2 and is repeated three times.
As I said initially. The most difficult dance of all, modern ballroom included.
I'm lost when the word swing is used to describe a Samba. I've never heard of it. Also where did the word (and) to describe a 1/2 a beat come from. It must come from a different style of dancing and not the International Style Samba.

isn't it refreshing to get some coments appearing on this site regarding what is arguably the most popular style of all the International Styles, which is Latin American. Ask any none dancer if they had to watch. which would they choose sitting with glass in hand in front of a TV.

The way I was taught is that you have a foot position on one and a body position on "and",so the weight would be over the new standing foot on the "and".

Doug. The question now is. What is the beat value of that foot position on one, followed by the beat value of the second foot position.What have you or are you being taught.

Quickstep; Simple,the next foot position as the heel strikes the floor is the first half of beat TWO followed by the weight over the foot on" TWO AND " as the the free leg is passing or along side. A true step contrary to the text book, is the swing of the leg from it's backward position to it's forward position, or from the whole time our weight is passing over the foot, this is the way our body is designed to move. HOW often do we start from a standing position?

Doug. The question is. What beat value have you been taught for Travelling Volta to the left in the Samba for those two steps. That is RF heel to toe. Step out on LF keeping the heel high off the floor. This is not a trick question. It is what have you been taught or allowed to do. One clue. The RF going into a Latin Cross position is the first step.
How often do we go from a standing position....??. At the end of two bars of voltas thats what do, having one whole beat on which you are standing. It is not split into two halves with one half being used as an entry into the next two bars of Voltas..

How fast is the Samba .So I'll answer myself. At 50 bars a minute at 2 beats to a bar. Thats 100 beats a minute = 0.6. I can blink my eyes only just four times in one whole second. To do a timing of 3/4 1/4. That first step goes in in less than a blink of an eye now the body tick, and out the same speed you went in. So we have changed the rhythm, not the timing, into 1/4 1/2 1/4. Which still is 3/4 1/4 but we have allowed ourself time to do the body tick. The count of 1/2 1/2 over the same time frame never was right and never will be. Any comments on the most difficult of any dance any style . Difficult because of the rhythm that can change from 3/4 1/4 to another in the blink of an eye.

Great thanks for your very detail and helpful explanation, Jonathan.
chen.