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
Tag Archives: triples
Doubles and Triples as Lead-Follow Concepts
Although we learn the west coast rhythm of double triple triple by rote, higher-level dancers actually lead (and follow) doubles and triples differently. By learning how to lead or follow a specific rhythm pattern, it becomes possible to dance variations such as triple double triple or double double double. In lead-follow terms, triple steps occur… Continue Reading
The Challenge of West Coast Swing
West coast swing is generally regarded as one of the most challenging social dances to learn. The purpose of this post is to explore some of the reasons why WCS can be challenging in order to help dancers understand why learning WCS can be difficult. Obviously, I believe that west coast is well worth the… Continue Reading
Learning the WCS Rhythms: Triples
This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Beginner TrackOne of the first challenges that WCS poses for new dancers is that the basic rhythms are more tricky than most social dances. First, WCS has two basic rhythms: the six count rhythm and the eight count rhythm. Second, both WCS rhythms include triple… Continue Reading
Rolling Count: Dancing Rolling Triples
One of the biggest keys to dancing rolling triples is using the rolling count. In a rolling triple, the middle step (what we normally call the &) is closer to the upbeat than the downbeat. In order to push the middle step later in the beat, we divide the beat into 3 parts rather than… Continue Reading
Pareto’s Principle: Making the Most of Your Practice
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by a dance like west coast swing. There are so many patterns, concepts, and skills to work on—how do you choose between cleaning up your basics, mastering pot stirs, learning musicality, picking up new footwork variations, and understanding how to play? Enter Pareto’s Principle. Also known as the 80-20 rule, Pareto’s… Continue Reading