GROUP EXERCISE
AUTHOR’S BIO
Turn the
beat around
George Dovas, BCom
A Nike-sponsored athlete with ten years teaching experience, George is currently based in Hong Kong where he
works as the national GX manager for Fitness First Hong Kong. He is a lecturer for the Asian Academy for Sports and
Fitness Professionals and is also a certified Iyengar yoga teacher, having studied at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial
Institute in India.

When Gloria Estefan released
her version of the classic 1970s
hit, Turn The Beat Around, she
fervently sung:
‘With the syncopated rhythm, with the
scratch, scratch, scratch
Makes me wanna move my body, yeah,
yeah, yeah’.
And she’s not the only one. I feel it,
your participants feel it and I’m sure you
feel it! So let’s syncopate.
Firstly, what is syncopation? In simple
terms, it is using the beat in a piece of
music that is normally not the main beat.
Let’s look at how syncopation
relates to step choreography. When
performing step choreography, we
normally move on the beat of the
music. The beat of the music runs as
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and we move in time
with the beat and on the beat. When
working with a syncopated rhythm, we
move between the beats of the music
as well as on the beat of the music.
So in a syncopated rhythm we move
between count ‘3’ and count ‘4’ as well
as on count ‘3’ and on count ‘4’. This
would commonly be cued as ‘3 AND 4’
where you are moving on ‘3’, on ‘AND’
and on ‘4’.
Here’s a simple example of step
choreography without syncopation and
then with syncopation.
When performing a ‘single knee’,
there is no syncopation. We are only
moving on the beat of the music. When
doing a ‘single knee’, leading with our
right leg, we would:
•
•
•
•
step right foot on the step on count ‘1’
lift the left knee on count ‘2’
step the left foot down on count ‘3’
step the right foot down on count ‘4’
On the other hand, when performing
a ‘mambo cha cha cha’ (the mambo
being on the step and the cha cha cha
on the floor), there is syncopation on
the cha cha cha. We are moving on the
beat of the music as well as between
the beat of the music. When doing a
‘mambo cha cha cha’, leading with our
right leg, we would:
• step right foot on the step on count ‘1’
• shift weight to the left foot on the
floor on count ‘2’
• step on the right foot on the floor on
count ‘3’
• step on the left foot on the floor
between count ‘3’ and count ‘4’
• step on the right foot on the floor on
count ‘4’
The above example is a very simple
example of syncopation. In the following
choreography there are two 16-count
blocks, each with syncopation.
The first block of 16 counts changes
lead leg. The second block of 16 counts
does not change lead leg. When
the two 16-count blocks are added
together, the 32-count combination will
change lead leg.
You can use one of the 16-count
blocks at a time, combined with some
choreography of your own.
When comfortable with syncopation,
you can try using both at the same
time. Then, start to experiment with
syncopation in your own choreography.
When working with syncopation
in choreography, the choreography
is performed faster at the moment of
syncopation because you are executing
movement on the beat as well as
between the main beat. For this reason
(amongst many others) it pays to be
well rehearsed and comfortable with
the execution of the movement.
So go forth and syncopate,
remembering the words of Gloria:
’And when the drummer starts beating
that beat
He nails that beat with the syncopated
rhythm
With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat on the
drums’
The directions in the following table
indicate the direction in which you
should be moving. The pictures are a
reverse image of your movements, as if
you are looking into a mirror.
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25
GROUP EXERCISE
turn the beat around
Block 1
Photo
Counts
Choreography
Additional information
1, 2
• ‘Syncopated Low L’
• Step out to the R side of the step.
• On count 1 place L foot on step.
• On count 2 step R foot out on side of the step.
picture shows count ‘2’
3, AND, 4, 5
• On count 3 step the L foot behind the R foot.
• On ‘AND 4’ switch the position of the feet, bringing the R foot
back on ‘AND’, the L foot forward on ‘4’.
• The landing of your L foot on ‘4’ should feel like you are doing
a mambo.
• On count 5, shift the weight onto your R foot to complete the
mambo.
pictures show count ‘3’
and count ‘4’
4
6, 7, 8
• Exit with a ‘Low L’.
• Step the L foot on step on count 6.
• Step R foot on floor on count 7, L foot on floor on count 8,
returning to where you began.
picture shows count ‘6’
5
9, 10, 11
• ‘Single stomp’ R foot.
picture shows count ‘9’
12, 13, 14, 15,
16
• ‘Box step’ L foot.
• Step L foot on step on count 12.
• Step R foot on floor on count 13.
• Step L foot on floor on count 14.
• Step R foot on floor on count 15, L foot on floor on count 16,
returning to where you began.
pictures show count ‘12’
and ‘14’
1
2&3
6&7
Teaching progression
Starting combination
Progression
• Repeater knee
• Single stomp
• Double stomp
Layer a ‘Mambo rockback’ and ‘Single knee’ over the ‘Repeater knee’.
• Mambo rockback
• Single knee
• Single stomp
• Double stomp
Layer a ‘Low L’ shape over the ‘Mambo rockback’.
Use the ‘Single knee’ to return back to where you started.
• Low L rockback
• Single knee
• Single stomp
• Double stomp
26
On count 3, when you step one foot behind the other foot in the ‘Low L’, hold for an extra
two counts (counts 4 and 5). You might clap on counts 4 and 5 (the counts that you are
holding) to help class participants know how long to hold.
Use a ‘Low L’ (instead of ‘Single knee’) to return back to where you started.
• Low L
• Step behind and hold
counts 4, 5
• Low L
• Single stomp
• Double stomp
Layer the ‘Syncopated mambo’ to the front.
• Syncopated Low L
• Low L
• Single stomp
• Box step
Layer the ‘Box step’ over the ‘Double stomp’.
NETWORK • WINTER 2009 • www.fitnessnetwork.com.au
turn the beat around
GROUP EXERCISE
1
2
3
4
5
6
WHEN WORKING WITH A
SYNCOPATED RHYTHM, WE
MOVE BETWEEN THE BEATS
OF THE MUSIC AS WELL AS
ON THE BEAT OF THE MUSIC.
7
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27
GROUP EXERCISE
turn the beat around
Block 2
Counts
Choreography
Additional
information
8&9
1, AND,
2, AND
• ‘Heel digs’.
• ‘Heel dig’ R foot on count 1.
• Shift weight on to R foot on floor on
count ‘AND’.
• ‘Heel dig’ L foot on count 2.
• Shift weight on to L foot on floor on
count ‘AND’.
pictures show
count ‘1’ and
‘2’
10
3, 4, 5,
6, 7
• Travelling ‘Double stomp’ leading
with R foot.
picture shows
count ‘4’
11
8, 9, 10,
11, 12
• Travelling ‘Double stomp’ leading
with L foot.
picture shows
count ‘9’
13, 14,
15, 16
• ‘Fancy basic step’ leading with R
foot.
• Cross arms on count 13.
• Swipe arms across to shoulders on 14.
• Step down on count 15 and 16,
sliding hands down front of body.
pictures show
count ‘13’,
‘14’, and ‘16’
Photo
12, 13
& 14
8
28
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turn the beat around
GROUP EXERCISE
9
10
11
12
13
14
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29
GROUP EXERCISE
turn the beat around
Teaching progression
Starting combination
Progression
• Triple stomp
• Double stomp
• Basic
Instead of doing all three stomps of the ‘Triple stomp’ on one spot on the step, move
the first of the ‘Triple stomps’ to the centre of the step platform and the second and third
stomps of the ‘Triple stomp’ to the corner of the platform.
• Triple stomp (with first
stomp in centre of step)
• Double stomp
• Basic
Layer the syncopated rhythm of ‘Heel, and, Heel, and, Double stomp’ landing the heels
in the centre of the step platform.
• ‘Heel, and, heel, and,
double stomp’ (heels
landing in centre of the
step platform)
• Double stomp
• Basic
Move the heels to the corners of the step platform.
• ‘Heel, and, heel, and,
double stomp’ (heels
landing on the corners of
the step platform)
• Double stomp
• Basic
Travel the ‘Double stomps’ to the diagonals.
Add arms on the ‘Basic’ step.
• Heel digs
• Travelling double stomp
• Fancy basic
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