Live, acousic, and rare versions:Coldplay - YellowMaroon 5 - Harder To BreatheSeether - BrokenSwitchfoot - Dare You To MoveR.E.M. - Loosing My ReligionSaliva - AlwaysJason Mraz - Curbside ProphetSister Hazel - Your MistakeSouth FM - Dear ClaudiaPete Yorn - For NancyEve 6 - Inside OutCLOSED POSITION AND SLOT: St. Louis Imperial Swing is a "mirror pattern" style of dance. The male dancer and his partner begin their basic step footwork together in the closed position standing at about a 45 degree angle to each other in a mirror opposite stance. In this "V" position, both the angle of their bodies and the bow of their arms in front of them form the letter "V." The male dancer holds his partner's right hand in the "cupped" fingers of his left hand without any thumb pressure; his right hand is centered on her upper back, and his right upper arm is angled downward with his partner's left arm resting on top of it. The female dancer leans back against her partner's right hand and she positions the palm of her left hand lightly on the top of his right shoulder with her fingers draped forward. These body connections establish the "frame" within which the male dancer leads his partner.
Both dancers should stand up straight with their diaphragms raised; center their weight on the balls of their feet, not on their heels; avoid leaning forward and maintain eye contact with their partner while they dance (see my article titled: "Dancing Centered"). The male dancer leads his partner within a rectangular dance space that is called a slot. He orients this "line of dance" to two of the four walls of the room by the position of his closed position stance on the dance floor. The slot is often referred to as a railroad track and its sides are called "rails." The breadth of the male dancer's shoulders approximates the width of the slot and the distance to his partner in front of him, when both of their arms are fully extended, approximates its length. The female dancer has the undisputed right-of-way on this track, and it is jokingly said that: "when she gets the gravel then her partner gets the steel or they aren't tracking properly, and he will get run over."
BASIC STEP (TRIPLE STEP FOOTWORK): When dancers perform their basic footwork, they use triple step footwork rhythm; i.e., they take three steps for every two beats of the music. This footwork count is: 1 and 2 (first triple step), 3 and 4 (second triple step), 5 - 6 (rockstep). Dancers take three smooth (not bouncy) steps forward on the 1 and 2 count always keeping their feet in the "chase position"; i.e., with their lead foot (or outside foot) ahead of their other foot. The male dancer keeps his left foot ahead of his right foot and his partner keeps her right foot ahead of her left foot.
The first step that both dancers take on the "1" count creates the distance between their feet that keeps their weight from becoming centered over both of their feet at the same time and confusing their balance.*1 Their second step, on the "and of 1" count, is an accelerated, "scoot" step which is followed by their third forward step on the "2" count. On 3 and 4 count, both dancers take three smooth steps backwards, and again, they keep their lead foot ahead of their other foot in the "chase position." On the 5 - 6 count rockstep, both dancers step back onto the "ball" of their lead foot keeping their heels from touching the floor, and then they rock forward onto their other foot. Notice that this rockstep (or breakstep) is the only time when either dancer's lead foot moves behind his or her non-lead foot!*2
*Note 1: Proper foot separation enables dancers to shift their weight from foot to foot and avoid "double stepping!" This weight shift cues them on how to execute their next step.
*Note 2: Because the male dancer leads his partner into her rockstep with a "push-pull" movement of his left arm as he rocks backwards and forwards, this rockstep is known as a resistance rockstep." The terms rockstep and breakstep are not always interchangeable. A rockstep is just one of over ten different breakstep footwork options.
THE 1 AND 2 COUNT: On the "1" count of the first triple step, the male dancer steps forward with his left foot so that the heel of his shoe is never more than a few inches ahead of the toe of his right shoe.* On the "and" count (called the "and of 1"), he scoots his right foot forward to just behind the instep of his left foot, and on the "2" count, he steps forward again with his left foot. The male dancer should stand up straight, keep his knees bent slightly, and keep his weight centered over the balls of his left foot. The 1 and 2 count is usually where the dancers either "travel" or execute their turns into the open position.
THE 3 AND 4 COUNT: On the "3" count of the second triple step, the male dancer steps back with his right foot no more than a few inches behind the heel of his left shoe.*3 On the "and" count (called the "and of 3"), he scoots his left foot back so that his instep is just ahead of the toe of his right shoe and on the "4" count, he steps back again with his right foot behind the heel of his left shoe. The male dancer should stand up straight, keep his knees bent slightly, and keep his weight centered over the balls of his right foot. The 3 and 4 count is usually where dancers either return to the slot (after "traveling" or turning on the 1 and 2 count), or where experienced dancers generally stylize their moves.
*Note 3: Small steps are not only stylish but also necessary because the faster beat of swing music does not allow time for the dancers to take large steps. The female dancer mirrors her partner's footwork and she always steps forward with her opposite (right) foot.
THE 5 - 6 COUNT ROCKSTEP: On the "5" count, the male dancer steps straight back with his left foot (behind the heel of his right foot) and he shifts his weight (or rocks) onto the toes of his left foot momentarily. Simultaneously, he uses the resistance of his partner's right arm to "open her up" by rotating her clockwise about a quarter turn; he does not lead this "resistance rockstep" by pushing her away from him! On the "6" count, he shifts his weight forward and he rocks onto his right foot as he pulls her back around towards him.
IT DEPENDS UPON WHAT "IS" IS! Or, so it goes in "Clintonesque" national politics; however, in the local world of St. Louis Imperial Swing, a dancer's footwork rhythm depends upon what "and" is! Just because new dancers can step through their basic footwork counts of 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 - 6, does not mean that they can actually dance these eight steps to six beats of the music! To swing dance they have to learn what "and" is; i.e., when they have to shift their weight. They have to learn that every one of the eight steps they take when they perform their six-count footwork involves a weight change, and the "and" is that very specific point between the first two triple step counts of 1 and 2, 3 and 4, where they have to momentarily shift their weight to their other foot. In other words, "and" is a connector or syncopation between beats, that takes place on the "and of 1" and on the "and of 3" that delineates where these "transitional" weight changes take place. The only way that dancers can take eight steps in six beats of the music is for them to mentally verbalize and execute their footwork as follows: "1 and" (1st beat), "2" (2nd beat), "3 and" (3rd beat), "4" (4th beat), "5" (5th beat), "6" (6th beat).
WEIGHT CHANGES VERSUS WEIGHT VALUES: Although dancers take 8 steps (make 8 weight changes) in triple step swing, they have only three weight values while executing their footwork. On the 1 and 2 count, the male dancer makes 3 weight changes (left-right-left) but he has only one weight value (or bias) that is on his left foot. On the 3 and 4 count, he makes another three weight changes (right-left-right) but again, he has only one weight value on his right foot. To dance with more lilt and balance, the male dancer must keep his "center" over his foot with the weight bias. Finally, on the 5 - 6 count, although he makes 2 weight changes (left-right), he has only one weight value because his two-step rockstep (or breakstep) is counted as only one.
THE 1 AND 2 COUNT: When the male dancer steps forward with his left foot, his right foot and then his left foot again, he makes three weight changes but he has only a single weight value (or bias) on his left foot. On the "and of 1"; i.e., the "and" of this first triple step count, the male dancer's "transitional weight" is momentarily on his right foot so that he is able to step forward again with his left foot, but his weight value remains on his left foot and he should adjust his posture and weight to favor (or bias) his left foot!
THE 3 AND 4 COUNT: When the male dancer steps backwards with his right foot, his left foot and then his right foot again, he makes three weight changes, but he has only a single weight value (or bias) on his right foot. On the "and of 3"; i.e., the "and" of this second triple step count, the male dancer's "transitional weight" is momentarily on his left foot so that he is able to step backwards again with his right foot, but his weight value remains on his right foot and he should adjust his posture and weight to favor (or bias) his right foot.
THE 5 - 6 COUNT ROCKSTEP: When the male dancer steps backwards with his left foot and then rocks forward onto his right foot, his weight value is "left-right" because he shifts his weight from his left foot to his right foot. There are only three weight values in triple step footwork because the breakstep, which has two quick weight changes (left foot to right foot), is considered as a single weight value (L-R). The faster the music's tempo the quicker these weight changes become.
Now that you have read this detailed article, consider the insightful words of Jan Altman (Dance Director of the St. Louis Imperial Swing Club): "You can choose to make dancing as easy or as challenging as you want; however, the easier that you make it, the harder it is for you to become very good at it."
Copyright 2008 Skip Culver, Certified Swing Instructor. Member of the St. Louis West County Swing Dance Club and author of the manual: Imperial Swing Dancing - http://www.ImperialSwing.com
Henry H. "Skip" Culver, Jr. is a member of the West County Swing Dance Club in St. Louis Missouri. He is a Gold Seal Instrument Flight Instructor and the author of the bestselling book on navigation titled: IFR 'Pocket Simulator' Procedures that was selected as the Main Selection of the Jeppesen Aviation Book Club. In 2000 Skip turned his attention from aviation towards the dance floor. He became a Certified Swing Dance Instructor in 2004, and then with over seven years of detailed notes from various classes and workshops in hand, he began assembling the Imperial Swing Dancing manual which he published in June of 2007. Skip is a frequent contributor of articles on swing dancing to different club newsletters throughout the United States.
visit: http://www.ImperialSwing.com
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