Return (3 counts ; 6 musical beats)
Introduction
The Return is a linking move between other more complicated steps — it is often useful to provide some “thinking-time” — especially during freestyles.
Steps
- 1: (Step back)
The lady faces south directly in front of the man, who faces north.
The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand.
The man leads the lady to move backwards (stepping back on her right foot in preparation for an anticlockwise rotation) — by pushing her right hand slightly with his left hand — as he moves backwards.
- 2: (Step in and return)
The lady faces south stepped away directly in front of the man, who faces north.
The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand.
The man leads the lady to move forwards and turn 360o anticlockwise (with weight on her left leg) under his left hand (and the lady's right hand) — by pulling her right hand slightly with his left hand and bringing his left hand (and the lady's right hand) across to his right and raising his left hand (and the lady's right hand) from waist height to above the lady's head (almost as if he were wiping his nose on his left sleeve) — as he moves forwards.
- 3: (Step back)
The lady faces south directly in front of the man, who faces north.
The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand — the man's left hand is at head height.
The man leads the lady to finish the turn (placing weight onto her right foot as a brake and then stepping back on her left leg) — by pushing her right hand slightly with his left hand — as he moves backwards and lowers his left hand (and the lady's right hand) to waist height.
- 4: (Finish)
The lady faces south stepped away directly in front of the man, who faces north.
The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand.
Notes
Variations
Can lead with a variety of handholds, including right-to-right, etc.
Links
- Return at leroc.net. 2001. Hosted at The Internet Archive.
- Return at The Third Row.
Videos
- Top Turn and Return in How To Jive With Jive Bunny. Christine Keeble. Castle Music Pictures, How To Jive, Ravenbridge House, Camp End Road, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NR, UK, 1990.
- Top Turn and Return in How To Jive — Featuring Music By The Firebirds.
- Return in Le Jive, Le Video — The Complete Instruction Video. Robert Austin and Claire Hilliard. DD Video, DD Video, 5 Churchill Court, 58 Station Road, North Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 7SA, UK, 1995.