- Single-step rhythm: slow, slow, quick, quick (or "1, 2, rock-step")
- Rock-Step: When you do a rock-step, momentarily shift all weight to your back foot. Remember, do not put your heel down on your back foot.
- Triple-step rhythm: triple-step, triple-step, rock-step. (or 1-and-2, 3-and-4, 5, 6)
- East Coast Swing is a circular dance. On most turns, you will trade places with your partner.
- Footwork: All steps are "ball-flat".
Basic steps
- Single lindy - single-step Basic
Double lindy - double-step Basic
Triple lindy - triple-step Basic
(Remember that one partner can do single lindy while the other partner does double or triple lindy.)
- Closed Basic
- feet at a 45º angle
- Many people hold the outstretched hand in a low position. Both are acceptable.
- Fan in and fan out
- Man and lady should look at their joined outstretched hands when fanning out.
- Open Basic
- in open position, the rocking foot goes straight back
- Man uses the pistol grip.
- Lady should have a strong hook grip and her wrist should be flat.
- Both guys and gals should NOT use your thumbs.
- Don't touch heel on back rock step.
- Ladies keep your shoulders parallel to the man's.
- Ladies, keep your elbows by your sides and offer both hands palms down.
- Just before the rock step, both of you (both partners) should push with your arms as you rock.
- "Send out" from closed basic to open position
- "Bring in" from open position to closed basic. Guys, using your left hand, pull her across to your right side into closed position.
- Basic Turning (in closed):
Guy steps across, lady steps between the guy's feet.
Gentlemen, when turning the basic, turn clockwise forward left on 1-and-2, then turn clockwise backward right pulling your right shoulder back (which will pull the lady's left shoulder forward) on 3-and-4. Guys, lean to your left on 1-and-2, then straighten on 3-and-4.
- Apart Basic
(with turns and with kicks)
(Don't suddenly let go of your partner when she is not expecting it. Let go of her carefully.)
- Apart Basic with continuous turns on count 1.
- Paul's push-off basic
- All of the basic steps above can be done either straight or turning.
- Ladies, in the absence of a lead to the contrary, do the basic.
- Don't pull on your partner during the basic.
Turns:
- Demonstrate
- ½ turn to the left footwork for the man
- ½ turn to the right footwork for the man
- ½ turn to the left footwork for the lady
- ½ turn to the right footwork for the lady
- Most turns are done with forefinger contact.
- Ladies, at the completion of a turn, face your partner and offer both hands.
- On most turns, you will trade places with your partner.
- Don't duck under your arm. No matter how tall or short you or your partner is you can go under your own wrist without ducking.
- Leading: Treat the lady like a lady. Don't yank on her arm. Remember that leading the lady into a turn is a continuation of the direction that she is already going.
- ladies underarm exit turn from closed basic. (Open the window and push her out.)
- ladies outside tone turn exit from closed basic
- basket step: Start in 2-hand open position, bring her into cuddle position, then let her out. Ladies don't forget to do the rock-step when are beside the man.
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- cuddle turns to both sides
- the cuddle to cuddle double turn (the "stanton") With the lady on the man's right side in cuddle position, without letting go of either hand, raise both hands and rotate the lady 2 times to the left and then recapture her in cuddle position on the man's left side → then repeat to the other side.
- cuddle to tuck 'n duck
- he turns / she turns (Before he turns, the man turns his palm toward the ceiling. As your partner turns, slide your hand across your partner's back then down the arm.)
- Trading places:
Hands go out to sides (not up). Man does turn, cross-behind, rock-step. Lady just does half turn.
- skin-the-cat (or "hand slide")
- skin-the-cat with normal exit
- skin-the-cat to the tunnel
- skin-the-cat to the sugar (star) → forward turn finish
- skin-the-cat to the sugar (star) → reverse turn finish
- underarm turn (or "inside turn")
- inside (loop) turn
(Ladies, don't duck under your arm when you are in an underarm turn). Note that you can use an inside loop turn to transition from a one-hand hold to a two-hand hold.
- (Guys, use an underarm turn to capture both hands smoothly.)
- outside (arch) turn: outside turns are always followed by inside turns since the hand is upside down. (Guys, any time a pattern leaves your hand upside down, do an underarm turn to correct this.)
- closed position → outside turn → inside turn → closed position
- Behind the back turn
- two-hand turns
- dish rag: The man turns left and the lady turns right. Man stays on his track; lady stays on her track.
- cross-hold two-hand turns
- pretzel:
outside-partner circles → let go of the lady's hand → lady puts hand between partners bodies → take hand between bodies → pretzel.
- gentlemen's turn ("leader's belly slide")
- cross behind: man crosses to lady's right, grabs lady's right hand with his right, turns counterclockwise and passes lady's hand behind his back to his left hand, finish with an underarm turn or double underarm turn to unwrap.
- gentlemen's high-hand turn
- walk through: Walk through with hand change → underarm turn → change the hand. Guys, as you are doing the walk through, put your free hand over your other hand.
- outside roll for man:
walk through and switch hands so man is holding her right with his right → lead her into an underarm turn while man does outside roll → underarm turn.
- gentlemen's wrap-around turn: From open facing position, guy brings his right hand across his chest, Guy then turns counterclockwise 360º. At the completion of the turn, the guy grasps the lady's right hand with his left hand.
- rather than a rock step, take two hands and do a heel pop.
- double underarm turns (she then he)
- arch turn
- In slow swing, the man and lady can do a double arch turn.
- tuck turn (and re-wrap)
- Jill's move: Backward dip after tuck turn and re-wrap.
- "No-hand" turns
- double-rollout
- one pass
- two pass
Charge patterns
Can add rotation: forward turning left, backward turning left. Can also add crossing legs and shoulder bounce):
- cuddle charge (with forward toe tap)
- side-by-side charge: Bring her in from open to closed position. Hold her waist and move forward into a side-by-side charge.
- sweetheart charge
- skater charge
Pinwheel
- Outside partner (circles abandon the 1, 2, rock, step. Circular patterns are done in single rhythm to the beat. Restart your 1, 2, rock-step after a rock step.)
- (Guys, to change direction on a circle, back slowly away from the lady and find a free left foot for a rock step, then rock step, and turn the circle the other way.)
Additional patterns
- cuddle guided turn (or "cuddle shadow")
- cuddle circles:
cuddle partner circle turns → while holding onto both hands, raise the outside hand causing the lady to make a full turn to the other side (a "Stanton" turn) → cuddle turns the other direction.
- arm-slide circle
- shake-hands position → double-sweetheart shadow
- passing hand change: switch to handshake position → open break → the man pulls her to his side while he passes behind her and goes to the opposite side (as the man passes her he lets his opposite hand slide down her opposite shoulder to switch the hands) → repeat the passing hand change 3 times
- Walk past with hand change: man travels forward to lady's right and switches to shake-hands position. man walks forward, forward, forward rock (both partners extend left arm outward), back (switch hands), back, rock-step)
- advanced side-pass: shake hands and walk past, then lead an underarm turn raise whole arm let her under then switch the hands on the next basic.
- repeated wrap and re-wrap
- the see saw: tap step tap step → turn 1,2 → repeat
- fan lady out to right then give her a reverse spin
- Randy's move: Bring the lady into cuddle position, then with a quick motion, pull on your right hand (causing her to rotate clockwise) while simultaneously raising your left hand (and her right) up over her head causing her to spin clockwise twice and to end up behind you. The man should simultaneously do a half turn counterclockwise so the lady is back in front of him.
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Chase
- challenge position: 1, 2, forward rock, 1, 2, backward rock, repeat
- (spot turns replace rock steps) walk 1, 2, spot turn, walk 1, 2, spot turn, repeat
- chase with free spin: spot turn, pivot 1, pivot 2, spot turn, repeat
the "tornado"
- rock-step → man puts ladies right arm behind her and reaches around her and grabs her right hand with his left hand, he then leads her on a clockwise double turn → rock step.
the "Washing machine":
- start with a standard two-hand hold
counts 1 & 2: Lady forward right forward left. Guy back left step right
- "Sandy Turn": Man uses his right hand to hold lady's right hand. Cause her to spin to her right, then the man with his left hand catches her right hand.
- counts 3 & 4: Lady full counter clockwise turn (right foot, left foot) Guy step left, step right, ½ turn clockwise. Both hands go over both heads, and man puts both hands on his left shoulder. Lady turns completely guy doesn't, then everybody turns.
- (both partners will begin turning with pivot steps, the lady will turn counterclockwise right foot forward and left foot back, the guy will turn clockwise, guy moves opposite foot to arm)
- right hand over his head left to right then down and between partners.
- His right goes over his head from left to right then over and behind her head. Her right hand goes over her head then left over his head
- As you rotate, guy puts right hand over, left hand over, right hand over, left hand over, etc.
- To finish, man lets go with his left hand and lady does a double spin counterclockwise.
the "wallet"
- from handshake position, guy leads lady in underarm turn then puts his right hand over his head to an arm slide → while continuing to hold her right with his left, guy bends down and rotates clockwise one full revolution → guy straightens up and leads the lady on a counterclockwise double turn → then she rock steps.
- bow & arrow: man backs up → (lady turns clockwise on second step) pull her left arm up and around her and over her head and bring it down to her right shoulder → lift your left hand and lead her out to a cross-arm hold → then lift both hands over her head to unwrap.
- drape cuddle: (never let go of either hand) man backs up (lady turns clockwise on count 2) man takes his right hand over his head and places it on his left shoulder → man raises his left hand and goes out turning counter clockwise leaving her in the same spot → lady turns clockwise on second step → man takes his right hand over her head → then man raises his left hand and lets her out to unwrap.
- arm & hammer: man backs up (lady turns clockwise on second step) wrap her right hand behind her → man lifts his left hand to lead her out (lady turn clockwise) into a hammerlock → then man lifts his left hand to unwrap.
- point step step (alternative to the rock step)
- toe heel swivel: basic → catch both hands → cross toe heel (slow, quick, quick)
- back up double kick??
- closed tuck in??
- shake hands → windmill → exit on 5 (or exit on 6)
- East Coast Swing (Triple-Step) Use in combination with West Coast Swing
- jig walks in open and closed positions
- outside tuck & followers double turn from closed position
- cuddle to wheel with followers roll-out and outside turn
- hip catch to double hairbrush
Links
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