How to Perform the Back Spot Movement in Samba

In samba, the back stop movement is a fancy dance step that is inserted into the traditional samba steps. The back stop movement uses the same intervals as the basic step, so it isn’t difficult to learn if you’ve already mastered the basic samba movements and steps. You should be proficient in the basic steps of samba before attempting to learn the back stop movement. Here’s a simple guide to performing the back stop movement for insertion into your basic samba routine.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dance floor (or ample space to dance)
• Music
• Partner (not necessary, but preferable)
• Basic knowledge of samba

1. Start dancing. Begin by performing your basic samba steps. Dance for a little while so that you get a feel for the movement and your body is comfortable with the dance.

2. Vary your step. The back stop movement is a shift that occurs when instead of stepping forward after the first beat, you slide your left foot to the left side of your body and shift your weight onto that leg.

3. Tap your foot. Once you’ve shifted your weight to the left foot, you will want to follow this movement by moving your right foot behind your left leg and back tapping with the ball of your right foot.

4. Rise up on your left foot. Immediately after tapping your right foot, rise onto the ball of your left foot and then lower back down again.

5. Continue dancing. Repeat the step until you are comfortable with it. Switch it up, sometimes using it and sometimes omitting it, until the move comes naturally to you.

6. Strengthen your skill. Bring the back stop movement into different routines. Try it with new music and practice it at several different tempos to test your new skill. In order to progress with dance and the samba, you’ll want to combine the back stop movement with more difficult movements like progressive turns.

Tips & Warnings

• If you haven’t learned the basic samba step, you should learn it before trying the back stop movement.