I need help from anyone! My husband of (25 yrs.) started Ballroom & Latin dancing 8 months ago. At the Love To Dance Studio here in Odessa, Texas. Our instructor gave us a starter list of steps we would learn. Over the months,we have discovered that the same steps have a few different names. Even the Inter.& American Styles, differ some. Is there a site or video, diagrams, that you are aware of that combines the steps, w/ the different names. My instructor does not even know a few! I have the syllabus for the dances. Even if you know name for one step- it will help!
An example of what Iam talking about is: (1) New York is also called Crossover Breaks and (2)The 5th Position Break is called Cumbia,Aida What cha think!?

Thanks,
ScottyBoysDoll

Well, a New York can have other names too: in the Laird International Latin Technique, the figure is called either Check from Open Promenade Position, or Check from Open Counter Promenade Position (depending on the direction of the checked step), and New York doesn't even get mentioned as an alternative name.

I guess it depends where you are looking. The standard technique books have fairly formal titles for most figures, whereas in popular parlance, they can have other names. There's lots of scope for misunderstanding, which any half-decent teacher or coach would resolve straight away.

ClivalHarrison. If Scotty gets hold of the 1988 Wally Laird book. In brackets is the name New York. I've always thought the name New York conveys nothing to me. Along with some of the other names. It does come in handy if you have to tell a partner what is next though. Check from Open PP is to much of a mouthfull. Where I live I think New York is here and will stay.
Scotty. You've got to live with it. As long as you and yours know whats what. Shakespeare wrote these words just for you. A rose by any other name is still a rose.

I know it is in the older editions, but New York is dropped in the current. Funilly enough, I have always known the figure as "New Yorker" rather than "New York". It's easier to dance than it is to remember the "proper" name!

Clival Harrison.Did you notice that Wally Laird never used some of those airy fairy names Kiki Walks Three Threes Aida Sweetheart. And did have a New York in the Rumba whereas the other book at that time didn't but everybody was doing them . Wally's book is now A$135. to buy. Best wishes.

Figure names are sometimes very confusing. Most of them are not descriptive of the actual movement being made. There is no way this is going to change. The name usage is firmly engraved in our documentation. American style is worse than International. International names have remained fairly consistent for a long time but there is some change. (I didn't know that New Yorker changed to New York.) For American style you can get several names for the same step depending on where you go. That is probably why your instructor isn't sure of what to call some of the steps. (If you are taking International and the instructor doesn't know the names, I think I would be looking elsewhere.) I think there is a movement to call more of the American steps by their equivalent International names. Anything to make things more standard would be a good move, although the International names are just as weird as the American names, but better one weird name than two, or more.

Try to get a name for each figure anyway. You need to call it something. As you progress you will learn other names for the same thing. Just pick them up as you go.

Hi to All,
In 1965, Doris Lavelle published her 'Latin and American Dances' which was then one of the first authentic guides we had in Latin Dance. In the book she referred to a CCC figure called, 'The New York Step' This figure commences with the gentleman's left foot, with the lady facing him, with gentleman's left hand holding lady's right hand in Closed Position. The first step is taken turning a 1/4 to the right, lady a 1/4 to the left. A year before this book was published - in May of 1964 -Walter Laird published his 'Technique of Latin Dancing' and he called the figure, 'New York' In the book the gentleman commences facing the lady, without hold and gentleman commences with the right foot turning an 1/8 to the left to end in Promenade Position, lady turns to the right. Previous to these two books, the late Frank Burrows (BSc) had published the 'Theory and Technique of Latin Dancing' In a dance called the, 'Line Cha Cha' he wrote of a figure called the, 'Crossovers'. In this figure, partners stand facing each other without hold. having danced the basic step called, 'Boticeto' - which in Walter's book is called a, 'Time Step' - then the gentleman takes the lady's right hand in his left hand. The 'Crossovers' are then danced starting first in Counter Promenade Position.

lluv2Dance. I wonder if you have any information or your opinion. As you said Doris Lavelle published her Latin Book in 1965. Wally Laird published his in 1961. My question is who copied who. To me it seems obvious.
Then we can go to Victor Silvester who published a book on Ballroom dancing in 1928 and around that time was one of the founders of the first dance society the Imperial,
ISTD. And was the President of that Society. At the request of the ISTD Alex Moore was asked to compile a book on Ballroom dancing which was published in 1936. By that time Victor Sivester had formed his orchestra. I have Modern Ballroom Dancing by Victor Silvester a much later edition.This one has Michael and Vickie Barr on the front. The charts in both Alex and Victor are identical plus the description of the steps. So who copied who. Best Wishes.