Jive Technique: American Spin

[la morena]

Hey, newbie question again! (even though I'm not that new!)

Anyone got any tips on how to do the American Spin? Specifically arms and being able to do it faster (or appear to).

Thank you!

[latingal]

mmm...as for doing or appearing to do the spin in an american spin faster, spot and make sure you get aligned over the standing leg before turning. Use opposition in the body to prepare and initiate the turn.

[DancingJools]

Extend your left arm out (with the left side of your body opening up, not just the arm) as you step on your right foot, in preparation for the turn. This helps torque your body and gives extra momentum to spin. To initiate the spin, bring your left arm in and use that momentum, created by "wrapping" in your arm and your left side. Don't forget to "wrap" your hips also.
Speed comes with practice. It also comes (surprise) form being on time with the music. I think that keeping your spine straight and your head up are more important for clean spins than worrying about speed. Spotting helps make the spin look sharper and more solid.

[MissBallroomBear]

Hey la morena,

The American Spin gave me heaps of trouble when I first learnt it. DJ and LG have given really good advice. You can also use your partner to push yourself around. When you're about to spin, push off from your partners hand. Also, try to get a firm push off from the foot you are not spinning on. If you add this to what the others have said then you should be right. However, I'm going to be a pain-in-the-neck and say, it takes practice!

Hope this was of some assistance.

[biggestbox]

Extend your left arm out (with the left side of your body opening up, not just the arm) as you step on your right foot, in preparation for the turn. This helps torque your body and gives extra momentum to spin. To initiate the spin, bring your left arm in and use that momentum, created by "wrapping" in your arm and your left side. Don't forget to "wrap" your hips also.
Speed comes with practice. It also comes (surprise) form being on time with the music. I think that keeping your spine straight and your head up are more important for clean spins than worrying about speed. Spotting helps make the spin look sharper and more solid.

Be careful with this technique. "whipping" your arms around can help in the beginning, but you might not learn balanced turning. Later, you will be ask to do two or even three turns and if you try to whip your arms, this will be simply impossible. Clean spins are much much more important than speed.

[mamboqueen]

I find that turning the upper part of my body more towards his right side helps me generate the "wind up" for the turn to get around fast.

[biggestbox]

yes but that is a different thing. You are supposed to turn your right side to the man (jive is a rotational dance after all) but that should not help your turning technique.

[delamusica]

Gotta say I disagree with DancingJools - I used to use my arms for spinning, and had to spend a lot of time un-learning it as I advanced.

Speed in spinning comes from the feet, legs, and core, not from tossing your arms around.

[biggestbox]

Gotta say I disagree with DancingJools - I used to use my arms for spinning, and had to spend a lot of time un-learning it as I advanced.

Speed in spinning comes from the feet, legs, and core, not from tossing your arms around.

agreed

[and123]

I don't want to speak for DancingJools, but I think she was attempting to describe how to create wind-up and torque to the OP, not necessarily encourage her to throw her arms around. Plus she did ask about what to do with her arms, so Jools kinda killed 2 birds with 1 stone :cool:

[delamusica]

To initiate the spin, bring your left arm in and use that momentum


This was the problematic bit for me, perhaps I should have been more specific. If you're generating momentum from your arm, something is amiss.

[delamusica]

Do agree, though, that you should allow your arms to wrap around the body as it spins.

[DancingJools]

I don't want to speak for DancingJools, but I think she was attempting to describe how to create wind-up and torque to the OP, not necessarily encourage her to throw her arms around. Plus she did ask about what to do with her arms, so Jools kinda killed 2 birds with 1 stone :cool:
Thank you. Yes, that is what I was doing.
No, you don't turn by moving your arms, but you do need to place them correctly, first out, then in. The "wrapping" I referred to was to avoid a tendency by many beginning dancers to wobble as they turn. I find the suggestion of "wrapping" helps keep the turn tight.

[Josh]

Thank you. Yes, that is what I was doing.
No, you don't turn by moving your arms, but you do need to place them correctly, first out, then in. The "wrapping" I referred to was to avoid a tendency by many beginning dancers to wobble as they turn. I find the suggestion of "wrapping" helps keep the turn tight.

I understand what you mean DJ.

It's important though to realize that the arms are simply an extension of the torso as far as turns go. In other words, if the arms alone prep for a turn then nothing will happen--the torso itself must rotate to the left for the preparation for the turn. In fact, if you try this spin with your arms to the side and rotate your entire torso a bit to the left, then it should feel natural.

As for the original question, keep in mind the slight up and down action in the jive chasse:

'a' - up
'one' - down
'a' - up
'two' - down a little more

(please remember the action is slight and should not feel too bouncy, as the hips must move and will absorb much of this)

When you turn on the 'two' the pressure down into the floor should give you a great amount of ground connection to turn against. Trying to do this turn without this basic characteristic of jive will result in a flat, static, non-sharp turn. So as you go into your 'two', be sure that you're really placing the feet on the floor, with good pressure into the floor, and NOT sliding them into place. Place the foot with good ankle articulation with a nice bend into the knee, and turn against this grounded connection, and with practice you will come out with a great turn. Be sure that you don't turn until your weight is over the foot, although the slight preparation to the left will happen before the weight transfer.

And as always spotting will not increase the speed of the turn, but will make it appear faster, which is all you should care about anyway.

[ACtenDance]

As for the original question, keep in mind the slight up and down action in the jive chasse:

'a' - up
'one' - down
'a' - up
'two' - down a little more

(please remember the action is slight and should not feel too bouncy, as the hips must move and will absorb much of this)


My preferred method of for describing Jive action is split in two categories: foot action, bounce action. (3 categories if you count hip action)

Foot action. This is simple. This is the timing the technique books describe. 1 2 1a2 1a2. "1 2" describes a rocking action. "1a2" describes the chasse actions.

Bounce action. Similar to Samba (that's why Jive and Samba are typically grouped in bronze competition). On all beats you are into your knees, and on all "and's" you are "up". So counting the bounce action is simple, "1&2&1&2&1&2&...". This bouncing action is less pronounced on the 1st step of a chasse and between the 1st and 2nd steps of a chasse.

To get back to the original question, in pretty much all of the syllabus Jive figures, you're going to "spin" on an &. In the american spin, the spin occurs as you're straightening your knee between chasses.