As requested, the Suzie Q! It’s a solo lindy hop step that some of my Facebook fans said they find confusing.
When learning any solo jazz step, always remember to go back and work on the things you find difficult. Successful dancers spend the most time working on things that are frustrating for them. You can do it too!
The Video:
Here are the steps:
0:21 – Demonstration of Suzie Q
0:29 – #1 Direction of Suzie Q. Usually to your left; can go either way.
0:45 – #2 Foundation layer. Sideways step, right foot goes in front of left. Torso stays pointed forward. Bend the knees!
1:09 – #3 Right leg layer (front leg). Weight on your heel, rotating the leg in and out (more outward than inward). Bend the knee!
1:42 – #4 Right leg layer with sideways step. Rotate out as you step onto your left foot. Bend the knees!
2:27 – #5 Left leg layer (back leg). Weight on ball of foot, rotating leg in and out (more outward than inward). Bend the knee!
3:02 – #5 Left leg layer with sideways step. Rotate in as you step onto your right foot. Bend your knees!
3:41 – #6 Putting it all together.
4:16 – #7 THE COUNTS! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left.
Tips:
- The deeper your knees bend, the cooler it looks. Be prepared for tired legs.
- You might notice the legs coordinate nicely. Both rotate out at the same time, then back in at the same time. Try to make those rotations symmetrical. (See 3:21 for a discussion of how far the legs rotate inward.)
- What about the arms? You can see I have mine on my hips in the video. I do that so as not to distract from the legs. You can do whatever feels natural.
- Be crisp with your movements for the Suzie Q. As always, go back and practice each step multiple times.
Here’s that free stuff I mentioned.
Thanks for watching. Leave questions if you got ‘em!
P.S. I think it’s pretty funny that my “nice deep knee bend” at 3:56 is actually pretty weak. If you think I need to get in better shape, you can egg me on at the Dance World Takeover Facebook page.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Ahh! You are awesome, thanks for featuring this step!
Totally! Happy to help.
Keep it up–these are super helpful. I am loving your teaching style and the ability to pause & re-play! I fall soooo far behind in classes that focus on choreography and new steps because I need a lot of time to absorb and practice footwork. Your videos are taking the shame factor out of learning new moves!
Thanks! And good for you! With careful practice, you can totally learn to absorb this stuff much faster.
Thank you, and more jazz steps please! I have not encountered many classes which will break down the jazz steps for me… so, I guess youtube videos will have to do! I appreciate you doing it mirror view so I don’t have to flip it in my head!! :)
I agree, it’s sometimes hard to get the skinny in a dance class. There are some good free videos out there, though!
Nice tutorial! I never noticed we had to do something special with the back leg.
I noticed that some dancers do the suzie Q after a swing-out, when improvizing solo jazz steps. Do you have any additionnal tips about how to do the move correctly at that moment? The guys I’ve seen doing it were moving on the same spot while holding their partner’s hand (makes sense).
Yeah, totally. There are a TON of ways to incorporate Suzie Qs while the follow swivels in place. Practice by yourself a bunch of times to figure out the exact footwork you want to do. Imagine your follower is there (never forget about her).
In terms of footwork, you need to decide (a) whether you are going to cross in front with the right foot (most likely), and (b) whether you are going to cross on the odd beats (1, 3, 5, 7) or even beats (8, 2, 4, 6). Then try it out. How do you need to adjust your rhythm to get where you want to be (crossing on either 8 or 1)? Do you need to add a fudge step, or wait a little longer on the same foot?
Go slow and break it down into really small chunks. Practice lots.
Thanks a lot for your feedback! I just bought some love to thank you for your time :-) I will practice suzie Qs and swivels on my next snowstorm day. (the typical winter day in Québec, Canada)