If you have previous dance experience, this can be learned in about 20 minutes, and if you are a beginner (welcome!), we recommend you take at least 30 minutes to learn and practice the steps and hand changes. Below is some information about the Smoke Rings in the Dark dance (also called Dancing in the Dark) and other songs you can dance it to. Enjoy!
Original song: “Smoke Rings in the Dark” by Gary Allen
Choreographer: Jo Thompson Szymanski
Position: Sweetheart a.k.a Cape a.k.a Shadow
Mechanics of the dance
Counts: 32 (Each 8 count is 1, 2, 3, pause, 5, 6, 7, pause)
Walls: 2
Direction of travel: Forward and back, similar to a 2-wall line dance
[1-8] Vine R, 1/4 Turn R, Sweep, Jazz Box, 1/4 Turn l, Hold
1-2: Step R to right; Cross L behind R
3-4: Turn 1/4 right step R forward; Sweep L toe across front of R
5-6: Step L across R; Step R back
7-8: Turn 1/4 left step L to left; Hold
Note: Counts 5-8 should feel like a left turning jazz box
[9-16] Cross Rock, Recover, Side, Hold, Cross Rock, Recover, Side, Hold
1-2: Rock R across L; Recover back onto L
3-4: Step R to right; Hold
5-6: Rock L across R; Recover back onto R
7-8: Step L to left; Hold
[17-24] Cross, Side, 1/4 Turn, Hold, Back Rock, Recover, Forward, Hold
1-2: Step R across L; Step L to Left
3-4: Turn 1/4 right step R back; Hold
5-6: Rock L back; Recover forward onto R
7-8: Step L forward; Hold
[25-32] Forward, Lock, Forward, Hold, Srep, 1/4 Turn R, Cross, Hold
1-2: Step R forward; Step L behind R heel
3-4: Step R forward; Hold
5-6: Step L forward; Turn 1/4 right shifting weight to R
7-8: Step L across R; Hold
Begin again from the beginning of the dance
Other Songs You Can Dance To
If this song doesn’t come on regularly at your local country dance bar, either you’ll have to request it or you can learn to dance this dance to other, more popular songs. The song is 115 BPM, so let’s look for other songs with very similar beats. Below is a list of songs we came up with that go well with this dance. Request one of these at your local country bar, and get dancing!
I Just Want to Dance With You by George Strait
