West coast swing pulses on the upbeats, so our normal triple step is designed to give a full beat of music to the upbeat; the & of the triple comes between the downbeat and the upbeat. The syncopated triple rhythm flips this pulse: the & count occurs before the downbeat in order to make the… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: footwork
Single Tracking after Footwork
In WCS, it is common for footwork to go off of the track. In order to make that footwork look good, it is important to single track when coming back into the slot. The general principle from any open foot position—second, fourth, or open third—is to gather back to center before moving for the next… Continue Reading
Single Tracking
Single tracking refers to the relative placement of the feet while progressing down the slot. In general, the heels of the feet should remain in a straight line, as if you were walking on a balance beam. This technique creates clean leg lines and allows for much better control of the center’s movement. If both… Continue Reading
Footwork: &-Kick-Ball Change
The &-kick-ball change footwork syncopation is a simple method to add energy to your triple steps. A normal triple rhythm has weight changes on the downbeat, the & count, and the upbeat: In this footwork syncopation, the first step happens before the downbeat in order to create time for a kicking (non-weighted) action on the… Continue Reading
Relaxing During the Anchor
This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Beginner TrackFor new dancers, one of the key moments in learning WCS is when they are able to relax during the anchor instead of racing through it. Relaxing seems odd during the anchor—after all, you are doing a triple step and you need to have… Continue Reading
Footwork: Applejacks
Applejacks are footwork variations that look very busy and groovy at the same time. This drill will help you learn to do applejacks. The Drill: Stand with your feet about hip width apart and your toes pointing forward. You don’t want to have your feet as wide as your shoulders, nor do you want your… Continue Reading
Footwork: Advanced Syncopation Elements
The vast majority of footwork syncopations are built from a handful of basic movements. By drilling those movements, you can easily combine the pieces into a more elaborate syncopation to match the music. An earlier post discussed the single and double rhythm syncopations; this post adds to that list the triple and quad rhythm syncopations.… Continue Reading
Fixing Your Footwork
This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Beginner TrackInevitably, you will end up on the wrong foot at the end of a pattern. It’s ok! This drill will help you correct your footwork in time for the next pattern. To fix your footwork, simply add an extra weight transfer before beginning your… Continue Reading
Musicality: Footwork to Emphasize Doubles or Triples
In the post on rhythm units, we described double and triple rhythms. To wit: a double rhythm has two weight changes within 2 beats of music, and a triple rhythm has three weight changes in two beats of music. One way to make your dancing fit the music is to dance triples when you hear… Continue Reading
Standard Foot Positions
All forms of dance share several standard foot positions. This article will describe the standard foot positions and explain where they turn up in west coast swing. First Foot Position In first foot position, the two feet are next to each other. Like all foot positions, this position can have varying degrees of turnout. In… Continue Reading