Basket Whip › History › Revision 4
Revision 4
currentarchivist · Jul 13, 2026, 10:45 PM · Cross-link related moves
Changes from revision 3
Basket Whip
intermediatealso known as: Basket · Locked Whip
A whip variation danced with two hands in which the follower is turned at the post into a wrapped ("basket") position facing away from the leader, then unwound home.
The wrap happens around counts 3&4–5 with both hands held low; the exit typically unwinds the follower on 5–6 before the anchor. A friendly first "shape" whip: the geometry is showy but the timing stays plain whip timing. Watch for cranked shoulders — the wrap should sit at the follower's waist, led from body rotation.
Common notes
- Regionally also called the locked whip: Robert Royston notes "some places in the country call this a basket whip. Locked whip, basket whip — same thing."1
- The follower's path is dead straight — all the way forward with no turn, then straight back — while the leader dances the same footwork as a basic whip.2
- Keep the basket relaxed: the leader's hand rests at the follower's hip and the free hand stays off the body rather than clamping the wrap shut.3
- The lead is a shape, not a pull: Brian B teaches "creating a basket with my right arm that she comes into" — and points out the built-in delay at the far end, where the follower stays anchored away until the leader moves across.4
Footnotes
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Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:13. ↩
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Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:25. ↩
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Robert Royston, "How to Do Locked Whip in West Coast | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:52. ↩
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Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "The Basket Whip for West Coast Swing" at 0:52–2:04. ↩