Intro to West Coast Swing

History:

During the 1920s - 1940s, a new type of music, “jazz”, swept the land and people wanted to dance to it. Swing dancing was born in many different forms. In the 1930’s, the Lindy Hop and Collegiate Shag were popular. In the 1940’s there was the Jitterbug and the Boogie-Woogie and in the 1950’s came Rock and Roll. There were many regional versions. California spawned one version in the 1940’s and 50’s that eventually became known as West Coast Swing.

General Characteristics:

West Coast Swing 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. This allows the couple to dance most figures in a small area of the dance floor.

There are three families of figures in West Coast Swing: (1) those where the lady comes close to the man and then backs away (Sugar figures), (2) those where the man steps out of the slot and allows the lady to pass to his other side (Passing figures), and (3) those where the couple comes together and rotates around each other (Whip figures).

The basic pattern for Sugar and Passing figures is: “1, 2, touch, 4, anchor step” which takes six beats of music to do. Some Sugar and Passing figures also use the standard triple swing pattern of “1, 2, 3&4; 5&6”. The basic Whip pattern is “1, 2, 3&4; 5, 6, 7&8”.

Most figures begin with the lead foot free, man’s left (L) and lady’s right (R), and end with the lead foot free.

The first step in standard figures is always forward for the lady and back for the man.

Terms:

Anchor Step: small back/recover, small back. (Man does this with his right foot. Lady does this with her left foot). Timing is Q&Q.

Coaster Step: Man crosses his right foot behind then quickly steps on his left and then steps side right -- while the Lady steps back on her left closes with her right and then steps forward toward man with her left. Timing is Q&Q.

French Cross: Step forward with right foot turning ¼ left face then cross left in front of right then step side right turning another ¼ left face. This can be used with any passing figure instead of simply running past partner and swiveling back to face. Timing is Q&Q.

Figures:

For each figure below, the foot placement given is for the man and then for the lady in parentheses ( ).

Left Side Pass: Man rocks back on L, then recovers on R stepping slightly to right off the “slot”. Then do a “triple”, i.e. “L/R, L,” getting back into the slot but turning around half left face to face partner. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L. Then she does a triple “R/L, R” to pass the man and turning around half left face ~ can use French Cross. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Underarm Turn: Man rocks back on L, then recover on R stepping slightly to left off the “slot” and raises joined lead hands. Then do a “triple”, L/R, L, getting back into the slot and turning around half right face to face partner while allowing lady to pass under the joined lead hands. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walk forward two steps R then L. Then she does a triple “R/L, R” to pass man while turning half left face under the joined lead hands ending to face man. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Man’s Underarm Turn: Man rocks back on L, then recovers on R stepping slightly to right off the “slot” raising joined lead hands. Then do a “triple”, L/R, L, going forward while turning half right face under the joined lead hands ending to face partner. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L allowing lead hand to raise. Then she does a triple “R/L, R” to pass man while turning half left face while man turns under the joined lead hands. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Push Break: Man walks back two steps L then R. Then he does a triple “back L/close R, forward L” allowing lady to come close before pushing her back. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L. Then she does a triple “forward R/close L, back R” coming close to partner before stepping back. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Sugar Push: Man walks back two steps L then R while leading lady to come close. Then he “taps” his L foot on beat 3 ~"Sugar" and then steps forward onto L foot on beat 4 ~ “Push”. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L coming close to partner. On beat 3 she then “taps” her R foot and on beat 4 she steps back L. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Tuck and Spin: Man walks back two steps L then R while leading lady to come close. The man “braces” his left hand while tapping his L foot on beat 3 and then steps forward onto L foot on beat 4. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L coming close to partner. On beat 3, Lady “tucks” by lowering right shoulder and slightly compressing right hand against man’s left hand while tapping with R foot behind her. On beat 4,Lady steps onto her R foot spinning right face a full turn to face partner. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Passing Tuck and Spin: Man rocks back on L then recovers on R stepping slightly to right off the slot. The man braces his left hand while tapping his L foot on beat 3 swiveling left face about a 1/4. On beat 4, man steps back into the slot on R turning another ¼ left face to face partner. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L coming close to partner. On beat 3, Lady “tucks” by lowering right shoulder and slightly compressing right hand against man’s left hand while tapping with R foot beside her L foot. On beat 4, Lady steps forward with R down the “slot” passing man and spinning right face ¾ to face man. Finish with an Anchor Step.)

Wrapped Whip: Man rocks back on L, then recovers forward on his R stepping slightly to left off the slot joining trail hands and raising the lead hands over the lady’s head while turning ¼ right face on lady’s right side. Man does a “Paddle Step” which is a rock side L/recover R, forward L turning another ¼ right face lowering the lead hands wrapping the lady. Let go of trail hands and step around the lady in two steps R then L getting back into the slot to face the lady. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L joining trails hands and allowing joined lead hands to go over her head. Lady then steps forward R/closes L, and steps back R allowing man to go around and wrap her. As man lets go, lady backs up two steps L then R and finishes with an Anchor Step.)

Tummy Whip: Man rocks back on L, then recovers forward on his R stepping slightly to left off the slot placing his right hand on lady’s right hip while turning ¼ right face on lady’s right side. Man does a “Paddle Step” which is a rock side L/recover R, forward L turning another ¼ right face going around lady. Go around the lady in two steps R then L getting back into the slot to face partner. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward two steps R then L. Lady then steps forward R/closes L, and steps back R while man goes around her. Lady then backs up two steps L then R and finishes with an Anchor Step.)

Whip Turn: Man rocks back on L, then recovers forward on his R into Closed Position with partner and turning about ¼ right face. Man does a “Paddle Step” which is a rock side L/recover R, forward L turning another ½ right face still in closed position. Letting go of partner but retaining lead hand hold man then crosses his R behind his L, and steps side L turning another ¼ right face to end facing the same direction as when starting the Whip. Finish with an Anchor Step. (Lady walks forward R then L to Closed Position turning ¼ right face. She then steps back L/closes R, and forward L while turning ½ right face with man. While still turning right face another ¼, lady crosses in back R and then back L and finishes with an Anchor Step.)

Tim Eum has prepared many Round Dance Tips for Calls 'n' Cues, WASCA, for his weekly Rocket Rounds email reports, and for other publications. DRDC is grateful for permission to collect and reprint. A Tim Eum archive.