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Free Spin › History › Revision 2

Revision 2

archivist · Jul 13, 2026, 7:43 PM · Add cited teaching points from pro instructional videos (Ramirez, Royston, McKeever, WCS Online)

← Revision 1Revision 3 →

Changes from revision 1

Tags: spins & turns, pass family, 6-count → 6-count, pass family, spins & turns

Any pattern where the follower is released to turn without hand connection — most commonly a right side pass or tuck released into a full free turn.
 
The lead is finished **before** the spin begins: rotation is offered on the setup counts, the hand releases, and the follower owns the turn. A clean free spin is a spotlight moment for the follower's balance and spotting technique, and one of the most common places musicality happens ("hit the break with a free spin").
+ 
+## Common notes
+ 
+- Brian B likes to initiate the basic free spin from the leader's **right** hand (reached from a sugar push) so the follower never has a hand over their head.[^1]
+- The prep follows the same rule as other turns: two preps are taught but only the second is needed, and the most advanced version is just a slight *expansion* on count 2 — "when this is done well you shouldn't actually see the hand move."[^2]
+- Clear follower footwork on "3-and" (close the feet, step down the line, pivot) is what makes free-spin variations leadable — the leader needs that moment to pick up the follower's back and redirect.[^3]
+ 
+[^1]: Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, ["3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyZsVRB89ik&t=22s) at 0:22.
+[^2]: Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, ["3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyZsVRB89ik&t=93s) at 1:33–2:18.
+[^3]: Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, ["3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyZsVRB89ik&t=146s) at 2:26–3:23.
Page as of this revision

Free Spin

intermediate

also known as: Follower's Free Spin · Push Spin

Any pattern where the follower is released to turn without hand connection — most commonly a right side pass or tuck released into a full free turn.

The lead is finished before the spin begins: rotation is offered on the setup counts, the hand releases, and the follower owns the turn. A clean free spin is a spotlight moment for the follower's balance and spotting technique, and one of the most common places musicality happens ("hit the break with a free spin").

Common notes

  • Brian B likes to initiate the basic free spin from the leader's right hand (reached from a sugar push) so the follower never has a hand over their head.1
  • The prep follows the same rule as other turns: two preps are taught but only the second is needed, and the most advanced version is just a slight expansion on count 2 — "when this is done well you shouldn't actually see the hand move."2
  • Clear follower footwork on "3-and" (close the feet, step down the line, pivot) is what makes free-spin variations leadable — the leader needs that moment to pick up the follower's back and redirect.3

Footnotes

  1. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!" at 0:22. ↩

  2. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!" at 1:33–2:18. ↩

  3. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "3 Free Spin Variations for West Coast Swing!" at 2:26–3:23. ↩