Jitterbug Stroll
Chorégraphe:
Ryan Francois (UK)
Musique:
Woodchopper's Ball
This is a popular swing line dance that originated as a tap dance back in the 1930s, as a follow-up to Shim Sham. It is still being enjoyed by people all around the world. The song by Steve Mitchell is the best for people new to the dance, because it calls out the dance moves before you do them. Each 48-count phrase in this dance has a basic structure that consists of X-X-X-turn-X-break where the 'X' is a step that changes from phrase to phrase. Beware the rather difficult transitions in and out of the slow pivot turns (which starts on beat 1 and ends on 7, whereas the moves that surround it start on 8)PART 1: BOOGIE WOOGIE BOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD (X3)&8Right-left ball change stepping forward&1Right-left ball change stepping forward (leaning back)2Clap&3Right-left ball change stepping back (back into get down)4-5Sweep right leg forward to right6-7Sweep left leg forward to left&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts 8Clap or clickSLOW PIVOT TURNS1-2Step forward on right foot, hold3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold5-6Step forward on right foot, hold7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left footBOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this sectionTAP BREAK8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot1Tap your left foot behind your right2Step back down on your left3&Hold, lift right knee up4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up5Step back with left foot6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left7Step on left foot beside right footPART 2: SHORTY GEORGE KNEE SLAPS (X3)8Hitch right knee up & slap1Step right foot next to left foot2Hitch left knee up & slap3Step left foot next to right foot4Kick right foot out to right side, shifting hips to right, raising left heel up so that you are up on the ball of the left foot&Step together with right foot5Step forward on ball of left foot. You are now on the balls of both feet. Bend both knees and shift both knees to the left side, hips are shifted left also. This is a "boogie walk" or "Shorty George" from the vaudeville days6Step forward on ball of right foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees & hips right)7Step forward on ball of left foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees and hips left)&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts 8Clap or clickSLOW PIVOT TURNS1-2Step forward on right foot, hold3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold5-6Step forward on right foot, hold7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left footKNEE SLAPS&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this sectionTAP BREAK8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot1Tap your left foot behind your right2Step back down on your left3&Hold, lift right knee up4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up5Step back with left foot6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left7Step on left foot beside right footPART 3: SUZY Q SUZY Q LEFTWARDS8Step right foot across left foot1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times&Step on ball of right footSUZY Q RIGHTWARDS8Step left foot across right foot1Rise onto the heel of left foot and step the right foot to the right, landing on the ball of the right foot2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times&Step on ball of left footSUZY Q LEFTWARDS8Step right foot across left foot1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more timesSLOW PIVOT TURNS1-2Step forward on right foot, hold3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold5-6Step forward on right foot, hold7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left footSUZY Q LEFTWARDS8Step right foot across left foot1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more timesTAP BREAK8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot1Tap your left foot behind your right2Step back down on your left3&Hold, lift right knee up4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up5Step back with left foot6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left7Step on left foot beside right footPART 4: BOOGIE BACK, TICK TOCKS This is the version usually danced in Edinburgh. There is another, in which, there is only one tick-tock following the Boogies Back, and it therefore takes place at half the speed (Boogie back, Boogie back, t-i-c-k, t-o-c-k). This creates a nice break of pace RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right2&3Repeat 8&14Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)6-7Repeat 4-5LEFT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK8Kick out with your left foot and clap at the same time&1Step back with your left foot, step right foot next to left2&3Repeat 8&14Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to left5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the left on right heel and left toe as you return to center)6-7Repeat 4-5RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right2&3Repeat 8&14Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)6-7Repeat 4-5 8Clap or clickSLOW PIVOT TURNS1-2Step forward on right foot, hold3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold5-6Step forward on right foot, hold7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left footRIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right2&3Repeat 8&14Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)6-7Repeat 4-5TAP BREAK8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot1Tap your left foot behind your right2Step back down on your left3&Hold, lift right knee up4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up5Step back with left foot6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left7Step on left foot beside right foot