Count:
-
Wall:
1
Level:
Intermediate
Music:
Woodchopper's Ball
This is a popular swing line dance that originated as a tap dance back in the 1930s, as a follow-up to Shim Sham. It is still being enjoyed by people all around the world. The song by Steve Mitchell is the best for people new to the dance, because it calls out the dance moves before you do them.
Each 48-count phrase in this dance has a basic structure that consists of X-X-X-turn-X-break where the 'X' is a step that changes from phrase to phrase. Beware the rather difficult transitions in and out of the slow pivot turns (which starts on beat 1 and ends on 7, whereas the moves that surround it start on 8)
PART 1: BOOGIE WOOGIE
BOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD (X3)
&8Right-left ball change stepping forward
&1Right-left ball change stepping forward (leaning back)
2Clap
&3Right-left ball change stepping back (back into get down)
4-5Sweep right leg forward to right
6-7Sweep left leg forward to left
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
BOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD
&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this section
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 2: SHORTY GEORGE
KNEE SLAPS (X3)
8Hitch right knee up & slap
1Step right foot next to left foot
2Hitch left knee up & slap
3Step left foot next to right foot
4Kick right foot out to right side, shifting hips to right, raising left heel up so that you are up on the ball of the left foot
&Step together with right foot
5Step forward on ball of left foot. You are now on the balls of both feet. Bend both knees and shift both knees to the left side, hips are shifted left also. This is a "boogie walk" or "Shorty George" from the vaudeville days
6Step forward on ball of right foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees & hips right)
7Step forward on ball of left foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees and hips left)
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
KNEE SLAPS
&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this section
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 3: SUZY Q
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
&Step on ball of right foot
SUZY Q RIGHTWARDS
8Step left foot across right foot
1Rise onto the heel of left foot and step the right foot to the right, landing on the ball of the right foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
&Step on ball of left foot
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 4: BOOGIE BACK, TICK TOCKS
This is the version usually danced in Edinburgh. There is another, in which, there is only one tick-tock following the Boogies Back, and it therefore takes place at half the speed (Boogie back, Boogie back, t-i-c-k, t-o-c-k). This creates a nice break of pace
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
LEFT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your left foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your left foot, step right foot next to left
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to left
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the left on right heel and left toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
Each 48-count phrase in this dance has a basic structure that consists of X-X-X-turn-X-break where the 'X' is a step that changes from phrase to phrase. Beware the rather difficult transitions in and out of the slow pivot turns (which starts on beat 1 and ends on 7, whereas the moves that surround it start on 8)
PART 1: BOOGIE WOOGIE
BOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD (X3)
&8Right-left ball change stepping forward
&1Right-left ball change stepping forward (leaning back)
2Clap
&3Right-left ball change stepping back (back into get down)
4-5Sweep right leg forward to right
6-7Sweep left leg forward to left
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
BOOGIE WOOGIE, BOOGIE FORWARD
&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this section
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 2: SHORTY GEORGE
KNEE SLAPS (X3)
8Hitch right knee up & slap
1Step right foot next to left foot
2Hitch left knee up & slap
3Step left foot next to right foot
4Kick right foot out to right side, shifting hips to right, raising left heel up so that you are up on the ball of the left foot
&Step together with right foot
5Step forward on ball of left foot. You are now on the balls of both feet. Bend both knees and shift both knees to the left side, hips are shifted left also. This is a "boogie walk" or "Shorty George" from the vaudeville days
6Step forward on ball of right foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees & hips right)
7Step forward on ball of left foot (on balls of both feet, keep knees bent, shift both knees and hips left)
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
&8-7Repeat the previous 8 counts
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
KNEE SLAPS
&8-7Repeat the first 8 counts of this section
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 3: SUZY Q
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
&Step on ball of right foot
SUZY Q RIGHTWARDS
8Step left foot across right foot
1Rise onto the heel of left foot and step the right foot to the right, landing on the ball of the right foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
&Step on ball of left foot
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
SUZY Q LEFTWARDS
8Step right foot across left foot
1Rise onto the heel of right foot and step the left foot to the left, landing on the ball of the left foot
2-7Repeat the previous 2 counts three more times
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
PART 4: BOOGIE BACK, TICK TOCKS
This is the version usually danced in Edinburgh. There is another, in which, there is only one tick-tock following the Boogies Back, and it therefore takes place at half the speed (Boogie back, Boogie back, t-i-c-k, t-o-c-k). This creates a nice break of pace
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
LEFT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your left foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your left foot, step right foot next to left
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to left
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the left on right heel and left toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
8Clap or click
SLOW PIVOT TURNS
1-2Step forward on right foot, hold
3-4Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot, hold
5-6Step forward on right foot, hold
7Turn ½ turn to the left taking weight on left foot
RIGHT KICK BALL CHANGES MOVING BACK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK
8Kick out with your right foot and clap at the same time
&1Step back with your right foot, step left foot next to right
2&3Repeat 8&1
4Feet, knees, hands, and elbows turn outward while head turns to right
5Feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head return to center (you can move to the right on left heel and right toe as you return to center)
6-7Repeat 4-5
TAP BREAK
8Leaning slightly forward and to the right, step down with your right foot
1Tap your left foot behind your right
2Step back down on your left
3&Hold, lift right knee up
4&Step your right foot down behind the left, hitch left knee up
5Step back with left foot
6Step right foot next to left foot and turn ¼ to the left
7Step on left foot beside right foot
