Being a non-native English speaking person, I have never set a song list for English pop songs. There are many times I get to face (English) songs that I am not familiar with.
'Latch' is one of those I am not familiar with.
To write a dance that is not too hard (for complete beginners) but still spectacular to watch (yet easy to learn), the first thing to do is to listen to the song, and more importantly, count the beats and mark the phrases and record the features of its chorus.
I split the song into a number of sessions.
0.18-0.29
0.29-0.39
0.39-0.46
0.46-0.50
0.50-1.07
1.07-1.17
1.17-1.37
Before 0.18 is the introductory music, 0.18-1.37 is the verse and chorus; beyond 1.37 is another loop.
I then need to mark the lows and highs, quiets and louds.
Finding the structure of the song is not really necessary for myself, but considering the subjects that I need to teach to, I recalled when I was a beginner, having a clear structure helped me learned how to sew the figures together.
As mentioned before, I love using the Natural Turn and Reverse Turn (and unusually referred as the Box Steps) because of the glamorous feeling themselves. Here I fill the quiets session with the Box. The quiet session here is long, so the Box can be in Closed position then in the Lock position- or in Open position, Tandem position, in Wrap position ...
There was a special request, which was to fill different dance styles into the song. So I decided to fill the Box in different positions from 0.18-0.39. Then I filled in with some folk dance moves doing 2 Sways, a Pin Wheel, and Opening Out until 1.07. From 1.07 to 1.17 is Natural Opening Out Movement but instead of ending in the Fan Position, lead the lady to have a L turn and end with a Layback (a Ceroc move). Gently push away and lead a Wrap, ready for the highs at 1.17-1.37.
The whole chorus mainly uses the Ceroc moves- Roll the lady out to R and roll in, Roll her to L and roll in, Roll her to R and roll in to have a lift! And we end here at 1.37.
The whole routine can be repeated. This is the advantage of having the song structured, verse-chorus-verse-chorus. A sequence for the verse, a sequence for the chorus. Once muscle memory is developed, the ears also get enough experience, you see, even beginners can coordinate in order to produce a watchable dance.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Follow me for more updates on: