Ready to level up your Two-Step game in Orlando? This week’s Two-Stepping Tuesday tutorial from Anthony and Rose at Country Dance Orlando dives into a slick, intermediate-to-advanced pattern known as the Windmill. It’s a stylish sequence that involves tandem turns, hand changes, and footwork coordination—and when you pull it off, it’s a serious crowd-pleaser on the dance floor.
The video kicks off with a demonstration of the full pattern, then breaks it down step-by-step so you can learn at your own pace. The Windmill starts in closed position with a basic Two-Step, then transitions into sweetheart position before launching into the turn sequence. From there, both dancers move in tandem, creating a big, spinning “windmill” effect with coordinated arm movements and a lot of rotational energy.
This pattern isn’t just about the steps—it’s about precision. Anthony and Rose stress the importance of connection, timing, and hand placement throughout. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face learning this move? The hand changes. You’re catching hands behind your back, so there’s no room for guessing. The key is being predictable—your hands need to be in the same place, every time. That’s true for both leaders and followers.
Another pro tip they offer: whenever both partners are turning in tandem, it’s best to use Chaîné turns instead of pivots. This keeps things smoother and more controlled as both dancers rotate together. (If you’re unfamiliar with Chaîné turns, there’s a separate video linked for that.)
Throughout the breakdown, they show you how to make sure you’re on the correct foot at the right time. You’ll even see how leaders switch onto the follower’s footwork temporarily—and how to switch back using a slow, slow, slow rhythm to re-align before finishing the pattern.
They also talk about something that trips up a lot of dancers: staying in sync. This goes for any advanced Two-Step pattern. Ladies, even if you’re dancing to the beat, if you’re not connected to your partner’s rhythm, it won’t work. Your job is to dance with him, not just with the music. It sounds backward, but it’s true: if your partner is slightly off-beat but you’re matching him, the dance will feel smooth. If you’re dancing ahead of him—even if you’re “right”—the connection breaks.
One of the funniest and most helpful metaphors in the video: followers should be just a little bit late—not completely off, but not racing ahead either. That way, the leader has time to guide, adjust, or even slow things down. Leaders can always speed things up, but they can’t slow you down once you’ve taken off.
By the end of the video, you’ll have a full understanding of how to execute the Windmill pattern smoothly—from footwork timing and arm styling to spacing and musicality. It’s a great way to add variety and wow-factor to your Two-Step dancing, especially at social events around Orlando.
If this is the kind of dancing you want to be doing on a regular basis, we’d love to invite you to our in-person group classes and private lessons right here at Country Dance Orlando. Whether you’re just getting comfortable with the basics or working toward more advanced combos like this one, our classes are fun, supportive, and open to all levels.