WEST COAST SWING - BASIC MOVES
A Beginner's Viewpoint

The Information Super Dance Floor - West Coast Swing INTRODUCTION: The reader should be aware that this page is definately NOT intended to be authoritarian. I myself haven't been doing West Coast long enough to be an authority. But this has worked for me and the majority of what follows is actually the handout I give my class when I teach West Coast Swing.

West Coast Swing (WCS) is differentiated by the lady remaining within a narrow slot that will not normally rotate . She will move back and forth along a given plane as the man moves out of her way for each movement. Lady's first steps are forward, man's are backward. There are several corrolaries to describe this. One is to imagine we're dancing on a set of rail road tracks. The lady will stay on the bed of the track while the man steps to the rails on each move, allowing her to pass by. Another example: If we were to take a door and lay it on the floor the lady would move back and forth never leaving the surface of the door. While the man would step off and on. When I teach WCS I tell the men they have 2 jobs. First they gottta make the ladies look good. Second they gotta get out of the way.

Music for WCS has a lower tempo than East Coast and a smoother rhythm. The best WCS songs have a slinky feel to them and illicit some very interesting moves from some of the better WCS dancers.

WCS uses 6 and 8-count rhythm patterns. The basic 6-count pattern is counted as 1-2-3&4-5&6 or step, step, triple step, triple step. 8-count patterns are counted 1-2-3&4-5-6-7&8 or step, step, triple step, step, step, triple step.

LADIES LEFT UNDER-ARM TURN (or PASS)

 1-2	MEN	Step back left, step right across (or behind) left	
	LADIES	Step forward right, step forward left
Release right hand/ lady passes under mans left hand. Left hand to lady's shoulder and LEAD her to turn between shuffles. 
 3&4	MEN	Face 1/4 turn right and shuffle in place left	
	LADIES	Shuffle in-place right
 

 5&6	MEN	Move back into the slot face 1/4 turn right and shuffle right	
	LADIES	Pivot 1/2 turn left shuffle left

Recover lady's left hand in your right.


SIDE PASS

 1-2	MEN	Step back left, side step right	
	LADIES	Step forward right, step forward left

Release right hand, left hand goes to lady's waist. LEAD lady to turn between shuffles.

 3&4	MEN	Face 1/4 turn left and shuffle in place left	
	LADIES	Shuffle in-place right

 5&6	MEN	Move back into the slot face 1/4 turn left and shuffle right	
	LADIES	Face 1/2 turn left shuffle left

Recover lady's left hand in your right.



SUGAR PUSH

  1-2	MEN	Step back left, step back right	
	LADIES	Step forward right, step forward left
 
 3-4	MEN	Step back left, touch right toe together	
	LADIES	Step forward right, touch left toe together
 
 5&6	MEN	Coaster step forward right	
	LADIES	Back coaster step left

Definition:  COASTER STEP:  Shuffle step used to change momentum
BACK=Step back on lead foot, together with following foot, forward with lead foot
FORWARD= Step forward on lead foot, together with following foot, back with lead foot


TUCK TURN
 1-2	MEN	Step back left, side step right	
	LADIES	Step forward right, step forward left

 3	MEN	Touch left toe together and PREP	
	LADIES	Touch right toe together 
		
PREP:  Turn lady slightly to her left, raising your left hand	
	
 4	MEN	Step together left and LEAD lady in to a right turn	
	LADIES	Face right based on lead and step right pointing toe as far right as comfortable	

LEAD:	Release your right hand and begin turning lady to her right
	
 5&6	MEN	Move back into the slot face 1/4 turn left and shuffle right
	LADIES	Face 1/2 turn right and shuffle left
Where moves call for touch-steps, the new WCS dancer may want to just do shuffles until they become comfortable with the basic move. Many students (myself included) find the change in the step pattern disorienting at first. My recommendation is to get the feel for the dance itself by practicing all the 6 count moves as step-step-shuffle-shuffle. Then get the 8-count whip pattern down. Then start inserting the step-step-touch-step-shuffle pattern into the Sugar Push and Tuck Turn 


WHIP

 1-2	MEN	Step back left, step right across (or behind) left	
	LADIES	Step forward right, step forward left

DO NOT release hands.  
Man lowers his right/her left hands and the lady moves forward into a wrap position.

 3&4	MEN	Shuffle left while moving around lady's back	
	LADIES	Right forward coaster step
Man's left/lady's right hands go over her head to complete the wrap. Release right hand at count 5 
 5-6	MEN	Move back into the slot stepping right, left facing 1/2 turn right
	LADIES	Step back left, step back right

 7&8	MEN	Shuffle right	
	LADIES	Left back coaster step
Variations:
On count 5-6 release LEFT hand and lead lady to a FULL turn right

On count 5-6 GENTLY press down with your thumbs leading the lady into a duck out, release right hand and pivot face lady

click here to go to The Information Super Dance Floor home page