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West Coast Swing Dance Checklist

·2 mins
Dance West Coast Swing
Table of Contents
  1. Smile: Smile.
  2. Lyrics: Interpret the lyrics.
  3. Instruments: Interpret the instruments (bouncy, smooth, or detached beats).
  4. Count: Count beats (to hit 1’s, phrase changes).
  5. Wrists: Align thumbs and forearms in a straight line and bend middle and ring fingers to create a nice platform for the follower, like shaking someone’s hand.
  6. Hips: Do full weight changes by settling slightly on hips:
  • To slow down weight transfer, stand with feet apart at shoulder width.
  • Do not slide feet on even beets. The replace step must happen in place.
  • Do drop steps on 3 of sugar push and side passes.
  1. Elbows: Keep elbows bent so they stay at or behind rib cage, not past it.
  2. Stretch: Angle body at 2:00 to create stretch when anchoring, look like the letter K.
  • Square up on the one and pull shoulder back into un-stretched position to “jerk” follower.
  • Stretch shoulder on the & of the &1 of a new pattern.
  • Pay attention to the connection to feel when the follower finishes anchoring.
  • Actually push on sugar pushes, don’t wuss out. Provide an actual impulse.
  1. Choreography: Choreograph your patterns.
  • Always practice patterns in terms of phrase changes.
  • Try hitting every 1 in the music, but only do flashy patterns on minor and major phrase changes.
  1. Lats: Practice engaging lats.
  • Create opposition on every step by contracting latissimus dorsi backwards when stepping backward, or engaging shoulder forward when moving forward. Only contract lat once in a triple step, not three times. Contract the lat that is opposite to the free leg when walking backward.
  • A side wave will not work because it requires bending the knees or changing levels, which will not work well with side passes or whips.

The count, lyrics, instrument, and choreography elements will require active thinking. The smile, wrist, hip, elbow, stretch, and lat elements may become muscle memory.

Sugar push #

Using arms and left leg as a spring during a sugar push. Do not stop follower immediately on 3. Catch on 2 and slowly absorb on 3. Be a pillow, not a wall. On 1, when squaring up from the stretch, speed up follower and catch her right hand on 2, then absorb the momentum.