| When should the male dancer begin to lead his | | | | the terms are music timing (or tempo) and footwork |
| partner into her six-count or eight-count footwork | | | | rhythms (or steps) but not vice versa! |
| once the swing music begins? The answer is that he | | | | The "time signatures" of different music styles tell |
| should begin leading her on any of the song's | | | | dancers how many beats there are to a measure, |
| downbeats; that is, on the "1" count, the "3" count, | | | | and which note represents that beat. Swing music |
| the "5" count or the "7" count. These "base beats" | | | | uses 4/4 timing; that is, there are 4 beats to a |
| are the backbone or pulse of a song! You don't need | | | | measure (4/4) and the quarter note gets the beat (4 |
| to be a trained musician to understand a song's | | | | 4). For example, on the 1 and 2 count of your |
| tempo (or timing), just listen to music and pick out | | | | six-count, triple step footwork, the "1" is an eighth |
| the rhythm section (drums, bass, guitar or piano). | | | | note (or a half-beat) and the "and of 1" is an eighth |
| To take the pulse of the song and determine its | | | | note (or a half-beat). Together they add up to a |
| number of beats per minute (BPM), count these | | | | quarter note or 1 beat; and the "2" count is a quarter |
| downbeats for fifteen seconds and then multiply by | | | | note or 1 beat. On the 3 and 4 count, the "3" is an |
| four. Very slow swing songs have around 70 BPM | | | | eighth note (or a half-beat), and the "and of 3" is an |
| and very fast ones have upwards of 200 BPM. The | | | | eighth note (or a half-beat). Together they add up to |
| swing songs that I personally enjoy dancing to the | | | | a quarter note or 1 beat; and the "4" count is a |
| most, average about 125 BPM which coincidentally | | | | quarter note or 1 beat. These 2 beats bring the |
| approximates my optimum cardio-training heart rate | | | | cumulative total up to 4 beats or one measure. |
| when I exercise. Notice that these downbeats differ | | | | Finally, on the 5 - 6 breakstep, the "5" count is a |
| from the upbeats that occur on the "2" count, the | | | | quarter note (or 1 beat) and the "6" count is a |
| "4" count, the "6" count or the "8" count. In the St. | | | | quarter note (or 1 beat). These final two 2 counts |
| Louis Imperial style East Coast Swing, we begin | | | | bring the total up to six beats or one and a half |
| stepping on any of the music's downbeats; however, | | | | measures. To summarize this footwork count, |
| this is not true of all styles of dance. In the Cha-Cha, | | | | dancers take eight steps in six beats of the music. |
| for instance, dancers begin stepping after any of the | | | | The 1st and 3rd beats are the downbeats (or base |
| music's upbeats. | | | | beats) and the 2nd and 4th beats are the upbeats. In |
| Beats per minute became common terminology in | | | | East Coast Swing the accents* are on the 1st and |
| popular music during the disco era because of its | | | | 3rd beats (counts); however, in West Coast Swing |
| usefulness to DJs; and it remains important in dance | | | | the accents are on the 2nd and 4th beats. Good |
| music today because both our style of dance and | | | | dancers let the music tell them what to do with their |
| our footwork rhythms are determined by the tempo | | | | feet. If they begin their footwork on any of the |
| of the music! The original or classic style of Imperial | | | | song's downbeats, and then end it on the sixth (or |
| Swing, which is danced "in the round," is performed | | | | eighth) beat, then they are dancing in time with the |
| to music with a faster tempo (130-185 BPM) using | | | | music and finishing their steps when they are |
| primarily the slower single step and double step | | | | supposed to. As Skippy Blair, the renowned swing |
| footwork rhythms. Today's contemporary style of | | | | dance teacher, author and recipient of the California |
| Imperial Swing, which is danced within a slot, is a | | | | Swing Dance Hall of Fame Award, tells her students: |
| combination of both East Coast Swing (135-175 BPM) | | | | "please don't tell me how long to hold the beat; just |
| and West Coast Swing (75-115 BPM). Dancers | | | | tell me what the count is, so I can place my feet! |
| perform this popular, "slot-bop" hybrid to music with a | | | | *Note: Skippy Blair's: "Elements of Music and Timing" |
| slower tempo (100-135 BPM), and they use primarily | | | | defines an accent as a firm sound or move on one |
| the faster, triple step footwork rhythms. Remember, | | | | particular note or count. |