How to do the Open Up in Swing Dancing

The next move we are going to teach is called the open-up. It is a little bit different as far as the foot pattern drills than the other moves we have been teaching but bear with us. It is pretty easy. Let us start in close position. Now, normally in close position, you hug your hand across your partner’s back right in the middle. In this move when you go into the rock step, you are going to be holding on all the way across through opposite hip but first on the rock step, we do two steps, step, step and on the rock step pushed her with your left hand as you go away back with your right step and across the hip and you open up side by side. Ladies, what I am feeling is a big push and I am feeling that because I resist him. I have strength in my arm and I am pushing against him a little bit and I feel him push and open me up to his side. He catches me around my waist. Notice our hand positions. This is a visual signal as well as a style move. Unless, we keep our arm up, this will look a lot nicer than just hanging our arm down by our side. Let us try that far at cue times. It is just two steps than the open up, six, seven, eight. Step, step and then open up. Really bring her back with you. It got to be strong, otherwise she is not going to feel it. Step, step and open up. One more time, we are counting off, five, six, seven, and eight. Here we go. Step, step and rock step. Now, what I am going to do is roll her around with my right hand as I scoop under her arm and on her waist with my left and we open up again. And we rock step but this time, we rock step under opposite flick. Ladies, we rock step on our left; leaders, you rock step on your right. Keep your arm open, that is to the outside. Then we step together again and again guys, go back on her left; ladies, on their right. Let us give it a try. Five, six, seven, eight, here we go. Two steps and open up together, open up together. Let us try that far again from a different angle, five, six, seven, eight, here we go. Step, step and open up, step, open up, step. Again, five, six, this time we keep going. Step, step and open up, step, open up, step, open up, step, open up, step, open up, step open up, step. Now, with this movement of two choices, you can either keep doing the open up until the end of the song or you can learn how to end it. So, we are not saving that for the next tape. We will teach you that right now. When your fifth open up, or any odd number and guys, you are back on left foot. And we are on our right. We are rock stepping on our right foot. Think about as the rock step of the basic. Present your left hand. Ladies, we take it right away. And step in front of her, cut her off. And ladies, we just do our regular basic step. Rock step, so it goes like this from a rock step, step, step, rock step, step. Let us try that again from here, rock step, step, step, rock step, step. Let us try the whole thing with some music. One full basic and then the two steps into the open up, we go five, six, a full basic, step, step, be ready, there we go, open up, step, open up, step, open up, step, open up, step, open up and end it. Rock step, step, rock step, step. Let us try it again, we will cut her again. We are going to five of them and then land it, five, six, full basic, step, step, rock step, step, step and open up, step, open up, step, open up step, open up, step, open up, step. Present your hand and cut her on, step, rock step, step, step, rock step, step, step, rock step, step, step, rock step.