Building Your Choreography in Blocks of 32
by Jennifer Padgett
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Aerobics music is built in blocks of 32 counts. This means that every 32 counts, a new chorus or verse starts, or there is a drum roll or music change to let you know that a new block of 32 is starting. There are also smaller changes (the end of a lyric or a smaller drum roll) every 8 counts. This is done to help the instructor cue, and to help instructors build blocks of choreography. We encourage using the 32-count because the music is helping you to transition to a new move with the transition in the music, or to make a change when the 32 changes. It's much easier to work with the music and change when it tells you to, rather than fight it and change at random times. Many participants naturally feel and hear the 32-count, so they can often tell that you are fighting the music if you are not working with the 32-count. To hear the 32-count, sit down and play a tape, and count up to 32 with the beats (I did this while driving in the car when I was first learning to teach). As you approach beat #32, you will hear the music change, or the verse end, or the chorus start. These are the changes you will listen for when trying to determine when to cue.

When the changes in the music are building, they are telling you, "This is the start of a new set of 32/16/8." This is important because you need to give your cues for each new step on the 2 beats of music **before** you want the class to start the new step, which is just before the change in the music occurs. 

Let’s deconstruct a simple hi/low choreography block within the 32-count: 

8 marches (8 counts total; occur during beats 1-8 of the 32-count)
4 heel digs (8 counts total; beats 9-16)
8 jogs (8 counts total, beats 17-24)
4 hamstring curls (8 counts total; beats 25-32)

To give your cues 2 beats before the change in the move, you need to cue the heel digs on counts 7 and 8, the jogs on 15 and 16, and the ham curls on 23 and 24, right? If you are familiar with the 32-count, the change in the music will say to you, "Hey, these are counts 7 and 8 -- you should be cueing right now." 

Begin to practice transitioning between two moves on the 32-count by starting with two very simple moves, like a march to a step touch. Begin the march on the right foot at the top of a 32-count block. Count down by saying “8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 8, 7…” every time the RIGHT foot hits the floor (that is, every other beat). Notice that you are saying “8” on beat 1 of each 32-count block. 

Once you are marching, and you are sure that you are marching with the beat and the 32-count, say “Step touch!” instead of “1” at the END of a 32-count block. Begin to step touch to the right just as you say “8.” Practice transitioning both from a march to a step touch AND from a step touch to a march. Once you are very comfortable transitioning on the 32-count, experiment by not counting out loud (you will have to listen for the change in the music to know when to cue), and also by transitioning at the 16-count mark, the 8-count mark, and the 4-count mark. 

The simplest way to use 32-count music is to build your choreography in blocks that take up 32 counts, and then break them down so that you teach each move within the 32-count structure.

For example, consider this 32-count hi/low block:

· 2 side-to-side shuffles (4 counts each, 8 counts total)
· 2 scoops forward, 2 scoops back (2 counts per scoop, 8 counts total)
· 4 single knees (8 counts total)
· 2 side-to-side squats (8 counts total)

To break this down within the 32-count structure:

· Start your class in a side-to-side shuffle for 32 counts (8 times total).
· Switch to scoops in place for 32 counts. 
· Scoop forward 4x, scoop back 4x (16 counts total -- remember that there are smaller changes every 8 and 16 counts, so the music will help you remember to do 4 scoops)
· Again, scoop forward 4x, scoop back 4x (remember that there are smaller changes every 8 and 16 counts, so the music will help you remember to do 4 scoops. Notice that the combined set of 16 scoops make a whole set of 32)
· Shuffle for 16 counts 
· Scoop up for 4, back for 4 (16)
· Again, shuffle for 16 counts
· Scoop up for 4, back for 4 (16)
· Shuffle for 8
· Scoop up 2, back 2 (8)
· 2 Shuffle (8)
· Scoop up 2, back 2 (8)

Now that you have the first two moves covered, and have strung them together, you can move on to:

· Alternating step knee for 32 counts (16 repetitions total).
· Switch to side-to-side squats for 32 counts (8 total). 
· Cut down to 8 knees, 4 squats (16 counts)
· Repeat 8 knees, 4 squats (16 to finish the 32)
· Cut down to 4 knees, 2 squats (8 counts)
· Repeat 4 knees, 2 squats (8 counts)
· 4 knees, 2 squats (8)
· 4 knees, 2 squats (8)

So, you have now practiced all parts of the combination, and you can go “to the top” and string the 
whole thing together into:

· 2 side-to-side shuffles (8) 
· 2 scoops forward, 2 scoops back (8)
· 4 alternating knees (8)
· 2 side-to-side squats (8)

Whew! This is not as complex as it looks when it's all written out. In fact, as written, this takes 11 blocks of 32-count music... which, in a 135 BPM tape, is two and a half minutes (11*32 = 352, 352/135 = 2.6).

A 32-count breakdown for a simple step block might look like this:
· Original block:
· 2 alternating basic steps (8 counts total)
· 2 turn steps (8 counts total)
· 2 alternating knees to the corners (8 counts total)
· 1 repeater knee (8 counts total)

To break this down within the 32-count structure:
· Start your class in a right basic for 32 counts (8 basics total). 
· Switch to a left basic for 32 counts. 
· Switch to right basic for 16 counts (remember that there are smaller changes every 8 and 16 counts, so the music will help you remember to do 4 basics) 
· Left basic for 16 (notice that the 2 sets of 4 basics make a whole set of 32) 
· Right basic for 8 counts
· Left basic for 8 counts
· Right basic for 8
· Left basic for 8 (again, notice that the 4 sets of 8 counts each make up 32 counts) 
· Alternating basic step for 32 counts
· Turn step for 32 counts (a turn step is essentially just a big alternating basic, so it should be easy to move them from the alt basic to the turn step. If they are confused by the turn step, however, do another set of 8 turn steps until they get it. If they are still confused, do another 8, and so on)

Now that you have the first two moves covered, you can string them together. I even say to the class, 'Okay, we're putting those two together,' and then we do:
· *Alt basic for 16 counts
· *Turn step for 16 counts
· *Alt basic for 8 counts 
· *Turn step for 8 counts
· *Alt basic for 8 counts 
· *Turn step for 8 counts

Once they have that, you move on. However, if they are still a little confused, you 
keep doing 2 alt basic, 2 turn step, 2 alt basic, 2 turn step, but keep doing them 
in blocks of 32 counts.

Next, move on to:
*Step knee, tap down on the right corner for 16 counts (4 times total)
*Step knee, tap down on the left corner for 16 counts (4 times total)
*Step knee, tap down on the right corner for 8 counts (2 times total)
*Step knee, tap down on the left corner for 8 counts (2 times total)
*Step knee, tap down on the right corner for 8 counts 
*Step knee, tap down on the left corner for 8 counts
*Traveling knees for 32 counts
*Traveling repeater knees for 32 counts (4 sets total)
Then, string the knees and repeaters together:
*Traveling knees 4 times (16 counts)
*2 sets of repeater knees (16 counts)
*Traveling knees 2 times (8)
*Repeater knee (8)
*Traveling knees 2 times (8)
*Repeater knee (8)

So, you have now practiced all parts of the combination, and you can string the 
whole thing together into:
2 alt basic (8 counts)
2 turn steps (8)
2 alt knees (8)
1 repeater knee (8)

As written, this takes 14 blocks of 32-count music... which, in a 128 BPM tape, is three and a half minutes (14*32 = 448, 448/128 = 3.5). 

After you have practiced this technique (a lot!), you will not need to actually count the number of repetitions of each move. The change in the music will tell you when it is time to transition to the new move.
Good luck!

Thanks to Jennifer Padgett for submitting this article!

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