Building the Swing Dance Community

No, the California Routine is not just 3 Swing Outs and a Cirle

Once again, we’ve decided to go with a real classic piece of the Swing community.

The California Routine was choreographed by Frankie Manning for the Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. You can see an early version of the routine in the video Spirit Moves

We present here a version that we most often use when the occasion arises. It might vary from other versions that you may come across.

You’ll find individual instructional videos of the moves by clicking on the names during the video

What do you think of this video? Do you dance it differently? Feel free to send us feedback and to comment on the videos.

Patrick & Natasha

This is the structure of the Shim Sham and the list of the steps.

(R) = Right foot
(L) = Left foot

All the moves start on the 8

<first half>

The Shim Sham

Stomp(R) Glide(R) Stomp(L) Glide(L) Stomp(R) Glide(R) Stomp(R) Glide(R)
Stomp(L) Glide(L) Stomp(R) Glide(R) Stomp(L) Glide(L) Stomp(L) Glide(L)
Stomp(R) Glide(R) Stomp(L) Glide(L) Stomp(R) Glide(R) Stomp(R) Glide(R)
Full break : Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)

Pushes & Cross Overs

Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Kick(L) Step(L) Step(R)
Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Kick(R) Step(R) Step(L)
Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Kick(L) Step(L) Step(R)
Step(L) Kick(R) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Kick(L) Step(L) Hold

Tacky Annie

[&]Ball(R) [8]Change(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L)
[&]Ball(R) [8]Change(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L)
[&]Ball(R) [8]Change(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L)
Full break : Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)

Half Breaks

Step(R) Step(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Step(R) Step(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)
Full break : Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)
Step(R) Step(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Step(R) Step(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)
Full break : Step(R) Touch(L) Step(L) Touch(R) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)

<end of the first half>

Depending on the version of the song the Shim Sham is danced to, there might be a bridge at this point before the second half (that’s the case in the Jimmie Lunceford version of “Tain’t what you do”)

The second half of the Shim Sham starts with repeating the first half but replacing the Full breaks with Freezes

<second half>

First half with Freezes instead of the Full breaks

Boogie back

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [5]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)

Boogie forward

Brush(R) Step(R) Brush(L) Step(L) Brush(R) Step(R) Brush(L) Step(L)

Boogie back

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [5]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)

Boogie forward

Brush(R) Step(R) Brush(L) Step(L) Brush(R) Step(R) Brush(L) Step(L)

Boogie back

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [5]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)

Shorty George

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)

Boogie back

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [3]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [5]Change(L) Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [7]Change(L)

Shorty George

Kick(R) [&]Ball(R) [1]Change(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L) Step(R) Step(L)

<end of the second half>

That’s all folks for the Shim Sham!

From this point, dancers usually grab the person next to them and start dancing socially until the end of the song.

I hope this helps, feel free to tell me if some of the steps are not clear enough.

Have fun!