Double time swing

[Spitfire]

I don't know if it's used much, but there is a double time variation of single and triple step swing. I don't know anyone who dances this style and I have never done so. Does anyone here ever do so?

[pygmalion]

Ha! I do double swing virtually all the tine. Touch-step fits in for single swing or triple swing almost all the time, and it looks a lot cooler. A lot easier to fit swivels into double swing than triple swing. The cool thing is that leader and follower don't necessarily have to be dancing to the same timing. I do double swing all the time, with single or triple leaders. Many of them find double too difficult to count. *shrug*

[smoothdancingirl]

I love to do double time swing. It's what I do all the time when I feel like doing a lazy tripple swing. The timing I believe is the same as the kick-step pattern in the lindy hop. :)

[Porfirio Landeros]

Buddy Schwimmer (swing authority on the ballroom circuit) would get a kick out of this topic, since in his words, there is no such thing as double-time swing, since the timing of the music is always the same... you're just doing tap-step instead of triple-step, but it's still honoring triple-time.

I paid particular attention to this because I am frequent tap-stepper on the left part of my basic, then I triple on the right half before my rock step... all of this is East Coast swing, of course.

Incidently, he also said I was doing Jive, when I had never had a Jive lesson, but that's because studios and teachers have mixed the styles... but that's a different topic.

Hey, we all know what we mean, but I just thought I'd pass Buddy's opinion along ;)

[SwinginBoo]

I almost rarely triple step....I'm not sure why. I guess it depends on the tempo of the song, or maybe I'm just lazy. :lol:

[Sagitta]

I have seen a lot of people do all three variations - single/double and triple. I actually learnt double time as that was a university class and I'm sure it was taught so that people could start dancing faster. However, most teachers do the basic with the triple step. It works well as the triple step is also part of the WCS and lindy basics...

I do it all -- double/triple/single...It really depends on the song and my partner. I do kick-step/ touch-step, and sometimes I don't even do any steps at all!!!! I start with the rock-step, or end with the rock step, as part of the 6 count basic. As long as you work within the framework of the music and your partner... I was teaching my friends at the dance party tonight how to work the music this way. While doing this I think I figured out how to incorporate balboa into the ECS. It was pretty cool 8) Would be difficult to do this with the triple step. Start with rock step, then do step, step, kick-step, kick-step. Then step step...

(The one dance I am confident enough to really play with it and share my love of dance :bouncy: I even danced as a follower for the first time tonight. It was fun as I started getting used to it.)

[Spitfire]

Perhaps double step is more common then I thought. :?

I have never been in a class where it was taught and as far as I know no one that I know uses it.

The only thing like this commonly used that I know about is the C&W rhythm two step which uses that same side together sequence followed by two steps forward.

[pygmalion]

Don't know why I didn't think of this yesterday. I always use the triple step when I need to travel, and generally use the touch step when I'm going to be relatively stationery.

[Christina75]

I realize this is an old thread but I'm new and I thought I'd speak up anyway. Here in the south, our swing dancing tends to take a on "rockabilly" style. It's really fast and I'm wondering if that's what you are talking about when you say "double time"? :?

Christina

[Spitfire]

I realize this is an old thread but I'm new and I thought I'd speak up anyway. Here in the south, our swing dancing tends to take a on "rockabilly" style. It's really fast and I'm wondering if that's what you are talking about when you say "double time"? :?

Christina

Welcome Christina. :D

With really fast music single time is used. I think double time is for music that's not quite fast enough for single time, but a little fast for triple step and as I say I don't think it's used much here.

[Christina75]

sort of like 33 1/3, instead of 45 or 78? :D

Christina

[Spitfire]

sort of like 33 1/3, instead of 45 or 78? :D

Christina

Yeah, something like that. :)

BTW - my family lived briefly in Huntsville when I was 6 years old. My dad was employed at the Redstone Arsenal. Are you in that area?

[Christina75]

I'm a few hours south of Huntsville. Middle of nowhere called Anniston. :roll:

[d nice]

The tempo of the music has (or at least should have) no bearing on wether you are doing single step, step-touch, or triple step ECS. If you can't triple step during fast music you have a problem in your body movement.

Single-step, double-time, and triple-step ECS all use the same six count timing, it is just up to the person whether they are stepping once, twice (really a step touch) or three times in the same two beat unit of time.

Jenn pointed out that she triples when she travels. Step-stepping or step-touching, while traveling, particularly far distances or at fast tempos is harder not easier.

[Hank]

Until I read this thread, I had no idea that anyone thought there were 3 different types of ECS: single time, double time, and triple time. I always thought that on 1+2 or 3+4 I could do a step, a tap step, a triple step, a knee pop, a hip bump, or any syncopation as long as I keep leading and don't disturb the connection. I frequently intermix all of these things within the same measure.

[d nice]

And you would be correct Hank.