The basic step, basic movement, basic pattern, or simply basic is the dance move

Dance move

Dance moves or dance steps are the building blocks of many dances.More complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures or dance variations....

 that defines the character of a particular dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

. It sets the rhythm

Rhythm

Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...

 of the dance; it is the default move to which a dancer returns, when not performing any other moves. For some dances it is sufficient to know the basic step performed in different handholds and dance positions to enjoy it socially.

Most traditional partner dance

Partner dance

Partner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner.In the year 1023 the German poet...

s have only one basic step which can be easily mastered. Others, such as West Coast Swing

West Coast Swing

West Coast Swing is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop. It is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic extension-compression technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor...

, have multiple basic steps, any of which can theoretically be selected by the leader.

Basic steps in particular dances

• Lindy Basic, in Lindy Hop
  Lindy Hop
  The Lindy Hop is an American social dance, from the swing dance family. It evolved in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and '30s and originally evolved with the jazz music of that time. Lindy was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based...
  
  
• Salsa Basic, in Salsa
  Salsa (dance)
  Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
  
  
• Mambo Basic, in Mambo
  Mambo (dance)
  Mambo .In the late 1940s, Perez Prado came up with the dance for the mambo music and became the first person to market his music as "mambo". After Havana, Prado moved his music to Mexico, where his music and the dance was adopted. The original mambo dance was characterized by freedom and...
  
  
• Box Step
  Box Step
  Box Step is a basic dance step named after the pattern it creates on the floor, which is that of a square or box. It is used in a number of American Style ballroom dances: Rumba, Waltz, bronze-level Foxtrot. While it can performed individually, it is usually done with a partner. This is the most...
  
  , the basic move in some American Style ballroom dance
  Ballroom dance
  Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television....
  
  s: Rumba
  Rumba (dance)
  Rumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó...
  
  , Waltz
  Waltz
  The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
  
  , bronze-level Foxtrot
  Foxtrot (Dance)
  The foxtrot is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band music, and the feeling is one of elegance and sophistication...
  
  .
• There are several variants of the Basic Movement in Cha-cha-cha
  Cha-cha-cha (dance)
  The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
  
  : Basic, Open Basic, Basic in Place. Each of them may also be subdivided into a Forward and a Backward ones.
• Basic step in Zydeco
  Zydeco (dance)
  Zydeco as a dance style has its roots in a form of folk dance that corresponds to the heavily syncopated zydeco music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone Creole peoples of Acadiana...