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Dances

Swingin' R's

choreographers: Rob "I" Ingenthron and Robert Roysten. January 2000
dance level: intermediate/advanced
music type: well-phrased swing music - around 200 BPM (but slower works just fine)
signature music: "Jump Jive An' Wail" - Brian Setzer Orchestra
alternate music: "Bring It On Down To My House" - Ray Benson from the Asleep At The Wheel CD "Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills", (pitch it up a little - it's a little slower)
practice music: any good big band-style swing song or old-time swinging rock (eg "Rock Around the Clock" - Bill Haley and the Comets, or
"Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash" - Huey Lewis and the News)
Comments: This is a really fun, upbeat swing dance. It has a couple of hard-to-describe sections, but you can find most any competent Lindy Swing dancer (or someone familiar with swing dance moves) to get some help. We choreographed this dance for the "Jump Jive an' Wail" song because we both really like the song and love dancing to it. Many thanks to Robert for the choreography and putting the pieces together.
The dance has two sections, and the order is ABB, ABB, ABB, etc for the whole song (which fits the phrasing for the signature song).

Section A

1 - 8 Suzie Q's (travelling heel grinds)
 1 step across (in front of) left onto right heel - toe should be pointed at 45 degrees to left. The left foot should remain in
line with right foot and behind it. (Feet stay in 4th foot position throughout this section.)
2 keeping weight on right heel and keeping the left foot inline behind the right foot, swivel on the right heel so that the
left foot moves to the left, stays in line with the right and the right toe is now pointing 45 degrees to the right.
3 (repeat count 1)
4 (repeat count 2)
5 (repeat count 1)
6 (repeat count 2)
7 (repeat count 1)
8 (repeat count 2)

9- 16 Tap Steps
 1 rock forward onto right
2 rock back onto left
3 brush right foot forward quickly (on spot where you rocked)
& step down on right foot (somewhere close to the left foot)
4 step on left (somewhere next to right foot).
5 rock forward onto right
6 rock back onto left
7 brush right foot forward quickly (on spot where you rocked)
& step down on right foot (somewhere close to the left foot)
8 step on left (somewhere next to right foot).

17 - 24 Lindy or Charleston Kicks
 1 right-kick forward with right foot
2 bring right foot back next to left (without stepping or touching the ground) to start 1/2 turn to right on left
3 finishing the 1/2 turn, right-kick forward with right foot
4 step right foot next to left
5 left-kick with left foot
6 bring left foot back next to right (without stepping or touching the ground) to start 1/2 turn to left on right
7 finishing the 1/2 turn, left-kick forward with left foot
8 step on left next to right

25 - 32 Kicks, Vine (moving back a little)
 1 small kick to right with right foot (keep toe pointed to right)
2 step with right crossing behind left to start vine moving to left (and moving back a little)
3 step to left with left
4 step with right crossing over (in front of) left moving to left
5 small kick to left with left foot (keep toe pointed to left)
6 step with left foot crossing behind right to start vine moving to right (and moving back a little)
7 step to right with right (moving back a little)
8 step with left crossing over (in front of) right moving to right (moving back a little)

33 - 40 half-time Box Step (with a slight added bounce with the beat)
 1 Cross right foot over left (weight ends on right)
2 hold
3 Step back on left foot
4 hold
5 step to right on right foot
6 hold
7 Step forward on left foot

41 - 48 Boogie Walks *
 8 small kick out to right with right foot (keep leg straight - foot pointed to right)
&1 step right next to left, small step forward with left. (right knee should be bent behind left -
weight should be on outside edge of left foot.
2 small step forward with right - weight should be on outside edge of right foot.
3 small step forward with left weight should be on outside of left foot.
4-7 (repeat counts 8-3.)
8 small step forward with right.

Section B

49 - 56 Savoys (or Charlestons as an alternative)
 1 big kick forward with left (not above waist) "bouncing" very slightly on the right foot at the same time.
2 step down on left foot next to right foot (continuing the "bouncing" movement with the beat).
3 big kick forward with right foot (not above waist).
4 move right leg next to left but don't place the foot down.
5 Kick right foot back.
6 hook right behind left and lift left up at the same time (like skipping).
7 start to bring the left leg from in front of you to behind you. (Should be a slightly rounded movement.)
8 Touch the left toe back.

57 - 64 Savoys
 1-8 (repeat)

65 - 72 Shuffle Claps - forward, clap, back, clap, forward, forward, forward, clap
 &1 keeping feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent, hop forward with the left foot on & and the right foot on 1
2 clap
&3 keeping feet apart and knees bent, hop backward with the right foot on & and the left foot on 3
4 clap
&5&6&7 keeping feet apart and knees bent, hop forward as right left (&5) right left (&6) right left (&7)
8 clap

73 - 80 Shuffle Claps - backward, clap, forward, clap, back, back, back, clap
 &1 keeping feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent, hop backward with right foot on & and the left foot on 1
2 clap
&3 keeping feet apart and knees bent, hop forward with the right foot on & and the left foot on 3.
4 clap
&5&6&7 keeping feet apart and knees bent, hop backward as right left (&5) right left (&6) right left (&7)
8 clap

81 - 84 Move to the Right (one-foot shuffle)
 1-3 keeping the left foot planted, for 1 2 3 place the foot to the right, moving progressively to the right.
(Each placement travels further and further, so the movements should be small.)
4 hold
85 - 88 Move to the Left (one-foot shuffle)
5-7 keeping the right foot planted, for 1 2 3 place the foot to the right, moving progressively to the right.
(Each placement travels further and further, so the movements should be small.)
8 hold

89 - 92 Pigeon Head
 1& from the current position, do not move feet. For count 1, "bob" the head forward using the neck, on the &, move the
head back. (the head should be up the entire time, only moving forward and back)
2& repeat
3 "bob" the head forward using the neck
4 hold

93 - 96 Swivel Walk to Hit (end on opposite wall)
 5 starting a turn to the left, step on right foot with toe pointed out.
6 continuing turn, step on left foot with toe pointed out
7 finish turn by stepping onto right foot (in Vaudeville or tap dance fashion) so that the weight is completely on the right
foot and the left leg is raised off the floor behind you and your arms are out. (You should be leaning forward a little.)
8 hold

Repeat Section B (almost!)

49 – 96 (Restart from Savoys, but end with "Pimp Walk" instead of the "Pigeon Head" move and the "Swivel Walk", ending on opposite wall)

89-96 "Pimp" Walk
 1 bending knees a little and bending over a little for style, step right so that right foot points forward, swing right arm
back (kind of far behind you)
2 hold steps, but click fingers (right hand)
3 staying with the "swingin'" bent over styling, step left foot so that left is 1/4 turn to left, swinging right arm to be in
front of you
4 click fingers while holding steps
5 step right somewhere near the left, swing right arm back
6 click fingers while holding steps
7 step left foot so that left is 1/4 turn to the left (starting line of dance), swinging the right arm forward
8 click the fingers while holding steps.

This last 8-count section should be done with a little "bounce" to look cool, like the "Zoot Suits" of old… ?

Start the Dance from Section A Again!!

Hitting the breaks on counts 32 and 37 when using "Jump Jive an' Wail":

You'll be doing the "Move to the Right" section and the "Move to the Left" section. The easiest way to accent this is to do one foot movement to the right then hold two more counts for the break, then one foot movement to the left then hold for two more counts for the break, then continue with the "Pigeon Head" section. You will be basically doing the above sections minus two foot movements on each side. This only happens once late in the song. It's no big deal if you don't do it - it's just accenting the music. You can also occasionally hold on the tap step section, skipping the scuffing part for a little different style throughout the dance. Have fun with it!!!