Steppin' Out
| This is HoraWiki, a treasury of Israeli folkdance information that anyone can edit! To get started, visit the Home Page. |
Hebrew: סטפין אווט
Partner dance by Roger and Jean Knapp, circa 1958, unique because of the recording typically used: On the third time through, there is no music at all! Dancers perform the dance without accompaniment, in silence, attempting to keep the count correctly until the music starts again for the last phrase.
In Israel, Steppin' Out is still done as a partner dance. In the USA, it is now often done as a line dance, all facing front, no partners. The middle section is done once walking forward and once back, rather than forward both times as in the partner dance.
A malicious markid/a will shut off the playback during the silence, making the dancers think they're way fast until they realize what has happened.
Lyrics and music of the original song, Steppin' Out With My Baby, are by Irving Berlin. It was created for the 1948 musical film Easter Parade, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.
References
Stockton Camp syllabus from 1959, containing instructions (nineteenth page of the document)
Fred Astaire's performance from the movie