The Basic Savoy Charleston

The Savoy Charleston is a variation of the Carolina Charleston of the early 20s, and is the basis of Chareleston-derived figures in Lindy Hop. It is a simple figure, which can be performed with or without a partner, but underlying its simplicity are several different rhythms each of which echoes a different rhythm in the music. Dancing the figure will be explained further down the page; this section deals with rhythm, because it is much easier to dance the figure when you understand what it does rhythmically.

First, there are two slow rhythms; the first is set by an alternation of left and right legs, the first bar (four beats) of the figure being on the left leg and the second bar being on the right;

Beat 1----2----3----4--- 5----6----7----8 1----2----3----4 5----6----7----8----
Feet LEFT............... RIGHT.......... LEFT............ RIGHT...............

Then there's another equally slow rhythm, set by whether kicks are being made forwards or backwards, but their rhythm is two beats out of phase with the first, so that between them the two slow rhythms also generate one twice as fast;.

Beat        1----2----3----4--- 5----6----7----8     1----2----3----4    5----6----7----8----
Feet     LEFT............... RIGHT..........     LEFT............    RIGHT...............
Direction           Front.............. Back.................Front...............Back.....

This faster rhythm is emphasised by a pattern of kicks which happen almost every other beat. The old Carolina Charleston used to emphasise an even faster rhythm - every beat - with ankle twists. These are missing from the Savoy Charleston, but the fast rhythm is still marked, not every beat, but just on beats 1 and 2 of the bar, with something called a rock-step. The whole rhythmic pattern therefore looks like this;

Dancing the Savoy Charleston
Men- you will almost always be doing this with the feet as specified below. Ladies, you will sometimes be doing this with the feet as specified below (as in the Tandem Charleston), and sometimes with an exact mirror image (ie swap left and right, but keep forwards and backwards the same), as in the side-by-side Charleston. You must therefore learn both (sorry!).

Begin standing with loose knees and leaning forward with your weight on the balls of your feet. The first half of the move will concentrate on your L leg, and the second on your R leg;

1 - Place your L foot about one and a half a foot length behind your R heel (but take the L foot straight back, don't cross it to be in line with the R) and rock your weight back on to it. This does not rock your whole body backwards, nor does it make you stand any more upright; it;s just a momentary transfer of weight.

2 - Return your weight to your R foot

3 - Kick your L foot forward - the kick comes from below the knee (it's not a goose-step!) and your leg does not quite extend all the way to straight (bad for your knees!).

4 - Bring your L foot back in and put it down next to (or slightly ahead of) your R foot, committing your weight to it.

5 - Kick your R foot forward as you kicked your left earlier.

6 - Flex your R leg back in but do not put the foot down.

7 - kick your R leg a little behind you (this really means almost-straightening your leg - your foot does not touch the floor, though).

8 - Bring your R foot back in and put it down next to (or slightly behind) your L one, committing your weight to it.

(You are now ready to start again).

The "slightly's" above mean that you shoudl not just put your foot down where you kicked forward or backs - the kicks do come back in before you put your foot down, but you can vary how "next to" the other foot you put a foot down. For a beginner, putting your feet down so that the toes of one are level with the heel of another should be regarded as the exterme - please get really comfortable with the move before attempting to make it travel forwards and backwards more than this.

Arms: When you walk, you naturally move your arms in opposition to your legs, so when your L leg is back your L arm is forward. Do the same in the Charleston;
1 - Left arm fwd
3 - Left arm back
5 - Left arm fwd
7 - Left arm back
(on the even beats, your arms are roughly in mid-swing by your side)
Don't worry if the arms are difficult - many people find them so. As always, the trick is to practice.

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This page is part of the Swing Dance Scotland site - http://golgi.ana.ed.ac.uk/swing/

Jamie.Davies@ed.ac.uk