ECTA STEP (Structured Teaching and Education Program)
STEP – Structured Teaching and Education Program
What is STEP?
STEP is a guideline for the education of Round Dance beginners. It provides cuers with an already established basis for teaching a course in a way that is structured, coordinated between regions, makes comparing the progress between different groups of beginners easy and thus makes joint dancing events possible.
STEP was compiled by ECTA cuers and adopted by the ECTA Round Dance Council as
a recommendation for the education of dancers (first version Level A 2009, current version Level A-C 2019/2023).
STEP is based on the figures/definitions of the ROUNDALAB (RAL) manuals. It is not
a replacement of the RAL phase system. The grouping of figures and dances into phases is not touched and it‘s use shall be continued. Changes of RAL will be adapted to STEP according to needs.
STEP offers a selection of figures, grouped into a series of three educational modules, called Level A, B and C. These three levels of education consist of lists containing the steps, figures and terms to be taught. The rhythms and number of figures are fixed and a teaching order is suggested although not prescribed. By this manageable learning units are defined while at the same time there is enough flexibility for individual adjustments by the teacher.
STEP Level A contains about 100 figures of the rhythms two step, waltz, cha cha cha and rumba. Level B adds about 60 figures to these rhythms and introduces jive. In Level C further figures are added and the rhythm foxtrot is introduced.
For the education beyond STEP level C the development of a recommended teaching order of dances building on each other is planned for each rhythm.
Main Goals of STEP
- well-founded education of new dancers
- make it possible for beginners to experience success early by providing reachable intermediate goals and by focusing on the essential
- support cuers in planning and giving dance lessons
- make joint dancing events of several classes possible
- simplify and improve the co-operation of cuers in and across different regions
- modernize the dancers‘ education by opening up to contemporary modern music and choreographies
The STEP documents for Level A, B and C can be downloaded in pdf format via the links on this page.
The figure lists are available as editable Excel tables by request to the following email address:
The STEP committee also welcomes any questions or suggestions regarding STEP via this email address.
Links
- STEP Level A
- STEP Level A – Figurenliste / List of Figures
- STEP Level B
- STEP Level B – Figurenliste / List of Figures
- STEP Level C
- STEP Level C – Figurenliste / List of Figures
- STEP Level ABC
- STEP Teaching List Bolero (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Bolero (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Cha Cha Cha (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Cha Cha Cha (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Jive (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Jive (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Mambo (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Mambo (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Paso Doble (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Paso Doble (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Quickstep (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Quickstep (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Rumba (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Rumba (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Tango (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Tango (Text)
- STEP Teaching List Waltz (Table)
- STEP Teaching List Waltz (Text)
- STEP Teaching List West Coast Swing (Table)
- STEP Teaching List West Coast Swing (Text)
- Weitere Materialien / Additional Materials