LEARNING THE RAT RACING STEPS
1. How is it danced
The Rat Race is an inline, counter clock wise dance around the outside edge of the floor. Unlike the country two step that has a left
foot lead only, the Rat Race has a left and a right foot lead. If you
do two left or two right foot leads you are out of step. What is the
foot work you say??? The dance is a basic four count dance with a
step Left, Right, Left, touch Right. By touching the right foot on
count four, your next lead is then a Right, Left, Right, touch
Left. There is no tippy toe dancing, you dance flat footed. If the
girl is short, she does not tippy toe to get tall. For the men, if your
tall, you do not stoop to make yourself shorter. Both partners stand
normal, and dance from the waist down. It is a smooth dance with
no bobbing of the body so that it looks like your keeping time with
the music.
4. Are there more than one type or style of the dance?
This is a basic four count dance step that is counted 1-2-3 Touch 4,
but can also be counted in odd numbers of 3-5-7-9-11 and so on. By
this meaning, if I go 3 steps I touch on the 4th, if I go 5 steps I touch
on the 6th, if I go 7 steps I touch on the 8th step. (1-2-3-4-5 Touch
6) (1-2-3-4-5-6-7 Touch 8.) You will always stop on the odd numbers and touch on the even numbers. There is no set pattern other
than the basic four count, it is danced as the leader chooses and no
two leaders will use the very same pattern or number of steps. The
dance steps can go forward, backward and to the left or right. Just
remember, the trick to making the left foot, right foot lead is the
touch.