Trpl Step Swing

Triple Step Swing, aka East Coast Swing, aka Jitterbug.
  • Refer to the "Counting Chart" at the bottom of the Single Step page.

List of Patterns:

 These are just a FEW patterns that we know.  You can find lots more on Youtube.

  • 1a.  Basic step - Closed Position
  • 1a.  Basic step - Open Position, 2 hand connection
  • 1a.  Basic step - Open Position, 1 hand connection
  • 2. Woman's Outside Turn (R)
  • 3. Woman's Inside Turn (L)
  • 5. Woman's Inside Turn - w/arm slide down M's L arm
  • 6. Wrap aka Cuddle aka Sweetheart (Like inside turn, but don't let go of right hand)
  • 7. Neck slide (from the 2/27 Bill Spott's lesson)
  • 8. Man's Left Underarm Turn (2 ways to do hands)
  • 8. Double-handed turn (can go either way, probably easier to start w/inside turn)
  • ~~~~~~~~
  • She Go-He Go: Woman's L inside turn, the M's L underarm turn
  • She Go-He Go R: Woman's L inside turn, then M's R underarm turn
  • She Go-He Go Simultaneous: Woman's L inside turn, the M's L underarm turn
  • Tuck & Freespin
  • Drape
  • W's R turn to hammerlock, unwind L turn (optional M's underarm turn)
  • Hustle Move
Technical - How They Count The Steps:

  • You're taking 8 steps -- using 6 beats of music.
  • If you count the beats, it's technically "1&2, 3&4, 5-6" or alternately "1&2, 3&4, rock-step".
  • More commonly, it's counted "Left-tri-ple, Right-tri-ple, rock-step" (or "Tri-ple-Left, Tri-ple Right, rock-step") . . . . . or just "Tri-ple-Step, Tri-ple Step, rock-step" which is how we count it most of the time.
  • Some count the steps rather than the beats.  Then it's "123 456 7-8" or "123 456, rock-step".
  • Note some instructors start on the rock step; see the notes below for Videos 1H, 1I, & 1J.



Following below are some patterns, and related videos.



1. Basic Step  (side step first)

VIDEO 1A:
  • Joe Baker:  Learn to Dance East Coast Swing (4:47)
  • Good OVERVIEW of everything about the Basic step.
  • He counts "1&2, 3&4, rock step"; same way we were taught. 
  • Note you're taking 8 steps -- using 6 beats of music (1&2, 3&4, 5-6).
  • Note the music in his dance demo at the beginning is about 142 beats per minute (bpm).  We have practice music ranging from 100 to 142 bpm.
  • http://youtube.com/watch?v=JcrpzSmaZcI
VIDEO 1B:
VIDEO 1C:
VIDEO 1D:
  • Trudie Olsen [Swing Dancing] East Coast Swing Steps for Beginning Ballroom Dancing  (2:05)
  • She starts explaining the triple-step at about 1:00.  She does a good job of explaining the count for both Single Step Swing and Triple Step East Coast Swing
  •  http://youtube.com/watch?v=iTrz76bG-Jc

VIDEO 1E:
VIDEO 1F:
VIDEO 1G:


1b. Basic Step  (rock step first)
  • These instructors start with the rock step first, instead of the side step 
  • (This is an alternate way of doing it.  It's the same dance, once you "get rolling.)
  • All their comments are useful.

VIDEO 1H:
VIDEO 1I:
VIDEO 1J:
  • CharmCitySwing: Swing dancing basics, Part 8: Adding triple steps (5:07)
  • Another good explanation of difference between triple step and single step
  • Count used is "rock-step, tri-ple-step, tri-ple-step.
  • http://youtube.com/watch?v=ujbxcM8W-z8




2. Routines:

VIDEO 2a:

VIDEO 2b:
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1. Basic - Closed position   (0:25 & 3:00)
2. Woman's outside turn  (3:20)
3. Woman's inside turn   (4:15)
4. Basic - Open position  (4:25)
5. Woman's wrap  (4:40)
  • (like inside turn, but keep both hands connected)
6. Man's outside turn (under his L arm)  (5:00)