Welcome! This page is a bridge between learning individual figures and dancing a complete piece of music. You do not need to understand every cue yet. The goal is to hear how real Round Dance cues flow, recognize the figures you already know, and get excited for what comes next.
Roundalab is the International Association of Round Dance Teachers. Roundalab has a ‘Phase Rating System’ used to describe the difficulty level of a dance. Here are the first couple entries in their rating system:
Conclusion: ‘Could I Have This Dance’ is rated as a Waltz Phase II dance. There aren’t many Waltz Phase I dances, since they’re a bit too ... boring.
‘Could I Have This Dance’ uses figures, actions, and movements that you haven’t yet learned. Don’t worry about them yet! Each is the subject of an upcoming lesson. Before long, you’ll know them all. For now, simply enjoy this preview of what lies ahead!
If you’re finishing Phase I, then treat this page as a preview. You might want to dance the parts you know and let the rest wash over you for now.
The timestamp links in the dance transcript (below) let you jump directly to specific places in the video or audio.
Watch ‘Could I Have This Dance’ on YouTube or embedded below:
Video demonstrations are great. But now it’s your turn to start dancing! 🎶😊 Hear the cues. Move to the music. Develop confidence. Above all else—have fun!!
The Waltz Phase I figures you’ve already learned are highlighted in green throughout the dance transcript below:
Click 🎬 to open the embedded video at that point.
Click 🎶 to start the audio player at that point.
The transcript below uses a mix of standard Round Dance terminology and what is actually spoken by the cuer. Here’s why:
Cuers have a limited time to speak each cue. Because of this, they sometimes need to shorten an ‘ideal’ cue. Also, cuers may add helpful words or use slightly different phrasing. Learning to recognize cuer variations is part of becoming a confident Round Dancer.
This ‘transcript’ is therefore not intended to be a word-for-word transcription of what the cuer says. Instead, it provides at-a-glance easy-to-understand instructions for what you’ll be dancing.
Positions (like butterfly or left open) use this color.
Directions (like wall or reverse line of dance) use this color.
A complete dance is a conversation between the music, the cuer, and the dancers. Do not despair! Conversations become easier as the conversers get to know each other better!
In particular, don’t worry if this dance feels overwhelming. No beginning dancer understands every cue the first time!
Instead, celebrate what you do recognize. Each time you hear Box, Balance Left and Right, or Waltz Away, you’ll know exactly what’s happening. Before long, the unfamiliar cues will become familiar too.
When you’re ready, continue on to the Waltz Phase II lessons. They’ll unlock the rest of what you need to dance Could I Have This Dance!
Congratulations!
You’ve completed Waltz Phase I. Onward!