Coaster Step
Encyclopedia
A Coaster Step is term used in swing dances, in particular in West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop. It is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic extension-compression technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor...

 to describe a Triple Step
Triple Step
Triple Step is a generic term for dance step patterns that describes three steps done on two main beats of music. Usually they are two quick steps and one slow one, i.e., often they are counted as "quick-quick-slow", "one-and-two", "three-and-four", etc....

 done in the pattern "back-together-forward" or "forward-together-back". Most often it is the follower's step. As of 1994, the Coaster Step was still used in "Ballroom Swing", and is an identifying feature of that dance.

This step may be used in more complex step patterns, e.g., in one of Whip patterns.

Coaster Step used instead of Anchor Step

Early in the 1950s, when "West Coast Swing" was known as "Western Swing", the Long Beach Arthur Murray Studio had a staff of top swing contestants, including Karma Halton, one of the top female dancers among them. At the end of a pattern, she "Coasted", turning her body on an angle as she swiveled back left and forward right before walking back toward her partner.

The Bronze Level syllabus for Western Swing included in the Dance Book written in the 1950s by Arthur Murray Dance Studios National Director, and Los Angeles basin resident, Lauré Haile, defined a "Coaster Step" as cross forward place, or back together side, or back forward back. Her written description of the step(s) does not include any swiveling. However, Her written description variations of the second triple of the "Basic Throwout" includes the following, "On the 2nd 1-2-3 the girl can take a sharp turn LEFT... Her styling here is to be on the balls of both feet, with both knees bent and pointing to her LEFT."

Although Haile used the term "Twinkle" to refer to a "back-together-forward" triple step, the 1971 edition of the "Encyclopedia of Social Dance" defined "Coaster Step" as "back-together-forward" in its description of "Western Swing".
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