Cajun & Zydeco Dance

Allons!

You've heard it before, "If you can count and walk, you can dance."
With Cajun & Zydeco dancing, it is true.
The repetitive dance steps are easy to learn and remember.

Cajun & Zydeco dancing are forms of social dance, just like East Coast and West Coast Swing, Salsa, Tango, Country Two-Step, and Ballroom dance styles. You can even use Nightclub Two-Step footwork with Zydeco! Almost any footwork you've learned—even folk dances like schottische—can easily, smoothly fit with Cajun & Zydeco music.

Join us any time. You're free to dance with a partner or take a spin around the floor to practice on your own. Ask any of us to dance, too. Many of the local dances include a free dance lesson with the cover charge. You can also contact one of our local dance instructors for a private lesson.

Dancing is a fun way to pass the time. It's mentally and physically stimulating plus it makes you smile.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Traveling Dance Styles follow the line of dance, progressing counter clockwise around the dance floor.

• Cajun Two-Step is a 4-count dance in 4/4 time (quick, quick, slow). The tempo can be fast or slow. Since the music is in 4/4 time, for the most part a 'quick' is one beat and a 'slow' is two beats.

If you Country Two-Step (including Double Two) you'll easily glide, sweetheart, pinwheel, serpentine, and more with Cajun music!

• Cajun Waltz is a 3-count dance in 3/4 time (slow, quick, quick) without the ballroom box step and upper torso lean. Since the music is in 3/4 time, a 'slow' is a long, smooth one-beat stride and a 'quick' is a small, smooth one-beat stride.
This is a smooth dance, not bouncy or choppy (even though each step is one beat).

If you Waltz (Ballroom style), Rumba, Fox Trot, or Nightclub Two-Step, you'll enjoy progressing around the floor with a comfortable upright frame!

• Mamou is a 4-count dance in 4/4 time (quick, quick, slow, slow). Since the footwork pattern 'leans' to one side, the count for the 'quicks' is one, two, then for the 'slows' is three-and, four-and. The Mamou is similar to several ballroom dance styles and the Texas Two-Step (also known as Texas Shuffle).

If you Foxtrot, Rumba, Merenque, or Country Two-Step, you'll easily, quickly slide into the Mamou.

Stationary Dance Styles do not follow the line of dance. They are danced in place in the center of the floor, leaving the outside lane to the 'traveling dancers.'

• Zydeco is a 4-count dance in 4/4 time (slow, quick, quick). The tempo is predominantly fast yet there are slower zydeco tunes. An easy way to learn this dance is to lean to one side for the 'slow', then shift your body weight quickly from side to side for the 'quick, quick.' Then repeat the lean, starting with your weight on the other foot, and then shift your body weight from side to side. Repeat the pattern over and over, beginning each time with the 'slow' lean on the opposite foot.

If you Nightclub Two-Step, just speed up your footwork to dance Zydeco.
For East Coast Swing dancers, dance single count and modify your 'rock step' for the faster tempo.
Speed up your Rumba, Merengue, and Fox Trot footwork and you're dancing Zydeco!
Slower tempo Zydeco tunes work perfectly with the more expressive and expansive West Coast Swing and Argentine Tango!