Transcript

To spice up your West Coast Swing a little bit, we’re going to show you a turning basic with an inside turn to a dip – how to dip the ladies. So it looks like this: walk, walk, triple step, triple step, rock step, inside turn, dip the ladies, and when you’re ready come out with any sort of side pass or inside turn.

Now, dipping a lady. Before we even get into how to get there, let’s say once we get there. She’s here. My hands are going to be up like to the outside of the lady’s shoulder blades underneath the shoulder, so not down here on her back. I’m up here like this. I’m going to rotate Nicola. Now Nicola is going to keep most of her weight over her right leg, and actually she bends into that right leg a little bit and kind of sits so she’s supporting most of her own weight. As I bring her on to that foot, we bring her in. This is called a sit dip and it cheats just a little bit. We dip here, so she’s supporting most of her own weight. As she’s supporting most of her own weight, there’s not real sense of fear for the ladies socially. Right?

And guys, what I’m doing is just kind of lunging to my left. My weight is on my left foot. I kind of put my knee forward a little bit there. My right leg is straight. So again that goes, boom. That’s a sit dip. All I have to do is bring her up to that other foot, and here we could do a side pass out or any other sort of throw out.

Now if you’re comfortable with your partner, you do that exact same thing, but as she goes and you lunge, she can give you her body weight. She can lay her head back, and it’s probably best if she lays her head back. There’s less tension in body. Then I bring her up onto that foot. Rock, step or whatever is necessary to send the ladies up. One of the things you want to notice, ladies, is as Nicola goes here, if she keeps her head up looking at me in the dip, it actually has a lot of tension. There’s like neck tension there. If she relaxes her head back and pushes her belly button up, that actually gives a little bit more arch, it’s more relaxed, less effort to the back.

Bring her up, rock, step, triple step, triple step. How we get to that position is off of a walk or a rock step. Let’s take it from a rock step. As she goes rock step, I do an inside turn, triple step. So a rock step, triple step. That’s where I let go of the left, pick up the back, we’ll do a sit dip and we go into the sit dip. We hang that for as long as we want, and then come out into the triple triple. So you have a sit dip where the ladies, you can choose not to give the man your body weight but still go into the dip. Or, if you trust the guy and the guy knows you pretty well, you can go into body weighted dip where her head goes back. It’s better for her to think about laying back then holding her neck up which is going to create a lot of stress and tension. We’re going to show you this to music. [music]

And there is how we dip a lady.

Transcript

Hi. My name is Robert Royston. I’ve dance in film, on Broadway and in television. I do about 27 different styles of dance. But the style of dance that launched my career was swing dancing. In 1985 when I was just a teenager and some lady asked me if I knew how to swing dance. And I said no. And she taught me. And now I have a career. I went on to competitive swing dancing where I won the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championship four years in a row. I’m currently a member of the Living Legends of Dance Society, the California State Swing Dance Hall of Fame and the World Swing Dance Council Hall of Fame. My wife, Nicola, and I still compete all over the world. We are many time NASDE Showcase swing champions, U.S. Grand National Cabaret champions and U.S. National Cabaret Champions. We love what we do. We love to swing dance. We hope you’ll love it, too. You can find me at robertroyston.com. Check me out on our Facebook fan page as well at Robert and Nicola Royston on Facebook and I’ll see you on the dance floor.

Transcript

The whip with a single outside turn. So remember, an inside turn, hand comes to the inside of the body. Outside turn, lead hand goes away from the body. We take our basic whip. And we go one, two, three and four. Keeping this hand very long and open, that arm, as I go five, Nick will walk straight forward underneath it, six, triple steps to face me, seven and eight.

That almost feels like the back end of a tuck turn, right? For her, as she walks to turn and face me. So it’s a single turn for the ladies. So I go walk, walk, triple, keep it long, walk, walk, triple step. I’ll do that from a different angle. So we have walk, walk, triple step, keep it long, walk, walk, triple step. So the numbers for that, one, two, three and four is where it starts to go long, don’t tighten this in. Four, to then go five, six, seven and eight. If you do bring that arm in and tighten it up, the lady will most likely do a double turn, which is okay as well. It looks like this.

One, two, three and bring the arm in, five, six, seven and eight. And again we have to do an underarm turn at the end of that to fix the hand. So I have one, two, three, I could bring it in and she could do a double turn. Now, as she does the double turn, each step is a half rotation as she goes seven and eight. Try the single turn first, play with it, as you get comfortable, you can head into the double. We’re going to do the single turn to music.

There is our whip with a single outside turn.

Transcript

The locked whip.

Now a locked whip is a little bit different. It’s still eight counts. Walk walk triple. Walk walk triple. But the lady’s going to walk all the way forward, straight no turn, and then straight back. Now some places in the country, by the way, call this a basket whip. Locked whip, basket whip same thing.

It looks like this. Walk, walk, triple step. Walk, walk, triple step. So Nicola walks dead forward. Walk, walk, takes a triple, triple step. Walks straight back, walk, walk, triple step. I’d do the same foot work that I’d do in basic whip. But it’s going to feel like an underarm turn to the ladies. She’s going to be going by my right side, going underneath my left arm. But I’m going to have her left hand with my right. So that I take, and I bring her into what we call a basket position.

From the front, that looks like this. So I don’t want to be here. Don’t want to be here. Don’t want to be here. Nice and relaxed. I’m on her hip. And this hand is off. There’s no need to put this hand on her body. So from here I pick up that hand. We go walk, walk, she goes dead forward into that, triple step. Then she’s gonna back up. Walk, and I let go of the lower hand, triple step. So we have walk, walk, triple step. Walk walk, triple step. So that’s a locked, or a basket. I’ll do it from this side. Walk, walk, triple step. Walk, walk, triple step. You’re locked. We’re basket whipped to music.

Transcript

The West Coast Swing Whip with an inside turn looks like this, one, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight. So you take a basic whip where we have one, two, three, and, but as I cross on the three, as I cross on four, the left hand starts to come up four to let her know she’s going underneath this arm. On five I let her pass but she’s now turning to her left. Five now it feels almost like an underarm turn, for six triple stepping, seven, and eight. I’ll do that from a different angle.

So again the prep happens from the three and into the four, but I start to lift my left arm, and it’s called an inside turn because the hand passes inside of the two of us, opposed to the hand going outside, and outside turn my lead hand goes away from my body, an inside turn the lead hand comes into my body. So we have one, two, three and this is where it starts to come to the inside four right, so it’s on the three and to the four. Then we have five, six , seven, and eight. Nice and easy, create a lot of space.

We want to make sure on the three and there’s lots of room here. See the room we have here? I don’t want to be too close cause I’m crossing that hand in front, so it’s gonna crowd us a bit. So we have one, two create the space, five, six, seven and eight. Whip with an inside turn, here it is to music.

There’s your Whip with and Inside Turn.

Transcript

The Texas Tommy, or whip with the hand change behind the back can happen from close position or open position. We’ll go ahead start it from close position as if it’s the back end of your swing out. It looks like this. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven, and eight. From here, we’re going to go ahead and do reverse whip to get back to it. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight.

So what’s going to happen here is I do the rock step and I get in front of the ladies. One, two, three and four. From here I’m going to take my left hand and I’m going to lengthen it and start to fold it behind the lady’s back on the walk walk. So we go walk. Now what’s going on is I’m changing hands. I’ll show you from a different angle in a second.

She goes walk. Now I have my right hand to her right hand, and we’re going to come out of this triple step. It’s going to cause the ladies to over rotate a little bit. Her next natural instinct will be to rock step. She’ll rock step. From here, I’m going to reverse her back the other direction, picking her up into close. Triple step. We’re in the same position we normally are. Take the walk walk. Walk, walk, triple step, rock step.

So I’ll do that from this angle so you can see the hand change. We go rock step, triple step. Here comes the hand change. Walk, walk, triple step, rock step, reverse her in, walk walk, walk, walk, triple step. Just so you can see it from the open position, as she comes in with a swivel swivel. Walk, walk, and I pick her up for the triple step. You can see we’re in the same position as we were a second ago to go walk, walk, triple step.

So whether you’re doing it from close or from open, the hand change works the same. So, that’s the Texas Tommy named after a Lindy Hopper named Tommy, or a whip with the hand change behind the back. We’re going to go ahead and do this to music.

There’s your Texas Tommy.

Transcript

The West Coast Swing Whip, which is our first 8-count timing in West Coast Swing.

The whip is walk, walk, triple, walk, walk, triple.

If we just did that in place, I go left, she goes right, walk, walk, triple step, walk, walk, triple step. That’s basic whip timing.

What’s going to happen on the walk, walk, I bring her in. I go back cross. She comes forward and starts to pivot.

Walk, walk, that’s 1, 2. By 2, I have her back with my right hand.

My left hand is in a closed position, but on 3 and 4, I’m going to take 3 and, right in place, 3 and. I’m 90 degrees for the lady, 4, I step across, 4.

Now we’re offset of each other. Her shoulders and the middle of my chest, that’s 4. On 5, I’m going to collect my foot underneath me as she turns, 5.

That’s the whipping effect, letting go, 6, 7, and 8. I’m going to pick her up on 2 and let her fly on 5. Pick her up on 2, let her go on 5.

I have, walk, pick her up, walk, triple step, walk, walk, triple step. We’ll do that from a different angle.

Again, picking up the lady on count 2, leaders, I have walk, 2, that’s 1, 2, 3 and I stay right here, 3 and. 4 moves across the slot, 4.

As she comes forward. She’s going to pass me, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

On 3 and 4, Nicole is doing what’s called a coaster step. That means back together forward. A coaster step is back, together, forward.

She goes 1, 2, back, together, forward. She’s forward on her right. I’m on my left. From here we go, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

To music, it looks like this.

There’s your basic whip.

Transcript

The Swivels, or Lindy Swivels. Coming off of the swing out looks like this. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven, and eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight.

So what we’re doing with the Lindy Swivels off of a swing out. We have our rock step, triple step. She goes forward. Walk, walk, does her triple step. She’s naturally going to swivel back towards me anyways, but what we’re going to do is have the ladies do a little point, ball, change. So she’s going to do a point, ball, change as I go walk, walk. Point, ball, change. Point, ball, change.

Now if you’ll notice Nicola right there, she points her right foot as her weight is on her left. That’s the point. Now she’s going to close that foot to the ball and then push off to the next foot. So she swivels, point, ball, change, point, ball, change. Yes? I’m continuing to just walk. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, until I’m ready to pick up a rock step and I pull her forward. This is a swivel, swivel. Swivel, swivel, triple step, walk, walk, triple step.

So that looks like – rock step, triple step, walk, walk, triple step, walk, point ball change, point ball change, point ball change, point ball change, swivel, swivel, triple step, walk, walk, triple step. And there’s your swivels. We’re going to do it to music.

And there you have your swivels.

Transcript

The West Coast Swing Sugar Push

So remember that the West Coast Swing basic is walk, walk, triple step, triple step. East Coast Swing has a rock step, West Coast Swing has as walk walk. So, walk, walk, triple step, triple step. I start left, she starts right.

The Sugar Push looks like this – walk, walk, triple step, triple step. So again, walk, walk, triple step, triple step. What’s going to happen is I’m going to back up left right, she’s going to come forward right left. I’m going to present my right hand. I might already have that right hand, but just in case I don’t I’m going to present it. She’s going to go walk, walk.

On this first triple she’s going to kind of slowly push into me a little bit and I’m going to absorb that weight or that energy. Triple, sending her back, step. Now I just kind of send her away from me. There’s no need for me to take a big step towards her. Step, I let go of the right hand, we triple in place, triple step. Nicola will take her left foot and pull it behind her right as she finishes that pattern. So again, I go walk, walk, triple step, triple step.

We’ll do that from a different angle. I start left, she starts right. I bring her in, walk, walk. I take my triple kind of in place, triple, just stepping a little bit forward underneath myself, triple step. Then she’s going to take her triple step, triple step. I really kind of think like behind and forward. So, we’re going to go walk, walk, behind and forward, triple step. So we have a Sugar Push, like the ladies coming in to get a little bit of sugar, and then I send her away. That’s walk, walk, triple, triple. That’s your Sugar Push. We’re going to do it to music.

And there’s your Sugar Push.

Transcript

The turning basic for West Coast Swing. We start from the open position. I’m going to bring the ladies in. We’re going to go walk, walk. Just like we would for a whip, but from here I’m going to really circle this around. Triple step. Triple step. And she can rock step. Rock step. And then I would do like the left side pass to send her back out to go to whatever else we’re doing for West Coast Swing. So, again, the turning basic, I pick her up, walk, walk. I don’t stay in place on the three and four. I really work around. Three and four, five and six. I get as much rotation as feels comfortable, and then we can rock step or walk, walk into walk, walk, a side pass to send the ladies out. So, that’s a turning basic. We’re going to go ahead and do that to music.

There’s your turning basic, with or without a rock step.

Transcript

The West Coast Swing under arm turn, sometimes called the right side pass.

We start from the open position. Nicola is going to take her two walking steps forward. Guys are going to step back and get out of the way. Let’s show it to you, like this. Walk, walk, triple step, triple step, walk, walk, triple step, triple step. So I’m going to step back, leading the ladies forward, and then I’m going to cross over with my right foot, getting out of the way so she can stay and walk straight down her slot.

Remember the lady has a slot in West Coast Swing. It goes back and forward. She takes walk, walk. I go back, cross. Walk, walk. Back, cross for me. We pass just like in East Coast Swing on the first triple. Triple step. We face each other for the second triple. Triple step. I end up with my right behind my left, her left is behind her right. Again, I go back, cross. She goes walk, walk. Pass on the first triple. Triple step. Then we take this other triple in place. Triple step.

As we cross, as we pass each other on that first triple, make sure that you don’t bring your feet together but that one foot actually crosses in front of the other. So as I go back, cross, my right foot stays crossing in front of my left. Her left foot stays crossing in front of her right. So we go triple (see how she’s crossed in front?) step, triple step. So one more time. Walk, walk, triple step, triple step. And that’s the under arm turn. We’re going to try it to music.

There’s your under arm turn.

Transcript

The West Coast Swing Sugar Tuck.

So it comes off of a sugar push where I would bring the ladies forward and then swing them back in the sugar push. The difference is going to be that my left hand comes up, walk, walk. Now you could do this as a touch step or a triple step. We could go touch then I’m going to… this is the tuck, I’m going to send her the other direction, step. She takes a triple to finish it. Triple step.

So again, I go walk, walk, touch, step, triple step. You could take that as a triple. Walk, walk, triple step, triple step and the tuck still works. Off the sugar push I bring the ladies in, immediately lifting my left hand. Walk, walk, touch and/or triple, touch, step, triple step. Because my hand ends up over the top I need to finish this with an underarm turn. Walk, walk, triple step. And that fixes the hand. Stance magic, right?

From here we have the sugar tuck. Walk, walk, tuck the ladies, triple step, finish with an underarm turn, triple step, triple step. That’s a sugar tuck. Now, with a sugar tuck I can take my left hand up and she goes underneath. I could take my right hand up and she goes underneath. I could take both hands up and she goes underneath both hands and then I could do another sugar push where we split. There’s all kinds of variations. If I take no hands up in the sugar tuck she does it as a free spin. Once you end the sugar tuck you immediately have four more moves. We’re going to do it to music.

It’s a sugar push with a tuck turn and we call it a sugar tuck.

Transcript

Let’s go swing, left side pass. From here, open position. Ladies are gonna
do the walk, triple, triple. Exact same footwork you would do in an
underarm turn. Guys, yours is a little bit different. You’re actually
gonna step completely out of the way on count one, moving out of the way so
she can go by your left side. That’s gonna be one. On count two, I just
take this foot, put it right underneath me, two, as she passes moving
subtly to my right.

Then, we have two triple steps as she passes. Triple step, I face her.
Triple step. That’s the left side pass, so she’s gonna go by the left
side, walk, walk, triple step. Triple again, walk, walk, triple step,
triple step. Remember, if there was a door here, I would say, after you and
she would move right by my left side. I’m doing the exact same thing with
my lead as saying, after you, inviting the lady to pass by my left side
using the basic step of walk, walk, triple, triple.

I start left. She starts right. That’s your side pass. Here it is to music.

After you with your left side pass.

Transcript

The East Coast Swing under arm turn with a hand change comes from open position, looks like this. Triple step, triple step, rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step. So what we’ve done is a basic under arm turn from the open position. We’ve gone triple step, triple step, rock step. Same prep for the under arm turn. As she comes underneath, triple step, I just change hands on the second triple, triple step, by literally take what’s in my left hand and putting it into my right hand.

Now there are multiple ways to get out of a hand change where we’re right to right or left to left. For the sake of doing it right here, we’re going to do what’s called the free pass where she literally just passes by my right side. We go rock step, I let her just pass by and I’m right back to where I started. So we go triple step, triple step, rock step, under arm turn change hands, rock step, let her free pass by, rock step. So again, under arm turn, triple step change hands, let her free pass, and we’re back. So that’s an under arm turn with a hand change. We’re going to do that to music.

So an under arm turn with a hand change, finishing it off with a free pass.

Transcript

The Bowtie, or also known as the cross arm slide in East Coast Swing looks like this. Triple step, triple step, rock step, triple, triple step, rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step.

So what you’re going to do is take your basic triple step, triple step, rock step. You’re going to lift both arms. I’m going to go underneath my left. She’s going to go underneath my right. From that rock step, rock step. I go underneath the left, she goes underneath the right. We rotate this triple. Triple step. Now we’re going to slide down so we end up right hand to right. Triple step.

This is also a nice way to get into a hand change to do other moves that go right to right. From here just a free pass to get out of it. Rock step, triple step, triple step. So again, we go rock step, lift, slide, rock step, pass, rock step. We’ll do that from one more angle. We have triple step, triple step, rock lift, over the head, slide it down, rock step, free pass, triple step, rock step. Now your Bowtie to music.
And here’s our Bowtie.

Transcript

The basic Lindy swing out. It’s an eight-count pattern that goes rock step, triple step, walk, walk, triple step. It looks like this. Rock step, triple step, walk, walk, triple step. Rock step, triple, triple, walk, walk, triple step. So what we’re going to do here, the swing out, we’re swinging her out to start doing whatever it is we want to do in the dance.

We start with the rock step. Rock step. On this triple step, I’m moving to my left by getting in front of her if she goes dead forward. Triple step. From here, she’s going to walk past me on her walk, walk. I’m just going to get out of the way with my right foot. Walk, walk. So she’s moving away from me now. On this next triple step, she moves away from me still. Triple step. Turning around to do a little swiveling action, as I rock step she goes swivel, swivel. Swivel, swivel. I’ll pick her back up into close. Triple step. We’ll talk a walk, walk around. Walk, walk, back it up, triple step.

And we can do the pattern again. So it goes, rock step, get in front of her, triple step, send her by you, walk, walk, finish it off, triple step, she swivels coming back at you with her right, I go left, rock, step, picking her up into close, triple step, stay there, walk, walk, back it up, triple step, and we can start over. So I start left, she starts right with the rock step. We’re going to do the Lindy swing out to music. [music]

And we’re doing the Lindy Hop.

Transcript

The east coast swing barrel role; It is going to come off of your underarm turn with a hand change. So, we are going to go, triple step, triple step, rock step. You are going to end up right to right. You are going to do some kind of underarm with a hand change, ending up right to right. The barrel step looks like this, rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step, triple step, triple step, and you are going to go back to basic with a free pass.

So, what is going to happen is that underarm turn with the hand change is going to end up getting us right to right. Off of the rock step, the ladies are going to pass by my left side. They are going to do that and I am going to create this curve over my head. So, as I go, rock step on this first triple step I kind of turn Nicola in front of me a little me. I think about that shoulder heading to the middle of my chest so that our shoulders work like a gear where one shoulder goes first then the other shoulder as opposed to the illusion that we are going shoulder to shoulder. So, as I rock step, rock step, she turns, triple step and we face each other, triple step.

Again, you will see that I watch this shoulder. Rock step, I watch it, triple step, triple step because if we rolled shoulder to shoulder it is hard for me to get that arm up but if I let her turn first, so her shoulder is in the middle and my shoulder is going to the middle of her back as she passes, it works like a gear and gives us more space to be able to move.

So, that goes, rock step, she goes first, triple step. Here is out barrel roll. Triple step, triple step, same free pass, back to close. So, we have triple step, triple step, lets to an underarm turn, change hands and the barrel. Triple step, triple step, rock step, triple step, triple step, free pass, triple step, triple step, rock step. So, you have an east coast swing barrel roll, we are going to do it to music.

There you go! East coast swing with a barrel roll.

Transcript

Getting lady to the sweetheart position in East Coast Swing. So we’re going to take this, you’re going to have to end up right to right. We’re going to take it from an under arm turn with a hand change, but somehow you’re going to have to get right to right. So as we take our basic triple step, triple step, rock step, we do the under arm turn to the hand change, and I’m going to bring her in to a sweetheart position and then you’ll be able to let her out. Rock step. We’ll do the same free pass to change our hands.

So what did we do? We did the under arm turn to the hand change. Sweetheart position is any time I get a lady right alongside me with my right hand on her right shoulder, left hand out in front holding her left hand. This is sweetheart position. From the rock step I’m going to bring her in, much like I would do if I was doing a wrap in or wrap out. I would rock step, rock step, bring her to my right side, triple step, slightly back it up, triple step, and then let her rock step, rock step. Same thing, I let her go forward on the triple step. Triple step. I take the left hand over. Triple step. And we rock step. Now on that rock step I would generally let go of the left hand and then just do a free pass. Triple step, to get back to a regular hand hold. So again, we’re going to take the under arm turn with the hand change, bring her to the sweetheart position, triple step, triple step, let her forward, left hand over and let go of it, free pass, rock step.

We’ll do that from one more angle for you. So that’s going to go, triple step, triple step, rock, under arm, triple step, change hands to sweetheart position, triple step, triple step, rock step, forward, left over but let go of it, right side free pass, rock step, back to close position. Let’s go ahead and do the sweetheart dance position to music.

And now you know how to get into the sweetheart position.

Transcript

The Tandem Charleston in Lindy Hop

From close position, just like we would start for the swing out, we’re going to take the rock step and instead of doing a triple step, we’re going to do our Charleston step. So we’re going to go rock step, kick step, back, and a rock step, kick step, kick, kick back, and rock step. I start left, she starts right. We’ll do that with our backs to you so you can follow along at home. The rock step is one two. One, two kick, three, step down four, five, pull up six, reach seven, come back to it eight, and then do the same rock step. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two.

And, at any point in time in those Tandem Charlestons, from the rock step you can go right into your swing out. So I have, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, go. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight. One, two and a – and at any time I’m in closed, I can go back into Charlestons. So again, I can go, one, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight. One, two, three and four, five, six, seven and eight, and back to the Charlestons. That’s our Tandem Charlestons, and we’re going to do it to music.

And there’s your Charlestons.

Transcript

The wrap in, wrap out in East Coast Swing starts from an open position. What’s going to happen is your left hand is going to go up, your right hand is going to go down. So we’ll show it to you first. We’re going to go, triple, triple step, rock step, wrap her up, triple step, rock step, and wrap her out, rock step.

So, what I want you to think about doing first of all is take your partner’s hands like this, right hand is down, left hand is up. You’re going to bring her to your right side. As you do that, just wrap her up, sort of just in like a little bit of a hugging position, right? No need to have this hand, you know, we’re not going to put her into a strait jacket, right? Nice and relaxed. So again, I do this facing you. My left hand goes up, my right hand goes down, and I bring her to my right side. It’s just turning her into a wrap. Yes?

From here, we take that from our basic and we go triple step, triple step, rock step. Now it’s the same prep that you would do for the under arm turn. You’re just keeping your left hand down and holding the left hand as opposed to letting go of it. You stay in place gentlemen as she wraps up to you, triple step, you both back up, triple step just a little bit, and then rock step. Rock step.

To get her back out you basically reverse it. You’re going to lift your left arm as she goes forward, triple step, let her come underneath, triple step, to the rock step, rock step. So that’s the wrap in and wrap out. I wrap her in, and then basically unwrap her. We’re going to do the wrap in, wrap out to music.

So the wrap in, wrap out for East Coast Swing.

Transcript

The elbow turn in East Coast Swing comes from a closed position. It looks like this. Triple step, triple step, rock step, grab the elbow, turn around, rock step, grab the elbow, turn around, rock step, and you’re back into closed position. What we’re doing here is a type of tuck turn.

We’re going to go triple step, triple step, rock step. On the first part of her triple I’ve let go of my left, I bring her by my left side, now my left hand is going to come underneath and grab the back of her right, excuse me, her left elbow. I’m going to rock step. As I rock step, my left hand thinks about coming across my body to get behind her left elbow on a triple step. So we go rock step, triple step.

Now because she sees me and knows that this is happening, she’s not going to make any sort of a fist and go ahead and hit me as this passes. She’ll let the elbow come in. She’s going to do just a half of a turn, triple step, and I come underneath to pick up into closed position again, rock step. Now from there I could stay in closed or I could do the elbow grab again. Triple step, triple step, rock step, reach across, center, rock step, reach across, center, rock step.

Now you can, if she spins well, give a little bit more energy and the ladies can add a turn to that. So they can go triple step, triple step, rock step, triple step, she can add a turn, rock step, triple step, she can add a turn, rock step, and then back into closed position. Let’s go ahead and try the elbow turn to music.

And there’s your elbow turn.

Transcript

The left side pass in East Coast Swing. We call it a left side pass because she passes by my left side, but she does not go underneath an arm. You can do this from closed position or you can do it from open position. We’ll show you both, but first from open. We go triple step, triple step, rock step, pass by the left, triple step, rock step. From closed that would look like triple step, triple step, rock step, pass by my left, triple step, rock step.

In doing that, what’s going to happen is we do the two triples. Triple step, triple step. From the rock step I already start thinking about going to the left, guys. Rock step. My left hand is going to send her by. Triple step. We face each other. Triple step, rock step. And I want to think about, it’s just like a lady walking past me and I’ve opened a door for her and I’ve said, after you, and she walks by my left side. Again I would say, after you, and she would walk right by my left side. That’s really what we’re doing here in the left side pass.

So again, it looks like triple step, triple step, rock step, after you, triple step, rock step. Now I can go ahead and keep both hands in that left side pass if I wanted to, or I’m happy to let go of the right hand depending on what the next move is. Let’s do our left side pass to music.

So from open position, or from closed position, there’s your left side pass.

Transcript

The triple step.

One of the few common denominators done in all styles of swing. What you’re doing with the triple step is putting three steps into two beats of music, so if the rhythm was [snap , snap], those two beats, I’m going to do three steps, in that period of time. So the first triple step you’re going to learn is just going step together step. Let’s start left. We’re going to go step-together-step, now to the other side, step-together-step.

I’ll turn my back so you can try that with me. Left foot, step-together-step, right foot, step-together-step. And you want to kind of be in a slightly athletic position, so you don’t want to be back on your heels. You want to be more on the balls of your feet. So again we go step-together-step, step-together-step. Now as we do that, we want to make sure we kind of change up the timing a little bit. So I want you to think little-little-big, little-little-big. Yeah? So we go, triple step, triple step.

Now I also want you to think about doing the triple steps maybe with the foot going behind then side. You’re going to go behind-then-side, behind-then-side. So we have triple step, triple step. So we have a sideways triple. Ready, triple step, triple step. And we have a triple step that’s a little bit more in place where one foot goes behind and then comes back to the side, behind-then-side, behind-then-side. And now let’s try the triple step to music. Five, six, seven, eight.

And that is the triple step.

Transcript

The tuck turn with a free spin as done in East Coast Swing looks like this. Triple step, triple step, rock step, tuck, turn, rock step. So what we’re going to do is take our open basic position. You could do this as well from close, but we’ll take this from the open.

We’re going to go triple step, triple step, from the rock step, rock step, I’m going to lift my left hand just a little bit, kind of opening up the two arms as we take that triple step, dropping my left side a little towards the lady. She drops her right side a little towards me. Triple step, and I’ll actually go ahead and let go of the right. Again from the rock step. Rock step, triple step. From there I’m going to push from that turn. Nicola is going to rotate around to her right. Triple step, and then take the rock step. Rock step.

Again I’m going to go, triple step, triple step, rock step, triple step, triple step, rock step. You can also do this having her pass you. From the rock step. Rock step, I can bring her by my left side, triple step, pushing into the hand then passing, triple step, then taking the rock step, rock step. Cool? And she can do a half turn there. She can do one and a half turns there. As I go rock step, rock step, as she passes she could do a half turn. Or from that tuck she could do one and a half turns, rock step, depending on what she likes to do in that turn. East Coast Swing, tuck turn to a free spin to music. Triple step.

And you have your tuck with a free spin.