A Note About the Quarter Break
You should know the half break and full break from the Frankie Manning Shim Sham. The quarter break is a variation that turns up over and over again in the Dean Collins Shim Sham, so it’s worth practicing on its own before learning the rest of the dance. Essentially, it’s a touch-ball-change, kick-ball-change
done on the right foot. The right foot touches out and forward from the body on the first beat. Bring it in and commit a bit of your weight to the ball of it on the and
of that beat, then shift your weight back to your left on the next beat. Repeat, doing a kick with the right foot on the first beat instead of a touch.
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Shim Sham Step
Two normal shim sham eight-counts, four beats of a third eight-count, then a quarter break.
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Hip Pushes
Two normal eight-counts of hip pushes. Begin a third eight-count, but on the 2 and 3, step right, then step left so your feet are side-by-side, then a quarter break.
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Tacky Annies
Two normal eight-counts of tacky annies, four beats of the next eight-count, and a quarter break.
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Half-breaks
Two half-breaks, a full break, two more half breaks.
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Evil Move
- Eight
- Weight goes forward onto the right foot.
- One
- Weight comes back onto the left foot, just behind the right foot, and the right foot pivots on the heel so that the toes are pointed to the left.
- and
- Weight shifts forward to the right foot.
- Two
- Left knee comes up high and right foot simultaneously pivots outward on the heel.
- and
- Left foot comes down and weight is shifted to it.
- Three
- Right knee comes up high.
- Four
- Right foot touches down, out and slightly behind you.
- and
- Push off of right foot.
- Five
- Right foot plants in front of you.
- Six, Seven
- Pivot anticlockwise on both feet 360°, ending up with legs crossed, left in front.
- Eight
- Step out with left.
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Inverted Suzy-Q
Going to the left, the left foot plants pointing outward on the eight, then pivots to point forward on the one as the right foot is drawn up alongside. This repeats up until the next eight, at which point the right foot is put down to the right, and the movement is symmetric. On the next eight, the movement again reverses for four beats, at which point a quarter break follows.
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Boogie Step
- and Eight
- Step right, step left, turning 90° to the right.
- One, Two, Three
- Step right, left, right, pivoting 90° to the left in total.
- and Four
- Step left, step right, turning 90° to the left.
- Five, Six, Seven
- Step left, right, left, pivoting 90° to the right.
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Crossovers in Front
On eight, the right foot plants outside and right. On the and, push off the right foot, planting it in front of the left on one. Repeat, switching sides, to fill up eight counts.
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One-legged Shorty George
On eight, the right leg comes in to the left. With feet together, the knees go left, right on the one and two, then weight commits to the right leg on three as the left foot turns out and touches out and to the left. The right knee continues turning left, right, left, right, left, on the following five beats. The left foot comes in on the eight, and the whole patterns repeats symmetrically on the opposite side.
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Tabby The Cat
- Eight
- Right knee turns out (continuing the Shorty George)
- One
- Right foot steps back
- Two
- Left foot steps forward
- Three
- Right foot kicks
- and
- Right foot plants
- Four
- Left foot kicks
- and Five
- Stomp off, landing with feet apart
- Six, Seven
- Pivot to the left on both feet
- Eight
- Clap
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Crossovers behind
This move is essentially identical to the crossovers in front, save that the instead of crossing in front, the foot crosses behind, making it more difficult.
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Single and Double Kick, Quarter Break, and Full Break
- and Eight
- Small rock step going back on the left foot
- One, Two
- Step right, step left
- Three
- Kick right
- Four, Five
- Kick left twice
- Six and Seven
- Quarter break
At this point, do a full break, but kick forward on the seven.
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Savoy Kicks
- One
- Kick forward with the left
- Two
- Step down with the left
- Three
- Kick forward with the right
- Four
- Right knee comes up, foot beside left leg
- Five
- Kick back with the right
- Six
- Step down on the right
- Seven
- Hold left leg back
- Eight
- Tap left toe on floor
Repeat twice.
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Three Kicks, Kick-Ball-Change, and Full Break
- One
- Left foot kicks forward
- Two
- Left foots steps down
- Three
- Right foot kicks forward
- Four
- Right foot steps down
- Five
- Left foot kicks forward
- Six and Seven
- Kick-ball-change
At this point, do a full break, with kicking forward on the seven as before.
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Savoy Kicks
Ibid. Two eight-counts.
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Single, Double, Triple Kicks
- One
- Kick forward with the left
- Two
- Step down with the left
- Three
- Kick forward with the right
- Four, Five
- Kick forward with left twice
- Six, Seven, Eight
- Kick forward with the right thrice
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Run Step
- One, Two, Three
- Step right, left, right, pivoting 180° anticlockwise
- Four
- Tap left toe behind
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Leg Swings
- Five
- Pivot 180° anticlockwise on right foot, kicking the left foot in the direction that will be forward at the end of the pivot.
- Six
- Step down with the left foot
- Seven
- Right leg swings in front
- Eight, One
- Right leg swings to the back
- Two, Three
- Right leg swings to the front
- Four
- Hop onto right foot
- Five
- Hold left foot back
- Six
- Tap left toe behind
- Seven
- Kick left foot forward
- Eight
- Step down on left foot
- One
- Right leg swings in front
- Two, Three
- Right leg swings to the back
- Four, Five
- Right leg swings to the front
- Six
- Hop onto right foot
- Seven
- Hold left foot back
- Eight
- Tap left toe behind
- Seven
- Kick left foot forward
- Eight
- Step down on left foot
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Exit