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Nightclub Two Step

Social Dance

Nightclub Two Step

The Nightclub Two Step is a slow dance that is perfect for nightclub, party or wedding dancing. This dance style is typically danced to ballads and is often used to “spice up” the average slow dance.

History of the Nightclub Two Step

Nightclub Two Step was developed in the 1960s by a 15-year-old West Coast Swing dancer from Whitaker, Illinois named Buddy Schwimmer. Buddy Schwimmer invented the dance in 1965. He developed the Nightclub Two Step while practicing with his sister as he searched for a way to popularize slow ballad music. He noticed that during their high school parties, most of his friends stood still and shuffled in place when slow, romantic songs played. He felt there was a need for a more interesting alternative to dancing to slow music so he created a dance called the Night Club Two Step. When Buddy opened a dance studio in Costa Mesa, California years later in 1978, he began teaching the Nightclub Two Step that can still be found in ballrooms and night clubs today.

The Nightclub Two-Step’s creator Buddy Schwimmer became known as “The King of Swing” as well as “The Man with 1000 Moves.” He has kept his dance legacy strong running dance studios and swing dance competitions. His son, Benji Schwimmer, was voted as the winning dancer on the second season of the national dance competition TV show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” His daughter, Lacey Schwimmer, was a fourth place finalist on the third season of, “So You Think You Can Dance” and has been a coaching instructor on the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars” since 2008.

The Nightclub Two Step, like all dances, has evolved and changed over time. The dance has grown into two different styles. The original Nightclub Two Step footwork was done in a quick, quick, slow tempo danced as rock, in place, side. The Country Western dancers have adopted the Nightclub two step and included it in their competitions. Ballroom dancers also adopted the Nightclub Two Step and changed the basic footwork to be side, cross behind, in place, also in a slow, quick, quick tempo. The Ballroom version of the Nightclub Two Step is sometimes called the “Ballroom Two Step.” The Ballroom Two Step has a gliding, continuous, strong, and powerful quality of movement with a big sweeping feeling. It is technical and precise. The Nightclub Two Step is danced more like a choppy Cha Cha and is more compact, casual, and relaxed.

Nightclub Two Step Dancing

The Nightclub Two Step is a great alternative for dancers who want to go beyond a simple slow dance with their partner. It’s a great dance to learn how to dance to slow music. It is often used to compete as a country dance, but it is also danced to easy listening, smooth jazz, and R&B music. Today, the Nightclub Two Step can be danced as a stationary dance, a dance that travels around the dance floor in the line of dance, or a combination of the two.

The Nightclub Two Step is a popular style with wedding couples because of its romantic, slow, and relaxed characteristics. The Nightclub Two Step is also popular with country music fans as well as a common dance at West Coast Swing dance events because the music shares the same emphasis on the second beat as West Coast Swing Music, only at a slower tempo.

The United Country Western Dance Council is an international organization that promotes country western dance by producing events and dance competitions in 20 different countries. The UCWDC includes the Nightclub Two Step in it’s competitions along with 7 other couple dances: polka, triple two, cha-cha, waltz, country two-step, east coast swing, and west coast swing.

The Nightclub two step has foundational steps that new dancers generally learn first when discovering the dance. Foundational dance steps of the nightclub two step include the rock step basic, follower’s under arm turn right and left, leader’s under arm turn right and left, alternating under arm turns, open break with inside turn, hammerlock, basic sweetheart and shadow sweetheart two. After mastering these moves, nightclub two steppers can learn more intricate patterns, including a traveling basic with inside and outside turns, cross body lead with inside turns, hammer-bow, cross bow, left and right turning basic with inside and outside turns, and the weave. As Nightclub Two Step dancers get better and more comfortable with the dance, it is popular to vary and combine all of the foundational moves, as well as add turns and styling for both the leader and follower.

Nightclub Two Step Songs

  • “What Hurts The Most” Rascal Flatts
  • “Apologize” Timbaland with One Republic
  • “Lady In Red” Chris de Burgh
  • “Battlefield” Jordin Sparks
  • “Just a Dream” Carrie Underwood
  • “Tim McGraw” Taylor Swift
  • “Dreamin’ Of You” Celine Dion
  • “Love the way you lie” Eminem ft. Rihanna
  • “You’re Still The One” Shania Twain
  • “Home” Michael Buble/Blake Shelton
  • “You’ll be There” George Strait
  • “Address in the Stars” Caitlin and Will
  • “Tonight I Wanna Cry” Keith Urban
  • “I Believe” Diamond Rio
  • “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” Aerosmith
  • “She’s Everything” Brad Paisley
  • “Home” Blake Shelton
  • “Wait for You” Elliot Yamin
  • “Because You Loved Me” Celine Dion
  • “Texas Tornado” Tracy Lawrence
  • “Two is Better than One” Boys Like Girls with Taylor Swift
  • “Remember When” Alan Jackson
  • “Bubbly” Colbie Cailat
  • “Bless The Broken Road” Rascal Flatts
  • “Til Summer Comes Around” Keith Urban
  • “Bring It On Home” Little Big Town
  • “In Color” Jamey Johnson
  • “You Get Me” Collin Raye
  • “Lips of an Angel” Hinder
  • “Without You” Mariah Carey
  • “Stay” Sugarland
  • “Do I” Luke Bryan
  • “Free” Zac Brown Band
  • “Lost You Anyway” Toby Keith
  • “Come to Me” Ricky Martin
  • “This Ain’t Nothin’” Craig Morgan
  • “Un-break My Heart” Toni Braxton
  • “Everything I Do, I Do For You” Bryan Adams
  • “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” Darius Rucker
  • “Could This Be Love” Jennifer Lopez
  • “Lost You Anyway” Toby Keith
  • “Lost” Faith Hill
  • “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” Billy Ray Cyrus with Miley Cyrus
  • “2 Become 1” Spice Girls
  • “My Everything” 98 degrees
  • “Everytime I Close My Eyes” Babyface
  • “All Night Long” SWV
  • “Someday” Nickelback