AUTUMN LEAVES
It is a phrased choreography but simple: verses of the song — originally a French Poem of Jack Prevert not translated but re-interpreted by Johnny Mercer — alternate the feelings of the singer and the sadness of fall.
Joseph KOSMA's music is definitely a jazz ballad. By inserting a choir singing, in background and like in faraway in the past, some verses of the French poem like some classical music, Tony BENETT's cover definitely adds a fourth dimension to this works.
BPM: + 78
Rythm: Jazz Ballad
Level: Easy Intermediate
Walls: 2
5-Phrase-dance: Intro, A, B, C, Outro
No tag no restart
Weight on:
- left foot: WOLF
- right foot: WORF
Phrasing
Intro-A-A-B-C-B-Outro
▪︎ Intro (instrumental)
▪︎ Phrase A on verses 1 and 2
▪︎ Phrase B on verse 3 and 4
▪︎ Phrase C on Choir
▪︎ Phrase B on verse 5 and 6
• Outro
At start: WOLF
Start with music
INTRO (instrumental)
Sad and slow sliding stroll.
24 counts
Section 1
Sliding marche forward
1 to 4: slide foot forward: right left right; slide left foot near right.
Sliding marche backward
5 to 8: slide foot backward: right left right; slide left foot near right.
Section 2
¹ ² ³ ⁴ Slow side step to the right
- side step to right, assemble; side step to right, left foot touches right foot (WORF)
⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ Slow side step to the left
- side step to left, assemble; side step to left. right foot touches left foot (WOLF)
Section 3
Jazz-box
¹ Cross right foot over left foot
² Slide left foot to the left behind right foot
³ Slide right foot at the right of left foot
⁴ Drag right foot near left foot
Rocking chair
⁵ Rock right foot forward
⁶ Recover on left foot
⁷ Rock tight foot back
⁸ Recover on left foot
(WOLF)
PHRASE A: 16 counts
On Verse 1 and 2
Section 1
Start Phrase A with Verse 1
Jazz box
¹ Cross right foot over left foot
² Step left foot back left
³ Step right foot to the right side
⁴ Step left foot together next right foot (WOLF)
Side right, touch, Side right, touch. Schuffle left
⁵ Step right foot to right
⁶ Right foot touches left foot
⁷ Step right foot to right
& Step left foot against right foot
⁸ Step right foot to right keeping your WOLF
Section 2
Quarter-turn right, marche forward (x3); facing π
¹ quarter turn right foot to right, (WORF)
² Step forward left foot
³ Step forward right foot
⁴ Step forward left foot (WOLF)
Sailor ¼ turn right; shuffle right; facing π
⁵ Sweep right foot with a quarter turn back to right facing 6:00
⁶ Slide left foot near right foot
⁷ Walk right foot forward
& Lock left foot behind right foot
⁸ Slide right foot near left foot (WOLF)
Dance phrase A on verse 1 and verse 2
At the end of Phrase A you're facing 6:00
PHRASE B: 32 counts
Dance phrase B
• on verses 3 and 4
• and on verses 5 and 6
Phrase B is a lateral sliding promenade
Section 1
Side steps
¹ Slide right foot to the right
² Assemble left foot near right foot
³ Slide right foot to the right
⁴ Assemble left foot near right foot
Side shuffles
⁵ Right foot to right side
& Assemble left foot near right foot
⁶ Right foot to the right
⁷ Left foot touches right
& Left foot to the left side
⁸ Right foot touches left foot
WOLF
Section 2
Rocking chair
¹ Rock right foot forward
² Recover on left foot
³ Rock right foot backward
⁴ Recover on left foot
Sliding jazz box
⁵ Cross right foot over left foot
⁶ Slide left foot on the back left of right foot
⁷ Slide right foot back aligning it slightly distant of left foot
⁸ Drag slowly left foot neat right foot
WOLF
Section 3
Slide drag shuffle to right
¹ Slide right foot to right
& Drag left toes against right foot
² Pose left heel near right heel (WOLF)
³ Slide right foot to right
& Drag left toes against right foot
⁴ Pose left heel near right heel (WOLF)
Rocking chair
⁵ Rock right foot forward
⁶ Recover on left foot
⁷ Rock right foot backward
⁸ Recover on left foot
WOLF
Section 4
Front weave
¹ Right foot crosses over left foot
² Step left foot to the left
³ Cross right foot behind left foot
⁴ Step left foot to left side - change weight on right foot
Back weave
⁵ Cross left foot behind right foot
⁶ Step right foot to the right
⁷ Cross left foot over right foot
⁸ Step right foot to thr right
PHRASE C: on the Choir
The choir is singing, in French, some verses of Jack PREVERT's poem. "Les Feuilles Mortes" — Dead Leaves — sounding like it is a voice from very far away long time ago.
This section consists in 8 turns evocating autumnal leaves carried away by a gentle october whirlwind.
32 counts
1 Wall
Phrase C is composed of 4 full turns
Section 1
Quarter turn to the right marche(x4)
¹ ²
Step right foot to the right, toes facing π
Slide left foot near right foot (WOLF) π
³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸
Repeat preceeding steps twice, facing π and π
Section 2
Quarter-turn right jazz box (x2)
¹ ² ³ ⁴
Jazz box with a ¼-turn while right foot crosses over left foot
⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸
Repeat preceeding steps.
Section 3
Monterey half turn right (x2)
¹ Point right foot to right
² Half-turn right, left foot together with right foot
WORF
³ Point left foot to left
⁴ Assemble left foot near right foot
WOLF
⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸
Repeat preceeding steps
Section 4
Quarter turn to the right marche(x4)
¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸
Repeat Section 1
OUTRO (Short Instrumental)
8 counts
Pivot full turn x3
¹ Step forward right foot
² Pivot ½ turn left
³ Step forward right foot
⁴ Pivot ½ yurn left
Repeat twice
####NOTES####
"Autumn Leaves" Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
INTRO: 21" Instrumental
VERSE 1
The falling leaves
Drift by the window
The autumn leaves
Of red and gold
VERSE 2
I see your lips
The summer kisses
The sunburned hands
I used to hold
VERSE 3
Since you went away
The days grow long
And soon I'll hear
Old winter's song
VERSE 4
But I miss you most of all
My darling
When autumn leaves
Start to fall
VERSE 5
Since you went away
The days grow long
And soon I'll hear
Old winter's song
VERSE 6
But I miss you most of all
My darling
When autumn leaves
Start to fall



















