Lock step refers to any of several

dance step Dance moves or dance steps (more complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures, dance movements, or dance variations) are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each ...

s that involves the "locking" of the

moving foot This is a list of dance terms that are not names of dances or types of dances. See List of dances and List of dance style categories for those. This glossary lists terms used in various types of ballroom partner dances, leaving out terms of highl ...

: the moving foot approaches to the standing foot, crosses in front of or behind it in the direction of the approach, stops close to the standing foot, and the weight is fully transferred to the (previously) moving foot. The closeness of the feet so that the

lower leg The human leg, in the general word sense, is the entire lower limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh or sometimes even the hip or gluteal region. However, the definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb ext ...

s of the dancer are "locked" together crossed is the main difference from other cross-steps used, e.g., in the

grapevine ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, b ...

, where the moving (crossing) foot travels away from the standing foot and the lower legs are separated. In the

whisk A whisk is a cooking utensil which can be used to blend ingredients smooth or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as '' whisking'' or ''whipping''. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops joi ...

the crossing foot travels around the standing foot, rather than "locks" from the direction of approach. The term "lock step" or simply "lock" may be applied either to a single "locking" step or to a whole step pattern, e.g., of three steps, such as "step diagonally forward, lock behind, step diagonally forward". The footwork varies depending on the actual dance figure. Lock steps are popular in the

quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal a ...

Ballroom dance figures

There are several

dance figure Dance moves or dance steps (more complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures, dance movements, or dance variations) are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each ...

s with names involving the words "lock" or "lock step", as well as several figures that use the lock as part of the pattern. *

Back lock There are several types of lock step in waltz dancing, including International Standard waltz. A " lock step" is when the moving foot approaches to the standing foot and crosses in front of or behind it, creating a " check" position. There are sev ...

* Forward lock * Turning lock * Curving lock * Skip lock * Syncopated lock (single or double) * Samba locks * Cruzados locks * The Six Quick Lock * Double lock * Forward checked lock *Reverse turns in

Viennese waltz Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...

Fishtail Fishtail may refer to: Biology *The rearmost fish fin or caudal fin * Fishtail palm (genus ''Caryota'') Transportation *Fishtailing, a problem in car handling * Fishtail Air, a helicopter airline based in Kathmandu, Nepal Places *Fishtail ...

*In

cha-cha-cha Cha cha cha may refer to: * ''Cha-cha-chá'' (music), a style of Cuban dance music * Cha-cha-cha (dance), a Latin American dance accompanying the music Film and television * ''Cha Cha Cha'' (film), a 2013 Italian crime film * ''Cha Cha Cha'' ...

, advanced variations of basic figures may involve replacement of the cha-cha-cha chassés with lock steps. *Some

triple step Triple step is a generic term for dance step patterns that describes three steps done on two main beats of music. Usually they are two quick steps and one slow one, i.e., often they are counted as "quick-quick-slow", "one-and-two", "three-and-fou ...

s in

West Coast Swing West Coast Swing is a partner dance with roots in the Lindy Hop. It is characterized by an elastic look that results from its extension-compression technique of partner connection and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor. The ...

may be stylized into lock-steps.

References

External links

* * Social dance steps {{dance-stub