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every year it seems like more and more people are getting out on the dance floor to enjoy
country dancing and while other forms of popular dance come and go American style country dances
like the two-step the shuffle the cowboy waltz and the swing dances just seem to get more popular
as time passes sometimes though learning to dance can be either intimidating because of a crowded
dance floor or inconvenient due to scheduled dance classes being taught far from one's home
or at a time that doesn't work out with a busy personal schedule but with this easy learn at
home program you can master country partner dancing quickly and feel confident the first
time you step onto a crowded dance floor your personal instructor in this video is Jerry
Staley Jerry's been involved in country dancing for over 10 years and has competed nationally
in couples dancing his dance technique training covers a wide variety of styles including country
Cajun ballroom swing and Latin Jerry's a member of the National Teachers Association and has
attended numerous classes and workshops on dance instruction his skills as a dance instructor are
well known and his experience as a choreographer for dance teams competing on a national level have
given him a strong grassroots approach and base foundation for teaching country dancing all the
information and instruction given in this program is in compliance with the guidelines of both the
National Teachers Association and the United Country Western Dance Council these two organizations
are working towards the standardization of teaching techniques terminology and foot pattern
hi welcome back to our fourth in our five-part series on country dance instruction today we're
gonna be working on West Coast swing your swing dances are very fun and energetic dances again
this tape will be broken down into four sections first we're gonna learn our basic footwork second
we're gonna learn about lead and follow third we're gonna learn how to move with our partner
and finally we're gonna learn the ten basic West Coast swing moves let's go out and swing today
we're gonna learn the ten basic steps in the West Coast swing as recommended by the United
Swing Dance Council we will be going through these one at a time for these I'd like to introduce my
partner Tracy Nelson the first part of this ten steps is what they call a four beat starter step
it is basically two triple steps in a row done in a side-to-side motion we'll demonstrate it once
and then break it down in two different directions so you can see the footwork it's counted three and
four five and six that's all there is to it now we'll do it in another direction so you can see
our footwork three and four five and six once more in a different direction three and four five
and six in this dance position we have to maintain our dance frame hold the lady close to you keep
your right hand gentleman on her back so it holds her in close ladies put your left hand up on the
shoulder so that you can create the resistance that the gentleman needs in order to lead once
more it looks like this one and two three and four the second step is called a basic throwout
we'll demonstrate it first and then break it down rock step one and two five and six okay to break
this down the rock step is lead gentlemen take your right hand open the lady up and leader to
the open position with your left hand just push her open like this at this point her right foot
will go back gentlemen your left foot will go back rock step when you take that step come back
on to gentleman's right foot ladies left now here the ladies footwork is different than the man she's
gonna do a run run run and then the anchor step it looks run run run anchor step let's go with
the anchor step the anchor step is very important because what it does it sets the motion at the end
of your pattern the anchor step is a triple step both done in place it's one two three we use what
they call a modified t-anchor this is a full t-anchor this is a modified t-anchor what this
does it prevents being pulled off your foot when there's exerted pressure if I am like this it's
real easy for the lady to pull me off takes very little pressure for her to do that with a modified
t-anchor both of us can pull back have resistance that I need to lead again it looks like this rock
step run run run anchor in place that's the ladies footwork the man's footwork from the rock step
he's gonna do a triple in place anchor step okay again it looks rock step triple in place modified
t-anchor okay together it looks like this rock step three and four five and six now what we're
gonna do is put the first section and the second together that's how you get into normal dance
position triple step triple step rock step run run run anchor in place we'll do it from the other
direction triple step triple step rock step run run run anchor in place that's step two the third
step in this dance is called a sugar push I'm going to do steps one and two to get into the
correct position for the sugar push steps one and two are triple step triple step rock step run run
run anchor in place now we're in position to do the sugar push this is where West Coast swing
gets real interesting both the man and the woman have real different footwork I'll go through both
first the man the man in West Coast swing almost always leads back on step one together on step
two on step three it's going to do a point and then step forward towards the lady on four and
then modified t-anchor triple step again it looks lead one step two point three lady four five and
six the ladies footwork I lead on one steps on one steps on two now here she does a hook triple
three and four and then the t-anchor five and six on three and four we'll go over that real close one
two steps with their right left and back on four the reason she's stepping back is I'm leading it
I'll show you how that's done generally you start off with one hand position and connect on two one
two I offer the lady my hand it's her job to take that hand on three and four is where I form what
we call a wall three and four I lead her away I lead her by the resistance we have in our arms
right here the other portion of this is important is our finger and hand hold I use a C type grip
I don't grip the hands I'd have a C cup I put my hand facing towards me she puts her hand down when
I form the wall my hand pushes against hers to lead her back she actually pushes against the back
of my fingers that's how I lead again one two three four five and six do it this way one two
three four five and six once more with all three steps triple step triple step rock step run run
run anchor in place one two three four five and six that's the third step sugar push in the stance
pattern four in the west coast swing is called an underarm turn I'll first do the three steps prior
to it to get to the correct position for the underarm turn one and two three and four rock
step run run run anchor in place one two three and four five and six now we're in position to do
step four the ladies footwork is going to be just like that in the throwout the man's footwork is
very different I'll go through that now step one he leads back step two is across and forward three
and four is towards the lady four is always towards the lady in West Coast swing finish up with your
triple step or anchor in place anchor in place again it is lead on one cross on two take your
triple step three and four stepping towards the lady five and six finishes the steps from the man
the ladies footwork just your footwork now we're not we'll do the hands in a second one two run run
run anchor in place once more one two run run run anchor in place the ladies the handwork here is
very significant once count one I lead to the hand comes in front of the ladies face three and four
it should be down at her side and the lady pulls and turns on five and six again one two three and
four five and six we'll do all four patterns together one and two three and four rock step
run run run anchor in place sugar push four five and six underarm turn three and four five and six
that's step four in the West Coast swing step five is called a left side path this is where the lady
passes on the left side of the man at the end of step four we ended in open dance position first
of all we'll demonstrate it and then break it down one two three and four five and six one more
time from this side one two three and four five and six the ladies footwork is the same as step
four we will go through that in a minute I'm going to do my footwork first man again steps back lead
on one steps to his right side on two to clear the slot for the lady on three and four we're
going to do a tap step it's tap step again four is toward the lady finish with anchor in place from
this position it goes lead back on one step to the side on to tap step towards the lady five and six
is your anchor in place the ladies footwork is one two run run run anchor in place the hand positions
now are very different than step four again we start in a neutral position lead back on one step
to the side on two at this point you are not pulling on the lady ladies left hand should be
above her right hand on three and four she does her run run run tap step for the man anchor in
place again on count four the hand is down to the side creating resistance for the lady to turn one
two three and four turn five and six this is step five of the West Coast swing step six is an
underarm turn with a hand change as in step four we're going to do a regular underarm turn the
difference is on five and six the man will turn his back to the lady will demonstrate it and then
break it down one two three and four five and six this is called a forward break position because
on count one of your next step I will actually step forward here to break this down the ladies
footwork is just like in a regular underarm turn one two run run run anchor in place again gentlemen
on count four get this hand down here so the lady has resistance to turn now the man's footwork the
first part just like an underarm turn lead back on one step and cross on two three and four step
towards lady now is where it changes on five and six I change hands five and six ladies don't help
the guy find his hand he can change hands just by himself if you try to help you're gonna miss your
hands again the guy's footwork one step side three and four change five and six together looks like
this one two three and four change five and six this is the six step of West Coast swing pattern
seven of the West Coast swing is called a right side path first we will review the first six
patterns three and four five and six rock step run run run anchor in place one two three four
five and six one two three and four five and six one two three and four five and six one two three
and four five and six now we're in position to do the right side path we'll demonstrate it first
and then break it down one two three and four five and six the guy's footwork in this from
forward break position lead forward on one step to the side on two on three and four we're going
to do a tap step tap step and finish with your anchor step anchor in place from the other
direction lead forward on one step to the side on two tap step finish with your anchor in place
the lady's footwork is just like an underarm turn lead one two run run run anchor in place since
we've already changed hands in the previous step we'll need to change back here we need to change
on count three one two three and four five and six one more time from this direction one two three
and four five and six that's the seventh step in West Coast swing step eight is called a turning
basic it is the first of our whip patterns in West Coast swing a whip pattern has eight steps
in it versus six steps in the regular patterns we'll demonstrate it first and then break it down
one two three and four five six seven and eight as you can see the footwork and handwork is getting
more complicated I'll break down the man's footwork first step one is lead backwards two is to the side
just like an underarm turn three and four it's just like the underturn underarm turn again now
that five and six are turning steps step five step six on seven and eight you do your anchor step
anchor step again looks like this one two three and four step five step six seven and eight the
ladies footwork is one two here she does what they call a coaster step coaster step or step together
forward step together forward done in sequence it goes one two step together forward this is count
four at this time we're basically facing each other and step five the man steps back on his
right lady will step on her left step six six and you do your anchor step anchor step now to
accomplish this we need to connect with the lady on two and lead the coaster step on three and four
one two three and four five six seven and eight gentlemen you lead the coaster step by letting
her out and back it's not her job to do it it's your job to lead it we'll do it a couple more
times slowly one two coaster step five six seven and eight from this direction one two three and
four five six seven and eight this is step eight turning basic of the west coast swing step nine
is called a tuck turn and we're gonna do it with a tap step for both the man and the lady will
demonstrate it first and break it down rock step tap step anchor in place okay to break it down the
man's footwork is rock step three and four he's gonna do a tap step three and four on step four
you should point your foot to where you want the lady to go and anchor in place to finish it up
again rock step tap step anchor in place the ladies footwork again the rock step rock step
gentlemen you lead the tap step tap step anchor in place when I say lead it I mean two things
happen one I bring my left hand in and more important my right hand brings her left shoulder
into me that's the signal for her to do a tap step on four raise your right left hand gentlemen
let her go out and finish your steps out here looks like this rock step tap step anchor in
place in this direction rock step tap step anchor in place this is step nine of the West Coast swing
our tenth and final step in the West Coast swing is called a basic whip we will review the first
nine steps to get to this position three and four five and six rock step run run run anchor in place
one two three four five and six two three and four five and six one two three and four five and six
one two three and four five and six one two three and four five and six one two three and four five
six seven and eight one two three and four five and six you notice our hand positions at this time
what we're gonna do is just change them to our normal dance position what I recommend when you're
actually doing the dance is do an underarm turn to get your hands changed back to normal dance
position one two three and four five and six just like the turning basic the man's footwork is the
same step back on one right on two three and four turn five turn six seven and eight as in
the turning basic the ladies footwork is the same up to five and six we will stop at that point one
two three and four five six now on seven and eight I let the glade go out and finish anchor
step on seven and eight we'll do it again slowly one two three and four five six seven and eight
from this side one two three and four five six seven and eight remember ladies on three and four
you have to do your coaster step and gentlemen you lead now we'll do it to music
now that you've learned the basics
for West Coast swing remember this dance is performed on the inside portion of your dance
floor let's go out and have some fun
you