01
Notice the pattern
The Step Decoder gives spoken calls a practical home: timing, weight, direction and the next useful term. That is why the useful question is not whether you look like everyone else. It is whether you can describe the next action in a way that lets you repeat it. A step sheet may use a compact token, while a teacher may use a spoken cue. The Step Decoder keeps both close to the physical action.
02
Try one clean version
Read a term, test it slowly, then follow its related movement before adding speed. Begin at a pace that allows you to hear your own count. Keep enough clear space to stop, reset and begin again. If a local instructor gives a different convention, their room-specific direction wins for that class.
Decoder
Foundation terms at a glance
| Term | Timing | Weight | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step touch | 1 + 1 | weight stays on the stepping foot | Side or forward |
| Heel dig | 1 | weight remains on the supporting foot | Forward diagonal |
| Toe touch | 1 | weight remains on the supporting foot | Forward, side or back |
| Stomp | 1 | usually takes weight | In place |
| Kick | 1 | weight remains on the supporting foot | Forward or diagonal |
| Hitch | 1 | weight remains on the supporting foot | Upward knee action |
| Grapevine / vine | 4 | changes each count | Sideways |
| Shuffle | 1&2 | changes through three quick actions | Forward, back or sideways |
| Chasse | 1&2 | changes through three quick actions | Sideways |
| Rock and recover | 2 | returns to the original foot | Any direction |
| Coaster step | 1&2 | back, together, forward | Back then forward |
| Jazz box | 4 | changes on all four counts | Box-shaped pathway |
Every row is a reading aid, not choreography. Open the movement ladder to choose what to learn next.
03
Check the next foot
Before moving on, pause and identify your facing direction, supporting foot and next count. This is a better self-check than rushing through a longer sequence. It also makes the weight-transfer guide useful even when the term first feels technical.
For a first class, pair this page with what to expect in the room. For home practice, use the four-week practice route to keep the next decision manageable.
Once you know the basic terms, the next step is to follow what happens in the room. A caller or instructor may speak over the music, and the words used are not always the same as the written stepsheet. Some are short signals, some are full sentences, and some are local habits that only regulars know. The page on calls you will hear explains these spoken cues and how dancers respond to them. You can open it on the same site, under Learn the Language, and read it after this page. It helps you stay with the group when the music starts.Terminology also covers the small marks written beside a step name, such as a touch, a hold or a turn. These marks tell you what happens to the foot and the body before the next count arrives. A step name alone can look plain, yet the marks around it carry the timing and the direction. When a sheet feels crowded, slow down and take one line at a time. Reading a step from its marks becomes easier once the words on the page are familiar, and the guide on reading a step from its marks explains each mark in turn.Sources and scope
Source note: terminology and level guidance are compared with Linedancer, CLDAA, Kickish and canonical step-sheet metadata. Wording here is an original explanation.
Last reviewed 23 August 2026. Read the full method and sources, or email a terminology correction to [email protected].