Jitterbug Stroll

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The Jitterbug Stroll is a swing line dance choreographed by Ryan Francois, a famous Lindy Hop dancer and teacher. It is usually danced to the following music :

• Woodchopper's Ball (Woody Herman)
• Steven Mitchell's The Jitterbug Stroll which is a modern song created for this choreography
• Also, most songs with a 12 bar blues structure would work

It is very common by Lindy Hoppers, like the Shim Sham (dance).

The Step List for this dance is as follows:

The dance is organized in groups of 6 bars of 8 beats each. each group of 6 bars faces a different direction on the dance floor - meaning the dancer turns 90 degrees every 6 bars. every group of 6 bars is organized in the following way: 3 bars of a signature step, 1 bar of stroll around/pivot turn, 1 bar of signature step and 1 bar of a break step that helps the dancer turn 90 degrees. The signature step is different for every group of 6 bars.

• first group (the first bar in every group starts with the right leg always)
  • Hustle forward (2 beats)
  • Skip back (2 beats)
  • Boggie Forward twice (4 beats)
  • Hustle forward (2 beats)
  • Skip back (2 beats)
  • Boggie Forward twice (4 beats)
  • Hustle forward (2 beats)
  • Skip back (2 beats)
  • Boggie Forward twice (4 beats)
  • Stroll Around (sometimes also called jazz pivot turn) (8 beats)
  • Hustle forward (2 beats)
  • Skip back (2 beats)
  • Boggie Forward twice (4 beats)
  • Break step (4 beats) (step right, tap left behind right, step left, tap right behind left)
  • Turn 90 degrees (4 beats) (step right, turn 90 degrees, step back left, step back right, step forward left)
• second group
  • Knee slap right (2 beats)
  • Knee slap left (2 beats)
  • Kick right and Shorty george 3 times (4 beats)
  • Knee slap right (2 beats)
  • Knee slap left (2 beats)
  • Kick right and Shorty george 3 times (4 beats)
  • Knee slap right (2 beats)
  • Knee slap left (2 beats)
  • Kick right and Shorty george 3 times (to the left) (4 beats)
  • Stroll Around (same as above)
  • Knee slap right (2 beats)
  • Knee slap left (2 beats)
  • Kick right and Shorty george 3 times (4 beats)
  • Break Step and Turn around (8 beats same as above)
• third group
  • Suzie Q left (start with right leg cross over left) (8 beats)
  • Suzie Q right (start with left leg cross over right) (8 beats)
  • Suzie Q left (start with right leg cross over left) (8 beats)
  • Stroll Around (same as above)
  • Suzie Q right (start with right leg cross over left) (8 beats)
  • Break Step and Turn around (8 beats same as above)
• fourth group (last one)
  • Boogie back kicking with right leg (4 beats)
  • Tick Tock (to the right) (4 beats)
  • Boogie back kicking with left leg (4 beats)
  • Tick Tock (to the left) (4 beats)
  • Boogie back kicking with right leg (4 beats)
  • Tick Tock (to the right) (4 beats)
  • Stroll Around (same as above)
  • Suzie Q right (start with right leg cross over left) (8 beats)
  • Break Step and Turn around (8 beats same as above)
• and repeat from the top

When doing the Tick Tock you can tilt your head as a pendelum, starting in the direction you are moving.

This dance can be danced to any song that has a 12 Bar structure or a 6 bar AABA chorus structure. The AABA chorus strcture would allow you to do the Suzie Q's on the B chorus line (sometimes referred to as a Bridge), adding enhanced musicallity to your dance.