Back Charleston Reverse

This move involves the dancers changing their positions relative to each other. After the first eight beats, the leader ends up in front of the follower, and then in the second eight beats they return to their original positions. To make this transition, the dancers stay in the same place on the floor; they just turn 180° to face in the opposite direction.

It is also possible to extend this move by adding Back Charleston moves in between the two halves of this move (albeit with the partners the opposite way around than usual—leader in front, follower behind).

left side view right side view behind view
1. B:PbL Start with the leader standing behind the follower, facing in the same direction, with the leader's left hand holding the follower's left hand and his right hand holding her right hand; both dancers have their weight on their right feet. Both the leader and the follower point backward with their left feet.
2. B:StL Both the leader and the follower lift their left feet next to their right feet, with the left knee bent.
3. B:KfL1L Both the leader and the follower perform a kick forward with their left feet, turning slightly to their left. The leader lifts both right hands up over the follower's head; he also pulls right hand to the right at waist height then lets go. (image: direction of lead)
4. B:eFL1L Both the leader and the follower take a step slightly forward on their left feet, continuing to turn slightly to their left.
5. B:KfR2L Both the leader and the follower perform a kick forward with their right feet, continuing to turn another 90° to their left. The leader offers his left hand out behind him, and the follower takes it with her left hand. (image: leader offers hand)
6. B:StR Both the leader and the follower lift their right feet next to their left feet, with the right knee bent.
7. B:KbR Both the leader and the follower perform a kick backward with their right feet.
8. B:TR Both the leader and the follower close their right feet to their left feet the leader is now in front of the follower, with the dancers are facing in the opposite direction to when they started the move.
1. B:PbL Both the leader and the follower point backward with their left feet.
2. B:StL Both the leader and the follower lift their left feet next to their right feet, with the left knee bent.
3. B:KfL1L Both the leader and the follower perform a kick forward with their left feet, turning slightly to their left. The leader lifts both right hands up over his own head, letting go with his left hand. (image: direction of lead)
4. B:eFL1L Both the leader and the follower take a step slightly forward on their left feet, continuing to turn slightly to their left.
5. B:KfR2L Both the leader and the follower perform a kick forward with their right feet, continuing to turn another 90° to their left.
6. B:StR Both the leader and the follower lift their right feet next to their left feet, with the right knee bent.
7. B:KbR Both the leader and the follower perform a kick backward with their right feet.
8. B:TR Both the leader and the follower close their right feet to their left feet the leader is now behind the follower again, facing in the same direction as at the start of the move.
 
 
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Welcome

Welcome to an incomplete book about Lindy Hop.

I wrote the text here five years ago, based on my notes from when I was originally learning Lindy Hop in the mid-1990s. My original plan was to take a large number of illustrative photographs, which would make the bare text much more comprehensible.

However, that was five years ago and I've not gotten as far as taking a single photograph. So rather than waiting any longer, I thought it worth releasing the text as-is, in case it's useful to anyone else.

I'd interested to hear any feedback, but unfortunately I can't promise to do much about it.

And maybe one day I'll get as far as illustrating the book, and creating the originally-intended printed version:

This book is dedicated to the memory of Frankie Manning (1914-2009), Ambassador of Lindy Hop.

David Drysdale
November 2012

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