International Ballroom Dance Syllabus
 

INTERNATIONAL BALLROOM DANCE SYLLABUS

Combined ballroom dance syllabus listing of the ISTD and IDTA

Click for one of the following sections:
  • Standard Syllabus
  • Waltz
  • Tango
  • Viennese Waltz
  • Fox Trot
  • Quickstep
  • Latin Syllabus
  • Cha Cha
  • Samba
  • Rumba
  • Paso Doble
  • Jive
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    Standard Syllabus

    This is the ISTD syllabus as given in The Ballroom Technique, June 1993 edition (ISTD, London). Also included is the IDTA syllabus as given in Technique of Ballroom Dancing by Guy Howard (1992, Guy Howard, ISBN No. 0 900326 19 0). Figures that are specific to one syllabus are followed by '(ISTD)' or '(IDTA)' as appropriate. Figures with different levels are listed under their ISTD level with a note indicating their IDTA level (such as '(IDTA: silver)'). Figures in the IDTA book under "figures common to more than one dance" that are not given a level designation are not listed here unless mentioned in the IDTA book and are noted as '(IDTA: common figure).


    Waltz

    Bronze

  • Back whisk
  • Backward lock (IDTA: silver)
  • Basic weave
  • Chasse from PP
  • Closed changes
  • Closed impetus (IDTA: common figure)
  • Double reverse spin (IDTA: silver)
  • Hesitation change
  • Natural spin turn
  • Natural turn
  • Outside change
  • Progressive chasse to R
  • Reverse corte
  • Reverse pivot
  • Reverse turn
  • Whisk
  • Silver

  • Closed telemark
  • Cross hesitation
  • Drag hesitation (IDTA)
  • Forward lock (IDTA)
  • Open impetus
  • Open telemark
  • Outside spin
  • Turning lock
  • Weave from PP
  • Wing
  • Gold

  • Closed wing
  • Contra check
  • Fallaway natural turn (IDTA)
  • Fallaway reverse and slip pivot (IDTA: common figure)
  • Fallaway whisk (IDTA)
  • Hover corte (ISTD)
  • Left whisk
  • Running spin turn (IDTA)
  • Turning lock to R (IDTA: silver)

  • Tango

    Bronze

  • Back corte
  • Closed promenade
  • Natural promenade turn
  • Natural twist turn
  • Open promenade
  • Open reverse turn, partner in line, closed finish
  • Open reverse turn, partner outside, open or closed finish
  • Progressive link
  • Progressive side step
  • Progressive side step reverse turn
  • Rock turn
  • Rocks on RF and LF
  • Walks
  • Silver

  • Back open promenade
  • Brush tap
  • Fallaway promenade
  • Four step
  • Four step change
  • Outside swivels
  • Promenade link
  • Gold

  • Basic reverse turn (IDTA: bronze)
  • Chase
  • Contra check
  • Drop or tilt oversway (IDTA)
  • Fallaway four step
  • Fallaway reverse and slip pivot (IDTA: common figure)
  • Five step
  • Mini five step (IDTA)
  • Oversway

  • Viennese Waltz

    Bronze

  • Natural turn
  • Reverse turn
  • Forward closed change: natural & reverse
  • Silver

  • Backward closed change: natural & reverse
  • Gold

  • Natural fleckerl
  • Reverse fleckerl
  • Contra check

  • Fox Trot

    Bronze

  • Basic Weave
  • Change of direction
  • Closed impetus
  • Feather step
  • Natural turn
  • Natural weave (IDTA: silver)
  • Reverse turn and feather finish
  • Three step
  • Silver

  • Closed telemark
  • Hover cross (IDTA: gold)
  • Hover feather
  • Hover telemark
  • Natural telemark
  • Open impetus
  • Open telemark and feather ending
  • Open telemark, natural turn, outside swivel and feather ending
  • Quick natural weave (IDTA)
  • Quick open reverse (IDTA)
  • Reverse pivot (IDTA)
  • Reverse wave (IDTA: bronze)
  • Top spin
  • Weave from PP
  • Gold

  • Back feather
  • Bounce fallaway with weave ending (ISTD)
  • Curved feather
  • Curved three step (IDTA)
  • Extended reverse wave (IDTA)
  • Fallaway reverse, slip pivot
  • Natural hover telemark
  • Natural twist turn (IDTA: silver)
  • Natural zig zag from PP

  • Quickstep

    Bronze

  • Backward lock step
  • Chasse reverse turn
  • Closed impetus
  • Double reverse spin (IDTA: silver)
  • Forward lock step
  • Natural pivot turn
  • Natural spin turn
  • Natural turn
  • Natural turn and backward lock (IDTA: silver)
  • Natural turn with hesitation
  • Progressive chasse
  • Progressive chasse to R
  • Quarter turn to R
  • Reverse pivot
  • Running finish
  • Tipple chasse to R
  • Silver

  • Closed telemark
  • Fishtail
  • Four quick run
  • Quick open reverse (IDTA: bronze)
  • Running right turn
  • Tipple chasse to L (IDTA)
  • V6
  • Gold

  • Cross swivel (IDTA: silver)
  • Hover corte
  • Rumba cross
  • Running spin turn (IDTA)
  • Six quick run
  • Tipsy to R and L

  • Latin Syllabus

    This is the ISTD latin syllabus as given in The Revised Technique of Latin American Dancing (1983, ISTD, London) with some additions from a syllabus listing. Figures from this listing that aren't in the book are followed by a '(*)'. Also included is the IDTA syllabus as given in Technique of Latin Dancing by Walter Laird (1992 Walter Laird, ISBN 0 900326 21 2). Figures that are specific to one syllabus are followed by '(ISTD)' or '(IDTA)' as appropriate. Figures with different levels are listed under their ISTD level with a note indicating their IDTA level (such as '(IDTA: silver)'). 

    Cha Cha

    Bronze

  • Alemana
  • Basic in place (*)
  • Basic movement
  • Closed hip twist
  • Fan
  • Fwd. & Bkwd. runs (*)
  • Hand to hand
  • Hockey stick
  • Natural opening out movement (ISTD)
  • Natural top
  • New York
  • Open basic (*)
  • Shoulder to shoulder: simple method (*, ISTD)
  • Side step (*, ISTD)
  • Spot turns
  • Three cha cha chas (ISTD)
  • Time steps
  • Underarm turns (IDTA)
  • Silver

  • Aida (ISTD)
  • Curl (*, ISTD)
  • Open hip twist
  • Opening out from reverse top (ISTD)
  • Reverse top (ISTD)
  • Ronde chasse (IDTA)
  • Shoulder to shoulder (IDTA: bronze)
  • Spiral
  • Gold

  • Advanced hip twists
  • Cross basic (IDTA: silver)
  • Cuban breaks
  • Follow my leader (ISTD)
  • Foot changes (*)
  • Hip twist spirals (*)
  • Rope spinning (ISTD)
  • Split cuban breaks (IDTA)
  • Sweetheart (ISTD)
  • Turkish towel (ISTD)

  • Samba

    Bronze

  • Alternative basic: natural & reverse
  • Basic movement: natural & reverse
  • Bota fogos to PP & CPP (IDTA: silver)
  • Corta jaca
  • Lady's spot volta (*)
  • Outside basic (ISTD)
  • Progressive basic
  • Reverse turn
  • Rhythm bounce (*, ISTD)
  • Samba walks in PP
  • Side basic (*, ISTD)
  • Traveling bota fogos: forward & backward
  • Voltas to R & L (*)
  • Whisks
  • Silver

  • Argentine crosses (ISTD)
  • Closed rocks (IDTA: bronze)
  • Shadow bota fogos
  • Side samba walk (IDTA: bronze)
  • Volta movements (Criss cross, Maypole, Solo spot volta)
  • Gold

  • Back rocks (IDTA: silver)
  • Contra bota fogos
  • Cruzado locks in shadow position (*)
  • Cruzados walks (IDTA)
  • Foot changes
  • Natural roll (IDTA: bronze)
  • Open rocks (IDTA: silver)
  • Plait (IDTA: silver)
  • Promenade & counter- promenade runs (*)
  • Rolling off the arm (ISTD)
  • Stationary samba walks (IDTA: bronze)
  • Traveling locks in open CPP (*)
  • Volta movements: (Closed volta, Traveling and circular voltas in R. shadow position, Roundabout)

  • Rumba

    Bronze

  • Alemana
  • Basic movement
  • Closed hip twist
  • Cuban rocks (*, IDTA: gold)
  • Cucarachas
  • Fan
  • Hand to hand
  • Hockey stick
  • Natural opening out movement (IDTA: silver)
  • Natural top
  • New York (*)
  • Progressive walks
  • Shoulder to shoulder (*, ISTD)
  • Side step (ISTD)
  • Spot turns
  • Silver

  • Aida (ISTD)
  • Curl (*)
  • Forward walks in shadow (IDTA)
  • Open hip twist (IDTA: bronze)
  • Open out from reverse top
  • Reverse top (IDTA: bronze)
  • Shoulder to shoulder from hockey basic (*, ISTD)
  • Spiral
  • Gold

  • Advanced hip twist
  • Alemana with R to R hand hold (*)
  • Alternative basic (on '*' list under bronze, IDTA: silver)
  • Continuous circular hip twist (IDTA)
  • Continuous hip twists (*)
  • Fallaway (IDTA)
  • Fencing (ISTD)
  • Kiki walks (ISTD)
  • Opening out to R & L (*, IDTA: silver)
  • Rope spinning
  • Sliding doors
  • Syncopated cuban rocks (*)
  • Three alemanas (*, ISTD)
  • Three threes (ISTD)
  • Underarm turns to R, L (*, IDTA: bronze)

  • Paso Doble

    Bronze

  • Appel
  • Basic movement
  • Chasses to R & L
  • Deplacement, including the attack
  • Drag (*)
  • Fallaway ending to separation
  • Huit (cape)
  • Promenade (*)
  • Promenade close (IDTA)
  • Promenade link
  • Separation
  • Separation with lady's caping walk (*)
  • Sixteen
  • Sur place
  • Silver

  • Ecart (fallaway whisk)
  • Grand circle
  • La passe
  • Open telemark (ISTD)
  • Promenades (IDTA: bronze)
  • Twist turn (*, IDTA: bronze)
  • Gold

  • Banderillas (IDTA: silver)
  • Chasse cape
  • Coup de pique (ISTD)
  • Fallaway reverse (IDTA: silver)
  • Flamenco taps (*)
  • Fregolina, incorporating the farol (ISTD)
  • Left foot variation (ISTD)
  • Spanish line (*, IDTA: silver)
  • Syncopated separation (IDTA: silver)
  • Traveling spins from CPP
  • Traveling spins from PP
  • Twists

  • Jive

    Bronze

  • American spin
  • Basic in place (*)
  • Change of hands behind the back
  • Change of places (COP) L to R
  • COP R to L
  • Chasses to L & R (*)
  • Fallaway rock
  • Fallaway throw away (IDTA: silver)
  • Kick ball change (*, IDTA: silver)
  • Left shoulder shove (*, ISTD)
  • Link & link rock
  • Walks
  • Whip
  • Silver

  • Double cross whip (IDTA)
  • Reverse whip (*)
  • Rolling off the arms (IDTA: gold)
  • Spanish arms (IDTA: gold)
  • Stop and go (IDTA: gold)
  • Whip throwaway
  • Windmill (IDTA: gold)
  • Gold

  • COP (R to L) with ladies double spin (*, IDTA: silver)
  • Chicken walks
  • Curly whip (IDTA: silver)
  • Flicks into breaks (ISTD)
  • Overturned COP (L to R) (*, IDTA: silver)
  • Simple spin (ISTD)
  • Toe heel swivels (ISTD)


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