If executing a move or pattern that involves whip timing, ‘counting’ a pattern would add up to 8 beats. There is no need to ever count any pattern beyond this point. Regardless of how many beats it may take to complete any move or pattern, the dancers simply need to know they have extended 2 beats during the movement execution as many times as they wish until completion. This concept insures that any move, pattern or play can be ‘worked’ as long as the dancers feel comfortable with it.
For example, instead of learning a ‘pattern’ as follows:
1 2 3&4 5&6 7&8 9 10 11 12 13&14 15&16 17&18
Whatever pattern constituted this amount of time should have been thought of as:
1 2 3&4 3&4 3&4 5 6 5 6 7&8 7&8 7&8
Because, whether it was extended triples or walks or even just body movement, the dancer extended a certain 2 beat ‘section’ of the basic (6) or whip (8) count to do it. And the move probably could have been shortened or extended further at the discretion of the dancers. If you learn a pattern has to be a certain number of beats, you have just undermined what this dance is all about.
Many teachers today and many of them highly regarded competitors, still teach a pattern by ‘adding up’ the beats which usually just confuses the leader as to where he has to be on a certain count, as well as thinking the move has to be done in a required number of beats…instead of just learning what the movement is and extending freely by personal interpretation.
Simply be aware of which two beats you are ‘working’ and move on when finished. Every movement will ultimately end with an anchor action.
- The essence of WCS is the concept of taking two beats at a time and working them as long as you please, to interpret what you feel, in the music you are dancing with.
- The basic timing and push break position is just a place to start and come back too.
- The 1 2 sets direction. The center counts, 3&4 + 5&6, are where almost all of the ‘movement’ happens. The anchor finishes any ‘movement’. Any two beats though can be extended.