Teapot (6 counts ; 12 musical beats)

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-left off the lady's line, leaving it free for her to step forwards and offers his right hand for the lady to take his right hand in her left hand.

2: (Step in)

The lady faces south stepped away in front of and slightly on the right of the man, who faces north.

The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand and holds the lady's left hand in his right hand.

The man leads the lady to move forwards and turn 360^o clockwise (with weight on her right leg) under his left hand (and the lady's right hand) — by raising his left hand (and the lady's right hand) above his head behind his neck and bringing his right hand (and the lady's left hand) between them, behind the lady's back onto her left hip — as he moves forwards.

3: (Circle clockwise)

The lady faces south on the right side of the man, who faces north.

The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand and holds the lady's left hand in his right hand — the man's left hand is near to his left shoulder — the man's right hand is near to the lady's left hip.

The man leads the lady to move with him so that both partners circle 360^o clockwise side by side — by pushing the lady's back slightly with his right hand.

In the traditional version of the move the man has the left-to-right hands behind his neck forming the handle (with his right hand on the lady's left waist) while the lady's left hand is not held — typically pointing down at the ground, forming the spout!

Some dancers syncopate the walks: stepping forwards on the and beat on their outside legs (on the ball of the foot), and closing the inside foot to the outside foot with weight on the beat (so that the outside foot is free to walk forwards).

4: ()

The lady faces south on the right side of the man, who faces north.

The man holds the lady's right hand in his left hand and holds the lady's left hand in his right hand — the man's left hand is on his left shoulder — the man's right hand is on the lady's right shoulder.

The man leads the lady to move left — by pushing her left hand slightly with his right hand and releasing the lady's right hand from his left hand — as he moves left.

5: ()

The lady faces south on the right side of the man, who faces north.

There is no handhold — the man's right hand is near to the lady's right forearm — the lady's left hand is near to the man's right forearm.

The man leads the lady to continue to move left — by letting the lady continue, as indicated by his previous lead — as he moves left.

Some dancers syncopate the slide away: stepping away on the beat on their outside legs (on the ball of the foot), and closing the inside foot to the outside foot with weight on the and beat (so that the outside foot is free to walk forwards).

6: ()

The lady faces south on the right side of the man, who faces north.

There is no handhold — the man's right hand is near to the lady's left shoulder — the lady's right hand is near to the man's right shoulder.

The man leads the lady to continue to move left — by letting the lady continue, as indicated by his previous lead — as he moves left.

7: (Finish)

The lady faces south stepped away on the right side of the man, who faces north.

The man holds the lady's right hand in his right hand.

Notes

Variations

Links

• Teapot Spinout at Bath Leroc. Hosted at The Internet Archive.
• Drop Kick Teapot at Cardiff Le Roc and Dance. Hosted at The Internet Archive.
• Teapot at Cardiff Le Roc and Dance. Hosted at The Internet Archive.
• Arm Jive to Walkaround at Robert Pepper's Website. Hosted at The Internet Archive.
• Teapot at Dance Yourself Dizzy. Alternative link 1.

Books

• Teapot in The Dance Manual. Andy Galloway. Lyndenhurst Ltd, 38 Ashley Road, London, N19 3AF, UK, 1988.
• Turning Teapot Walkaround in Learn To Dance Modern Jive. Robert Austin and Claire Hilliard. Sigma Leisure, Sigma Press, 1 South Oak Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 6AR, UK, 1998. ISBN 1850586020.