Sugar Tuck

A sugar push where the compression is redirected into an outside (clockwise) turn for the follower.

The shape

Danced like a sugar push through counts 1–2, but on 3&4 the leader rotates the follower slightly toward them ("the tuck") and releases into a free outside turn on 4–5, finishing with an anchor on 5&6.

Common notes

• The tuck is a rotation of the follower's frame, not an arm pull; the free turn comes from the follower unwinding the stored rotation.
• Often the first pattern where followers practice spotting and controlled free spins.
• Frequently danced with one hand, two hands, or with a hand change behind the leader's back as a styling variation.
• Because the leader's hand finishes over the top of the grip, the tuck is commonly followed by an underarm turn (right side pass) to fix the handhold — Brian B calls this fix "magic, and for no extra charge."¹
• Raising the lead hand does double duty: Brian B teaches that the raise itself closes the distance between the partners as the tuck sets up.²
• Robert Royston points out the tuck's leverage as a variation factory: led with the left hand up, right hand up, both hands, or no hands (a free spin), "once you learn the sugar tuck you immediately have four more moves."³
• The signal lives in the leader's left hand: Thibault Ramirez turns the fingers to face out, telling the follower "you're going to rotate outside" — and the follower compresses on a high point for 3&4 before unwinding.⁴
• Keep the handhold loose through the turn: release to catch. Nicole demonstrates letting the hand flip free so the leader can reconnect to the palm — holding a grip makes the switch impossible.⁵

Footnotes

1. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "West Coast Swing Basic Steps // Beginner WCS" at 9:58. ↩

2. Brian B & Megan, West Coast Swing Online, "West Coast Swing Basic Steps // Beginner WCS" at 9:35. ↩

3. Robert Royston, "How to Do the Sugar Tuck | Swing Dance" (Howcast) at 1:08. ↩

4. Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, "Sugar Tuck – Add Style with This WCS Variation" at 0:38–1:51. ↩

5. Thibault & Nicole Ramirez, "Sugar Tuck – Add Style with This WCS Variation" at 3:21–3:46. ↩