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West Coast Swing Pattern Breakdown

·4 mins

The goal is to break each pattern into two-beat increments so that accentuating phrase changes, which happen on odd beats, is possible. Counting turns on the analytical part of the brain, so numbers will not be used to count the steps in the pattern. Just listen to the music, or if necessary, count the music beats, not the pattern steps.

Rhythm exercise #

Counting takes too much mental bandwidth, so learn to dance without counting. Count only when learning new patterns. The counting must be replaced by either listening to the music or having an ingrained sense or rhythm.

Use a metronome to develop a sense of rhythm. Get used to listening to rhythms between 80 and 120 beats per minute. Set the metronome to have 8 beats, but only play the first beat. The remaining 7 beats must be silent. The goal is to ingrain the 8-beat measure into your brain. The goal is to hit, stop, or clap on or right before the 1.

Listen to the 1 four times before attempting to hit it. Work it into your system first.

Once you have ingrained the 8-beat measure, you must ingrain the 32-beat measure. Try setting a timer to 24 seconds (80bpm), 19.2 seconds (100bpm), and 16 seconds (120bpm). The goal is to hit, stop, or clap exactly when the timer rings. Your grade is based on how early you are to the timer ringing, but if you late, you fail.

Alternatively, you could program some drums to have hits on the 1st, 9th, 17th, and 25th beats.

https://beatmaker-app.netlify.app/

Patterns #

The breakdown takes inspiration from Labanotation:

Axis of movement:

  • X: left and right
  • Y: up and down
  • Z: in and out
  • P: pitch
  • W: yaw
  • R: roll

All the movable parts:

  • head (neck) has X, Z, P, R, W
  • shoulder in Y, Z
  • chest: X, Z, P, R, W
  1. The direction of the movement (or gesture). Use clock time.
  2. The part of the body doing the movement:
    • left, right hand
      • pinky
      • ring
      • middle
      • index
      • thumb
    • left, right wrist
    • left, right forearm
    • left, right elbow
    • left, right arm
    • left, right shoulder
    • left, right hip
    • left, right leg
    • left, right knee
    • left, right foreleg
    • left, right ankle
    • left, right foot
      • ball
      • pinky
      • ring
      • middle
      • index
      • thumb
    • lower spine
    • thoracic spine
    • neck
    • head
      • eyes
      • mouth
      • eyebrows
      • forehead

A body T-posing with an expressionless represents the neutral position. If a body part is not described, assume it is in neutral position.

All joints use spherical coordinates (Radius, Theta, Phi). Radius can be a percentage, inches, or 0 if it does not make sense. Theta and Phi are in degrees.

  1. The distance of movement:

    • feet:
      • tiny:
      • small:
      • normal: 18in
      • big:
      • huge:
    • shoulders:
      • small: half an inch
      • normal: one inch
      • big: 2 inch
      • huge: 3inc
    • torso:
    • hip
    • knees
    • elbows

  2. The level of the movement:

    • arm:
      • highest: 90 deg below parallel
      • high: 45 deg above parallel
      • middle: parallel to floor
      • low: 45 deg below parallel
      • lowest: 90 deg below parallel
    • leg:
      • 90 deg below parallel
      • 45 deg above parallel
      • parallel to floor
      • 45 deg below parallel
      • 90 deg below parallel

  3. The duration of the movement (or hold):

    • 1 beat
    • 0.5 beat
    • 0.25 beat
    • 0.125 beat

  4. The type of motion in the direction of movement:

    • ease-in
    • bounce
    • impact
linear
ease
ease-in
ease-out
ease-in-out

Open position to hip catch #

Start: open position.

Upbeat:

0% - %100:

  • left hand:
    • ring (r: 80%, T: 90, P: 0)
    • middle (same as ring)
  • right hand:
  • left, right wrist: same
  • feet: take a fast, momentous step back with left foot at 7:30, out of the slot.
  • arm: Do not use left bicep to pull the follower. The arm must be relaxed. There must be a lot of tension.
  • core: rotate your core clockwise to face 2:00.
  • feet: step back with right foot at 7:30 so you are straddling with split weight. Resist the urge to settle on right leg.

Downbeat:

  • core: face 3:00.

    2.arm: the left arm draws half of counter-clockwise halo over the follower so she turns counter-clockwise and faces 3:00 and then release the left-right hand connection. At the same time raise your right arm to follower waist level and to your shoulder width to catch the follower’s hip.

    1.feet: Remain straddled. The follower will go into a straddle position to face 3:00.

    1.hands: Catch the follower’s waist, not the hip, using left hand. There should be no left-right hand connection.

    1.core: Remain facing 3:00.

    1.spacing: you must be in a shadow position such that your right shoulder is behind her right shoulder so she can see you with her peripheral vision. Don’t stand directly behind her.

    1.face: look at the follower because she needs visual cues.