I am a YMCA Certified Aerobics instructor and Step Aerobics instructor. I am also a Mad Dog Certified Spinning Instructor.
I currently teach aerobics at Carleton University.
In order to describe step patterns, one has to use the concept of directions. Cueing in step is always relative to the participant, but to really understand what is going on, I have to reference the room as well as a side of the step. Once you see a pattern then the moves become obvious, but trying to give instructions is difficult because directions have to be described relative to the room, the step and the participant. Rooms directions will be introduced as front wall, back wall, right wall and left wall. The sides of the step will be introduced as north side, south side, east side and west side. All other directions the are cued relative to the participant, I will refer to as simply left, right, front and back.
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This is normally how someone views the room. The person is facing the front wall and south side of the step is closest to the person. The right wall is on the participant's right side. |
When you are facing the back of the room, all the directions remain the same, but they are different relative to each other.
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The person is facing the back of the room. The person is facing the back wall and the north side of the step is closest to the person. The right wall is on the person's left side. |
Things get even more confusing when the participant is facing the right side of the room behind the west side of the step. The right wall is in front of the participant.
Finally, when the participant is facing the left side of the room behind the east side of the step, then the right wall is behind the participant.
If I cue a right single knee then the participant has to start on a different step corner depending on which way the participant is facing. A person facing the front of the room is going to start a right single knee on the west corner of the step, yet a person facing the back of the room is going to start a right single knee on the east corner of the step. Confused yet? Think about it.
I try and vary my routine, but it can be hard if I get really busy. Here are some step patterns I have used in the past:
| Pattern 1 | 3 x adduct around the end | 12 | west side of step end up facing front wall |
| 2 x slow squat on the step | 8 | west side of step option is to 2 jumping jacks and 1 squat | |
| 1 x L-step moving forward | 4 | variation of the L-step coming from
the west side of the step and ending on north side of the step facing
the front wall. I
usually demo this first then I get the class to try it with me a couple
of times. You cannot go backwards with this movement because it is
contraindicated in the backward direction (participant can't see the
step). Everyone should be on the north side of the step. |
|
| 1 x turn step | 4 | going from right to left facing the back wall. | |
| 1 x V-step left | 4 | ||
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 3 x adduct around the end | 12 | west corner of the step end up facing back wall | |
| 2 x slow squat on the step | 8 | west side of step option is to 2 jumping jacks and 1 squat | |
| 1 x L-step moving forward | 4 | same as before, except this time west side and ending at the south side of the step facing back wall | |
| 1 x turn step | 4 | going from left to right facing front wall. | |
| 1 x V-step right | 4 | ||
| Pattern 2 | 1 x right single Knee | 4 | west corner |
| 1 x indecision (up and straddle up and off) | 8 | facing left wall to end up on north side of step | |
| 1 x left single knee | 4 | west corner of step facing back wall (corner) | |
| 1 x right repeater abduct | 8 | ||
| 1 x V-step left | 4 | ||
| 1 x basic left | 4 | ||
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 1 x left single Knee | 4 | west corner of step | |
| 1 x indecision (up and straddle up and off) | 8 | facing left wall to end up on south side of step. | |
| 1 x right single knee | 4 | west corner of step facing front wall (corner) | |
| 1 x left repeater abduct | 8 | ||
| 1 x V-step right | 4 | ||
| 1 x right basic | 4 | ||
| Pattern 3 | 1 x turn step | 4 | from right to left facing front wall |
| 3 x A-step | 12 | going over the step south side of step to north side of the step | |
| 1 x right single knee | 4 | east corner of step facing back wall (corner) | |
| 1 x left single abduct | 4 | ||
| 1 x right single ham curl | 4 | l | |
| 1 x left basic | 4 | ||
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 1 x turn step | 4 | from left to right facing back wall. | |
| 3 x A-step | 12 | going over the step north side of the step to south side of the step. | |
| 1 x left single knee | 4 | east corner of step facing front wall (corner) | |
| 1 x right single abduct | 4 | ||
| 1 x left single ham curl | 4 | ||
| 1 x right basic | 4 | ||
Nexts week's pattern will be:
| Pattern 1 | 1 x up on the step and tap out to east side of the step. | 4 | variation of the right basic, but instead of walking off the step, stay on top of the step and tap out to the east side of the step. You can also do one jumping jack instead of the tap on the step. |
| 4 x lunge off the south side of step | 8 | at the end turn counter clockwise facing left wall | |
| 4 x lunge off off the side of the step (alternating north and south sides) | 8 | facing the left wall. At the end turn counter clockwise facing back wall | |
| single, single, double lunge off the north side of the step | 8 | facing the back wall. | |
| 1 x walk off the step and tap left on the floor | 4 | variation of the left basic - just the walk off portion. You can also do one jumping jack instead of the tap on the floor. | |
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 1 x up on the step and tap out to east side of the step. | 4 | variation of the left basic, but instead of walking off the step, stay on top of the step and tap out to the east side of the step. You can also do one jumping jack instead of the tap on the step. | |
| 4 x lunge off the back of north side of the step | 8 | at the end turn clockwise facing left wall | |
| 4 x lunge off off the side of the step (alternating south and north sides) | 8 | facing the left wall. At the end turn clockwise to face the front wall. | |
| single, single, double lunge off the south side of the step | 8 | facing the back wall. | |
| 1 x walk off the step and tap right on the floor | 4 | variation of the right basic - just the walk off portion. You can also do one jumping jack instead of the tap on the floor. | |
| Pattern 2 | 3 x adduct around the end | 12 | west side of step end up facing front wall |
| 2 x slow squat on the step | 8 | west side of step option is to 2 jumping jacks and 1 squat | |
| 1 x L-step moving forward | 4 | variation of the L-step coming from
the west side of the step and ending on north side of the step facing
the front wall. I
usually demo this first then I get the class to try it with me a couple
of times. You cannot go backwards with this movement because it is
contraindicated in the backward direction (participant can't see the
step). Everyone should be on the north side of the step. |
|
| 1 x turn step | 4 | going from right to left facing the back wall. | |
| 1 x V-step left | 4 | ||
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 3 x adduct around the end | 12 | west corner of the step end up facing back wall | |
| 2 x slow squat on the step | 8 | west side of step option is to 2 jumping jacks and 1 squat | |
| 1 x L-step moving forward | 4 | same as before, except this time west side and ending at the south side of the step facing back wall | |
| 1 x turn step | 4 | going from left to right facing front wall. | |
| 1 x V-step right | 4 | ||
| Pattern 3 | 1 x Single Knee | 4 | left corner |
| 1 x indecision (up and straddle up and off) | 8 | facing left wall to end up on back of step | |
| 1 x Single knee | 4 | right corner back of step | |
| 1 x repeater abduct | 8 | left corner | |
| 1 x V-step left | 4 | ||
| 1 x basic left | 4 | ||
| repeat with opposite lead as follows | |||
| 1 x Single Knee | 4 | right corner back of step | |
| 1 x indecision (up and straddle up and off) | 8 | facing left wall | |
| 1 x Single knee | 4 | left corner front of step | |
| 1 x repeater abduct | 8 | right corner | |
| 1 x V-step right | 4 | ||
| 1 x right basic | 4 | ||
You can find some of my older patters on turnstep.