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Freestyle is the time to practise your dancing (lead and follow, floor-craft, etc.). There are no particular rules, or set framework for freestyle dancing, other than general courtesy — if you can lead it and follow it, that's freestyle. The more that you practise the easier freestyle dancing becomes.
Think ahead — but don't plan too far ahead. Unlike chess or other situations with clear rules, it's difficult to plan a long way ahead in freestyle social dancing — if you plan too far ahead it is likely that something will go wrong and you'll end up having to throw your carefully crafted plan(s) away. As mentioned previously: clear leads; keep alert; make it fun!
Dancers have freedom of expression in freestyle like musicians in jazz. Ideally, couples will interpret the music as they feel it, as leaders (and followers) have their own preferred moves, etc.
Simple moves, less-is-more, low-movement, loose lead, equal movement by both partners (to reduce the effort for the follower).
Can lead two single returns, whenever you would normally dance one — which will fit a slightly longer twiddley part in the music — and helps when fitting moves to match musical four beat bars, e.g. a First Move with two Returns will fit into a whole number of musical bars.
In any right-to-right handhold, the leader can lead the follower into a Sway.
Freestyle (and performance) confidence can be built up, by learning to taking your hands and arms out and away from the body. In essence, this teaches you to become less shy, and protective of your body while dancing.
Similarly, freestyle (and performance) confidence can be enhanced if you learn to break away and dance solo, i.e. separately from your partner. Dancing solo, means that you don't have a partner to hide behind. As you build confidence, you can extend the length of time away from your partner.
Challenge and build your confidence by practising in a non-traditional setting. For example, try rehearsing in a public place like a park.
Whilst bearing in mind safety issues, try and do a speed run of the performance to fast music, dancing the routine at top speed. Keep going, do not stop, simply skip over any mistakes.
The “traditional” starting position in Modern Jive is an open facing handhold — probably since most classes start this way. However, other starting positions are possible, for example, in a closed dance hold (or blues dance hold), or in any of the other Sway (blues sway) or cuddle positions. Similarly, Latin dances often start with the follower in front of the leader in a cuddle position — for example, in left-to-left handhold and decorative hand moves, etc. transferring to say a right-to-left handhold and unwrap out to in-line position. Partners can start in a jockey position, stepping forwards and backwards until the introduction finishes.
In closed dance hold moves can be indicated by a slight lean by the leader, as a gentle lead in the next direction the move will be performed — also gives an indication that the move is about to happen especially if changing from a relatively static position.
To use up the introduction, simply keep walking in-time — either with, towards, or around your partner.
Musicians typically start a song with a catchy (four or eight bar) introduction to grab the listener's attention.
Social dancers can use the introduction to make their way onto the dance floor, etc. It can look a bit strange to dance at full speed to a slow track introduction; similarly, just standing still waiting for the introduction to finish isn't terribly interesting. Hence, a slow musical introduction may be better suited to smaller simple movements, as dancers slowly accelerate up to speed, before the main part of the track.
In social dance, the follower can start moving and interpreting the music before the leader starts moving — with the leader catching them up later, but shouldn't back lead moves at the leader.
There are several issues: need to be able to dance in time with each other, need to be able to dance in time to the music. Especially, beginner leaders need their followers to help them — and appreciate that they need to adjust to their leader first, and then to the music, especially if the leader is concentrating on floor craft, leading, remembering the moves and footwork, etc. — musical appreciation comes a long way down the list.
If all else fails, the leader can try counting, or saying the steps aloud — but this definitely lowers your coolness73.
Since Modern Jive is a partner dance, both partners should dance to the music together — as the leader may deviate from the strict musical tempo, for example, slowing the dance down to accommodate very fast music. The follower should acquire the dance rhythm (beat, tempo) from the leader. Where possible, lead the intended rhythm before the first step or move, e.g. by stepping in time, or swaying slightly in closed dance hold, so that both partners are synchronised. Starting together is a good reason to start in a closed dance hold, as false starts will be less noticeable.
The easiest (and often “cleanest”) way in social dancing to get back in time with the music and with each other is just to stop and then restart afresh.
If you are slightly out of time with the music, it's possible for the leader and follower to “disconnect” and then come back together in time with the music, e.g. if the leader does a spin, they can adjust its speed to fit so that it ends clearly with the beat. Since it's a spin, the leader is disconnected from the follower's interpretation of the beat and it's relatively easy to lead the follower back in to time with the music, as they are stationary (waiting for the leader to spin).
Rather than stepping past each other, a quick technique for swapping sides is for both partners to turn 180o independently “on-the-spot”, e.g. swapping the follower from the leader's right side to his left side, or to swap the follower from in front of the leader to behind him.
If the leader turns 180o, then they can lead the follower repeatedly from one side to the other.
The leader's and follower's turns will combine, for example, when facing their turns will be additive when performed in opposite directions (in terms of the handholds).
This technique can be used to replace multiple returns with fewer combined turns.
For example, to get the effect (on the arms) of a double (consecutive) uncrossed double-handed return, the leader can lead a single (clockwise) Return for follower while they dance a (anticlockwise) top-turn — a similar effect to a she-goes, he-goes. This technique starts a “Cajun window” quickly, and reduces tangling the follower's arms.
Can dos-e-do, walk around in a circle, etc.
For example, both partner's forward-crawl the hands — leader left hand, right-hand, both — follower right-hand, left hand, both.
Can Return into double-handed hold from a left to right hold, by sliding the leader's right hand from the follower's right-shoulder down their arm, taking up the extra right to left handhold.
Can change hands from crossed to uncrossed using combs, etc.
A “duck” under crossed hands to “break” the grip and swap to uncrossed handhold, or a double comb (follower and leader) — including a “more sensual” “wiggle-wiggle” slow variation.
Hands can be uncrossed by the leader turning 180o to back the follower Can change hands from crossed to uncrossed using combs, etc.
One handhold change is for the leader to back the follower, placing hands onto his shoulders. As the leader steps away, the leader catches the follower's hands straight-out behind him, and then leads the “exit” part of the Catapult.
There is not a lot of advice that you can get on inventing new moves. Some ideas are to consider other dances and to “steal” moves that can be integrated into your style. In theory, if you have a regular partner, it should be possible to integrate almost any dance move — especially if the music is similar — waltz moves are probably outside of the normal range of simple integration. In practice, if you want to lead an unusual move, it's easier if it doesn't involve complicated (syncopated) footwork and that there's a clear lead to indicate to your partner, e.g. “stealing” Zydeco-jitterbug moves, e.g. Cajun Window.
Hand placement can be varied to different heights — typically the hand placement is at waist height (Spinning Top), under the arms (Drop Kick), or on the shoulders (Neckbreak) — varying the height of the hand placement can sometimes change the entire character of a move.
Changing the direction of a 180o spins or 180o turns gives the same facing, but can change the character of a move subtly.
Small changes in facing (say up to 180o) can be done as “jumps”, rather than simply pivoting.
Swap single spins for double spins.
Make an “in-place” move into a turning, or walking version.
Speed-up, or slow-down a move. Add syncopation.
Hand transfers (e.g. combs, shoulder slides, etc.) can sometimes be performed by flicking (throwing and catching) the follower's hand.
Adopt existing moves:
speed variations are probably the simplest idea.
Many moves can be danced with a double handhold, e.g. Archie Spin.
it's possible to lead moves in the opposite direction, e.g. leading a Walking Basket in an anticlockwise direction.
vary the side that a move is led, e.g. a reverse catapult.
handhold — although most ladies prefer following single-handed moves with their right hand, it is possible to lead and follow on a left-to-left or right-to-left handhold.
swap leader for follower.
follower leads (temporarily) — e.g. a Resistor.
double spins, e.g. a Loophole.
truncate the move, e.g. a Chopped Backhander.
remove extra time, e.g. a fast Travelling Return in a single beat (not one count = two beats).
Do half-a-move and then undo it, e.g. two halves of a Figure Of Eight.
Concatenate moves, e.g. a Neckbreak Butterfly.
Extend moves into “doubles”, e.g. a double Butterfly, double Pretzel, etc.
Steal moves from double trouble, to dance with a single partner.
Steal moves from strolls, to mix into partner dances, e.g. teatime (from the Madison).
Be prepared to fail, and be prepared to apologise. As always, be considerate.
Good positions for leader-led choreography include:
since the follower can see the leader's footwork and “shadow” them.
Leader-only choreography can be added at any time (provided, of course, that it doesn't “affect” the follower), e.g. a Half Nelson might be considered as leader only choreography, since the follower should remain “in the same place”.
Partnered choreography is often leadable (or rather followable) providing that the leader is in view of the follower and keeps the steps relatively simple, repeating them over several times e.g. grapevine, simple kicks, stamps, chassé, bicycle kick, etc. — in this case, the follower may miss the steps the first, or second time, but can mimic the leader after a while. If both the leader and follower know some stroll moves, then these also may be led / followed.
More esoteric terpsichorean delights are best left to pre-choreographed routines or a partner who shares your repertoire, especially moves with more complicated footwork, or steps where the follower is unable to see the leader, e.g. in a back-Charleston.
Can lead choreography from a Wurlitzer “spun-out” position, e.g. Michael Jackson turns, etc.
When moves are linked together the last step of the current move becomes the first step of the next move — often the final step away becomes the first step away, so that the “repeated” step is removed.
Any uncrossed double-handed position can be preceded or followed by Arm Jive, or Basket variations.
It's rare to find a class that teaches how to dance freestyle, most classes simply teach a way to dance a move, rather than noting the possible ways to lead, or dance, that move. Most moves can be led on either hand, even if a quick hand change is required. The hand change can be done by passing the follower's hand from one of the leader's hands to the other. Alternatively, the hand change can be led by “throwing” the follower's hand to swap it between the leader's hands, i.e. leading the hand change clearly (with momentum) lets the leader release the follower's hand before catching it — the move becomes a drawn-out drag, or throw, and catch, rather than a hand to hand transfer.
Spins can be used to change handhold: either catching left or right-handed (or some double-handed combination) — this is why all of the moves described here that end with a spin are shown catching on either the left hand, or right hand, or might even catch double-handed. Turns can be used by the leader to change hands:
Swap hands when stepping back at the end of a turn.
Swap hands over the follower's head while they are turning (keeping the hand change smooth and keeping the follower balanced) — especially if the follower is turning multiple times. Swapping hands while the follower is turning and travelling from one side of the leader to the other; the hands can be swapped when the follower passes the leader — as the leader can lead the follower to travel two arm lengths, rather than one.
Handholds can be broken (and swapped) with a Change Of Places, or similar.
One way to uncross the hands is to lead a top-turn, or a Return to uncross the hands. To uncross hands can either simply release them, via e.g. a comb, or a spin, and take up an uncrossed hold upon catching. Alternatively, back the follower, placing hands on shoulders — then lead a catapult exit, with a spin.
Adding “attitude”, backing the follower, posing.
Leader can often kneel down while the follower turns, or spins.
There are only a few basic elements: Return, top-turn, First Move, Sway, Basket, arm jive, push away, pull together, walk forwards, walk backwards, walk circling, left comb, right comb, hammerlocks, catch and release, glides, checked moves.
The following moves can be used instead of a Return:
The following moves can be used instead of a First Move:
The following moves can be used instead of a top-turn:
Moves where leaders can spin:
Lady spin.
Man spin.
American spin.
Hatchback and variations.
Nigel's move.
Catapult (with a lady spin exit).
Sway (with a lady spin exit).
Matching similar physiques creates an image that's less likely to be noticed. But taller people can lead and follow shorter ones and vice versa. Although, some adaptations may be required.
First observation for taller partners: if your feet are closed together then you will be taller — keep your feet apart, and you will sink in height (without having to bend your knees). If you modify your moves so that don't close your feet, then this will help you dance with shorter partners.
If you dance a comb, then let go “early” — don't try and hold on — many moves can be released quickly and you'll still keep the move flowing, but without having to stop in an awkward position. And yes, I will “race ahead” in a class to avoid having to stop and requiring my partner to stand on a box. Similarly, other hand changes at or over head height need to be danced so that the shorter partner is not forced on to tiptoe or has to jump.
One other technique is to dance a Lindy Hop move called “crazy legs” — this helps the taller partner to lose height by dancing with bent legs, rather than slouching.
Obviously, the taller partner can ham it up — leading moves from a kneeling position, or limboing under the arm in a step under, etc.
When travelling, taller partners need to be sensitive to shorter partners who aren't able to take large strides.
Backing the follower in a sort of cuddle position — taking both sets of hands to the left shoulder — is a similar handhold / position to having done a Travelling Return.
73The slightly cooler version is to “scat sing” in time with the rhythm of the steps, “Be bop, Bibbledy bop, choo, choo, ch'boogie.” — although phrases like “crunch” or “crash” may panic followers.