The default hotkeys for the dancing steps on the numpad are:

• 1 or 7 - Left turn
  
• 2 - Step back
  
• 3 or 9 - Right turn
  
• 4 - Step left
  
• 6 - Step right
  
• 8 - Step forward

If you have a tenkeyless keyboard like me but still want to use your keyboard you can edit the hotkeys by opening the KeyMap.ini file located in your My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates! folder.

These steps are arranged into several patterns that are always the same but come in random order to make up each dance you have with governors' daughters.

4-6-4-6 or 6-4-6-4.
This is the most basic of the basic. There is always a pause before this pattern begins.

1-1-1-1 or 3-3-3-3.
Again, super simple.

4-3-4-3-4-3-4-3 or 6-1-6-1-6-1-6-1
You step to the side and turn the opposite direction, e.g. step left, turn right.
Notice that the pattern begins with a sidestep just like the simple Side to side pattern. The way you know which pattern is starting is that Sidestep and turn pattern does not have a pause before it begins. If you come out of the previous pattern and immediately have a sidestep that means it's a Sidestep and turn, not a Side to side.

8-1-1-8-1-1
Unlike the patterns thus far, this one does not come in a mirrored variation i.e. there is no 2-3-3-2-3-3 or 8-3-3-8-3-3, etc. Also, there is always a pause before this one begins. Why do I mention this? Hmmmm...... Also note that there is a pause on beat at the halfway point in this pattern so it goes 8-1-1-pause-8-1-1. This is the only pattern that does this.

1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2
And of course since this pattern starts with a step that was already used to begin another pattern, how do we distinguish it from Turning in a circle? You know it: no pause before starting. Ah, but where's Right turn and backstep? That comes later.

These are the hardest ones but once you get them down you'll get lots of heart points out of executing these sequences. These patterns don't show up a lot when dancing with, err... homely daughters. Also note that none of these patterns have mirrored variants. They always come out the same asymmetrical way.

8-2-1-1-2-8-3-3
A-ha! This pattern starts with a forward step just like Forward step and double left turn, so how do we know which pattern just started? You guessed it: This pattern follows immediately after a pattern just ended, no pause.

3-2-3-8-3-2-3-8
To avoid confusing yourself I recommend not thinking of it as a mirrored counterpart to Left turn and backstep because it contains a forward step. Think of it as it's own distinct pattern. Again, this one begins with no pause.

I've always had the best luck getting those little flourishes indicating you pressed the key perfectly on beat by double pressing the indicated step. i.e. if I need to step left I double tap '4' even when I think I pressed the key exactly on beat. This method made dancing perfectly so much easier for me.

With this information I hope you learn to enjoy the dancing minigame as much as I do. I know a lot of people have difficulty with this minigame so they hate dancing in Pirates but really, it's not all that hard and the music is great.