1b. Triple Step Basic Step
The video shows the same basic move as on the previous page but with a significant variation. Instead of taking just one step to each side, the couple is taking three steps (called triple steps) to each side. Conveniently "triple step" has three syllables which corresponds neatly to 3 physical steps:
Tri - Ple - Step (3 syllables, 3 steps)
So, when you want to change the basic step to a fancier snappier basic step, replace
Step - Step - Backstep (from previous page)
Tri - Ple Step, Tri-Ple Step Backstep (in the above video)
and our diagram becomes
Stepping through Jitterbug's Six Even Counts using Triple Steps
one two three four five six
Tri-ple-step (left-right-left) Tri-ple-step (right-left-right) back (left) forward (right)
Tri-ple-step (right-left-right) Tri-ple-step (left-right-left) back (right) forward (left)
To save the time of paging back, here's the diagram from the previous page showing the use of single steps instead of triple steps:
Stepping through Jitterbug's Six Even Counts(single steps, not triple steps)
(From previous page for comparison purposes)
one two three four five six
Left - Right - back (left) forward (right)
right - left - back (right) forward (left)
What is the same in the above 2 diagrams is that the 5th & 6th counts are identical -- both are "back-forward" steps or "back-steps" or "rock steps", whatever one wants to call them. It is generally true that everything different in Jitterbug happens on the first 4 counts, and then after that there's the backstep. The difference here occurs in the first 4 counts wherein the triple step pattern involves 6 steps (3 to each side, 3 steps per 2 counts) and the single step pattern requires only 2 steps (1 to each side, 1 step per 2 counts). If this difference is vague, the next video shows the single step basic sequence and the triple step basic sequence one after the other.
Why do a triple step where only 1 would do? Two main reasons:
- 1) some songs are slow and to do 3 steps in the same amount of time as 1 step adds some speed. It is generally true that triple steps are done to songs with slower tempos; and
- 2) if you want to travel around the floor, more ground may be covered with three steps than with one. If you want to jump ahead, a video of the traveling triple step can be seen on page 1g.
The next page shows a close-up of the feet doing both the single step basic (meaning one 1 step for the 1st 2 counts, and 1 step for the 2nd 2 counts) and the triple step basic (meaning 3 steps for the 1st 2 counts, and 3 steps for the 2nd 2 counts) and illustrates the option of combining both single step jitterbug with triple step jitterbug within the same song, whenever you like.
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