Brush

A brush step is different from a sweep because it does not have a rotating motion about the hip. A brush is also different from a slide because a slide is a progressive move, whereas a brush is an stationary move that resembles a kick.

This pattern takes 2 beats. The pawing takes 1 beat, and the kicking and coming back to a stable stance takes 1 beat.

A brush in the backward is identical to a bull pawing the ground because you drag your foot backwards against the floor before the friction with the floor is lost and you end up kicking back into the air because your hamstring is still contracting. For stability and styling, it is best to change your body’s pitch forward on 1, meaning your hips should go slightly back while your chest goes forward. On 2 you undo the pitch, which you can style it as a body roll.

A brush to the left with the left leg or to the right with the right leg also looks similar as in the backwards direction. Your drag the ball of your foot against the floor to the right or to the left on 1, the traction with the floor is lost and the kick happens on 2, and returning to a stable position also happens at the end of 2. You also change your body’s pitch, meaning that if you are using your right leg to brush to the left, then your chest will lean slightly to the left as your hips move slightly to the right on 1. On 2 you undo the pitch by smoothly contracting your right-side rib muscles to do a body roll.

You can probably brush to the left and to the right with either leg.

A brush forward is different from a brush backward or to the side because it looks like a kick that goes back a couple of inches in the air (winding up) and brushes the floor as it goes forward looking as a kick. Again, the kick happens on 1 and returning to place happens on 2 while the foot is in mid air. This time the pitch goes back on 1, meaning the chest goes slightly backwards while the hips go forwards. The pitch is undone on 2 by styling it like body roll with the forward going forward and the chest following it before the hips go back to place.