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Left Side Pass › History › Revision 4

Revision 4

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archivist · Jul 14, 2026, 1:25 AM · Add cited teaching points from Thibault & Nicole Ramirez's Complete Beginner Series

← Revision 3

Changes from revision 3

A 6-count pattern where the follower passes the leader on the leader's **left** side. Along with the [[Sugar Push|sugar push]] and [[Right Side Pass|right side pass]], it forms the core triangle of beginner WCS.
 
## The shape
 
- **1–2**: leader steps back and slightly off-slot, opening a lane on their left; follower walks forward
- **3&4**: follower passes the leader and turns to face back down the slot
- **5&6**: anchor
 
The leader redirects the follower's momentum down the slot rather than pulling — a common teaching image is "opening a door" and letting the follower walk through. Robert Royston teaches the lead as saying "after you" at a doorway: the leader steps completely out of the way on count 1 and invites the follower past the left side.[^1]
 
## Common notes
 
- Followers generally keep their travel on the slot; a drifting left side pass is one of the most common beginner habits.
- The leader's hand stays low and relaxed ("in the toolbox") — high hands early in this pattern usually mean an accidental [[Inside Roll|inside roll]] is coming.
- Brian B describes the leader's path as *curling out of the slot* on 1–2, letting the follower pass on 3&4, then rejoining the slot on the other side for the anchor.[^2]
+- Thibault and Nicole Ramirez teach the same geometry from the follower's side: the leader is always the one who leaves the slot, clearing the path by count 2 so the follower keeps a straight line.[^3]
+- They also use this first pattern to introduce WCS's defining feel: keep a light elastic tension through 1–2, pass each other, and find the elastic again — "the elasticity is the signature of our dance."[^4]
 
[^1]: Robert Royston, ["How to Do the Left Side Pass | Swing Dance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7D6Uv8Y0E8&t=43s) (Howcast) at 0:43.
[^2]: Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, ["West Coast Swing Basic Steps // Beginner WCS"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKcamMuk3sA&t=195s) at 3:15.
+[^3]: Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, ["Left Side Pass – Your First West Coast Swing Move"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnU7ADF9hP4&t=153s) at 2:33.
+[^4]: Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, ["Left Side Pass – Your First West Coast Swing Move"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnU7ADF9hP4&t=196s) at 3:16.
Page as of this revision

Left Side Pass

beginner

also known as: LSP

A 6-count pattern where the follower passes the leader on the leader's left side. Along with the sugar push and right side pass, it forms the core triangle of beginner WCS.

The shape

  • 1–2: leader steps back and slightly off-slot, opening a lane on their left; follower walks forward
  • 3&4: follower passes the leader and turns to face back down the slot
  • 5&6: anchor

The leader redirects the follower's momentum down the slot rather than pulling — a common teaching image is "opening a door" and letting the follower walk through. Robert Royston teaches the lead as saying "after you" at a doorway: the leader steps completely out of the way on count 1 and invites the follower past the left side.1

Common notes

  • Followers generally keep their travel on the slot; a drifting left side pass is one of the most common beginner habits.
  • The leader's hand stays low and relaxed ("in the toolbox") — high hands early in this pattern usually mean an accidental inside roll is coming.
  • Brian B describes the leader's path as curling out of the slot on 1–2, letting the follower pass on 3&4, then rejoining the slot on the other side for the anchor.2
  • Thibault and Nicole Ramirez teach the same geometry from the follower's side: the leader is always the one who leaves the slot, clearing the path by count 2 so the follower keeps a straight line.3
  • They also use this first pattern to introduce WCS's defining feel: keep a light elastic tension through 1–2, pass each other, and find the elastic again — "the elasticity is the signature of our dance."4

Footnotes

  1. Robert Royston, "How to Do the Left Side Pass | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 0:43. ↩

  2. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "West Coast Swing Basic Steps // Beginner WCS" at 3:15. ↩

  3. Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, "Left Side Pass – Your First West Coast Swing Move" at 2:33. ↩

  4. Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, "Left Side Pass – Your First West Coast Swing Move" at 3:16. ↩