When new dancers attend their first Imperial Swing* dancing class and learn the mechanics of performing their basic step, they seldom have a miraculous epiphany when all the elements of their six-count, triple step footwork suddenly fall into place; instead, they simply manage to somehow shuffle through the prescribed sequence of alternating steps without making a mistake. Never mind how many steps there are, or how those (eight) individual steps interface with the (six) beats of the music; rather, there just comes a transient moment in time when a beginning dancer can, for the very first time and by rote learning, perform his basic step footwork properly. It may be said that at this watershed moment, when a swing dancer is born, that he performs his footwork in a 'consciously competent' manner; that is, he is stiff and mechanical, and although he is blissfully unaware of the impact of his transient weight shifts on his center of gravity, he does know which foot is his lead foot as he proudly marches through his footwork in a painfully robotic manner! Dance instructors see this birthing process take place every week during their club's introductory swing classes. Like other challenging endeavors in life, swing dancing has an attrition rate and sometimes beginners get discouraged and quit taking the classes because they cannot make the transition from being 'consciously competent' students whose movements are too premeditated, to becoming 'unconsciously competent' dancers who move fluidly with carefree abandon. The teaching technique presented below eliminates this unnecessary transition because it enables new students to perform their basic, triple step footwork almost immediately without the usual hesitation that often erodes their confidence.
Dance instructors have about one hour to present the different syllabus swing 'moves' which are specified for an introductory lesson. Since new students cannot perform any of these elementary 'moves' until they first learn their basic step, instructors in St. Louis are now beginning to use a new technique that teaches this six-count, triple step footwork in the quickest, most spontaneous and uncomplicated way possible...by enabling their students to relate the first six steps of their eight-step footwork to "skipping" forward and back; the last two steps are their in-place rockstep. Since most people can remember their carefree years as a youngster when they gleefully skipped around their school's playground, this technique redefines the basic step footwork and verbalizes it as follows: one skip forward (1 and 2), one skip back (3 and 4) and a rock-step (5 - 6). Gentlemen begin skipping forward with their left foot, and their left foot always remains in front of their right foot until they perform their rockstep. Ladies begin skipping forward with their right foot, and their right foot always remains in front of their left foot until they perform their rockstep. Unlike the bouncy, undisciplined movement associated with children skipping, dancers must not allow their shoulders and arms to move up and down; all of their upper body movement should be absorbed at their waist. New students must be taught that their first two triple step counts of "1 and 2" and "3 and 4" are actually 'scoot steps' best expressed as: "1 'n 2" and "3 'n 4" because dancers cannot take eight full steps in only six beats of the music. In other words, "1 'n" is a beat, "2" is a beat; "3 'n" is a beat, "4" is a beat; "5" is a beat and "6" is a beat. After everyone in the class demonstrates that they can perform both their basic step by skipping forward and back, and their in-place rockstep, the instructor should then refine his explanation of this same footwork in the traditional, detailed manner described below.
When dancers perform their basic footwork, they use triple step footwork rhythms; i.e., they take three steps for every two beats of the music. This footwork count is: 1 and 2 (first triple step), 3 and 4 (second triple step), 5 - 6 (rockstep). Dancers take three smooth (not bouncy) steps forward on the 1 and 2 count always keeping their feet in the "chase position"; i.e., with their lead foot ahead of their other foot. The male dancer keeps his left foot ahead of his right foot and his partner keeps her right foot ahead of her left foot. The first step that both dancers take on the "1" count creates the distance between their feet that keeps their weight from becoming centered over both of their feet at the same time and confusing their balance. This weight shift cues them on how to execute their next step (see below). Their second step, on the "and of 1" count, is an accelerated, "scoot" step which is followed by their third forward step on the "2" count. On 3 and 4 count, both dancers take three smooth steps backwards, and again, they keep their lead foot ahead of their other foot in the "chase position." On the 5 - 6 count rockstep, both dancers step back onto the "ball" of their lead foot keeping their heels from touching the floor, and then they rock forward onto their other foot. Notice that this rockstep is the only time when either dancer's lead foot moves behind his or her non-lead foot!
Although dancers take 8 steps (make 8 "weight changes") in their triple step footwork, they have only three "weight values" while executing their footwork. On the 1 and 2 count, the male dancer makes 3 weight changes (left-right-left) but he has only one weight value (or bias) that is on his left foot. On the 3 and 4 count, he makes another three weight changes (right-left-right) but again, he has only one weight value on his right foot. To dance with more lilt and balance, the male dancer must keep his "center" over his foot with the weight bias. Finally, on the 5 - 6 count, although he makes 2 weight changes (left-right), he has only one weight value because his two-step rockstep is counted as only one. The instructor presents the weight values for triple step footwork as follows:
On the 1 and 2 count, when the male dancer steps forward with his left foot, his right foot and then his left foot again, he makes three weight changes but he has only a single weight value (or bias) on his left foot. On the "and of 1"; i.e., the "and" of this first triple step count, the male dancer's "transitional weight" is momentarily on his right foot so that he is able to step forward again with his left foot, but his weight value remains on his left foot and he should adjust his posture and weight to favor (or bias) his left foot!
On the 3 and 4 count, when the male dancer steps backwards with his right foot, his left foot and then his right foot again, he makes three weight changes, but he has only a single weight value (or bias) on his right foot. On the "and of 3"; i.e., the "and" of this second triple step count, the male dancer's "transitional weight" is momentarily on his left foot so that he is able to step backwards again with his right foot, but his weight value remains on his right foot and he should adjust his posture and weight to favor (or bias) his right foot.
On the 5 - 6 count, when the male dancer steps backwards with his left foot and then rocks forward onto his right foot, his weight value is "left-right" because he shifts his weight from his left foot to his right foot. There are only three weight values in triple step footwork because the breakstep, which has two quick weight changes (left foot to right foot), is considered as a single weight value (L-R). The faster the music's tempo the quicker these weight changes become. After reviewing the basic step footwork, the instructor asks everyone to rejoin their original partners and then he teaches the couples how to execute their basic step together in the closed position while he corrects their body stances and arm positions.
St. Louis Imperial Swing is a "mirror pattern" style of dance. The male dancer and his partner begin their basic step footwork together in the closed position standing at about a 45 degree angle to each other in a mirror opposite stance. In this "V" position, both the angle of their bodies and the bow of their arms in front of them form the letter "V." The male dancer holds his partner's right hand in the "cupped" fingers of his left hand without any thumb pressure; his right hand is centered on her upper back, and his right upper arm is angled downward with his partner's left arm resting on top of it. The female dancer leans back against her partner's right hand and she positions the palm of her left hand lightly on the top of his right shoulder with her fingers draped forward. These body connections establish the "frame" within which the male dancer leads his partner. Both dancers should stand up straight with their diaphragms raised; center their weight on the balls of their feet, not on their heels; avoid leaning forward and maintain eye contact with their partner while they dance. The instructor concludes this first segment of the class by discussing the importance of the "slot," and how it should be oriented to the room.
The male dancer leads his partner within a rectangular dance space that is called a slot. He orients this "line of dance" to two of the four walls of the room by aligning his closed position stance on the dance floor as follows: on a wooden floor, he orients his slot to the floor boards; on a tile floor, he either goes with the length of the room if it is rectangular, or he goes with the width of the room (sideways to the DJ or stage) if it is square. The slot is often referred to as a railroad track and its sides are called "rails." The breadth of the male dancer's shoulders defines the width of the slot and the distance that he extends his arm (bowed in a "V") to touch his partner defines the length of the slot. The female dancer always has the undisputed right-of-way over her partner on this track, and it is jokingly said that: "when she gets the gravel (between the wooden ties) then he gets the steel (of the rails) or they aren't tracking properly, and he will get run over."
During the second part of the class, the instructor introduces his students to the remaining dance 'moves': the "Glideaway;" the Open Position Basic Step (with and without using the 'patty-cake' handwork);" the "Right Side-Pass (with an Underarm Turn)" which is also called a "Crossover;" and finally the "Basic Return (into the Closed Position)." Whenever an instructor teaches these fundamental swing 'moves,' he should always emphasize how critical the female dancer's arm resistance is to his ability to lead her. For the male dancer, trying to lead his partner when she provides insufficient arm resistance (or a "noodle arm") is equivalent to him trying to maneuver his car without a steering wheel! All of the swing 'moves' above are very important because they not only improve the male dancer's ability to lead his partner, but they also enable both dancers to use their newly learned, triple step footwork to practice stepping around left and right and reversing their positions in the "slot."
There are numerous, excellent swing dance clubs located in the St. Louis area and every night of the week at least one of these clubs hosts scheduled lessons and a dance. If you are a swing dance instructor then I hope that the information presented in this article is helpful when you teach your introductory classes. If you are an aspiring, new dancer then consider attending one of these classes; it is the first stop on your fun, life changing journey into the world of social swing dancing. The large, friendly community of enthusiastic dancers welcomes you to join them when you are ready to take that first step. And, speaking of steps, don't forget, if you have ever "skipped" around your school's playground as a child then you already know how to perform swing dancing's basic step because the footwork is identical. Plan to take your first lesson at an upcoming dance and put your newfound knowledge of the footwork to music!
*Note: Imperial Swing is St. Louis' own style of East Coast Swing that is danced in a rectangular slot (instead of in-the-round) and infused with a touch of West Coast Swing styling.
Copyright © 2011 by Henry H. "Skip" Culver, Jr. Member of the West County Swing Dance Club and author of: Imperial Swing Dancing (visit: http://www.imperialswing.com/ ).
Henry H. "Skip" Culver, Jr. is a member of the West County Swing Dance Club in St. Louis Missouri. He is a Gold Seal Instrument Flight Instructor and the author of the bestselling book on navigation titled: IFR 'Pocket Simulator' Procedures. In 2000 Skip turned his attention from aviation towards the dance floor. He became a Certified Swing Dance Instructor in 2004, and then with over seven years of detailed notes from various classes and workshops in hand, he began assembling the Imperial Swing Dancing manual which he published in June of 2007. Skip is a frequent contributor of articles on swing dancing to different club newsletters throughout the United States.
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