NOTES TO THE DEAN COLLINS' SHIM SHAM
compiled by Jason Colwell 2001
NOTES TO THE DEAN COLLINS' SHIM SHAM
compiled by Jason Colwell 2001
This is not intended to be a complete description of the Dean Collins Shim-Sham, but rather, to be a memory aid.
Beats are numbered and a description of the action follows the number(s) of the beat(s) on which it is performed. Subdivisions of the beat are indicated by "+". For most sections, each natural phrase of about two bars is indicated by "@" (the section "Swing" being the exception, divided into 4+10+10 beats). L=left foot, R=right foot.
Drag back:
@8(R forward) 1(drag R back) 2(L forward) 3(drag L back) 4(R forward)
5(drag R back) 6(R forward) 7(drag R back)
@8(L forward) 1(drag L back) 2(R forward) 3(drag R back) 4(L forward)
5(drag L back) 6(L forward) 7(drag L back)
@8(R forward) 1(drag R back) 2(L forward) 3(drag L back) 4(tap R forward)
5(tap R back) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
Break:
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(L turn on ball of foot)
Push it:
@8(R) 1(L turn on ball) 2(R) 3(L turn on ball) 4(R) 5(L kick over R)
6(L step over R) 7(R)
@8(L) 1(R turn on ball) 2(L) 3(R turn on ball) 4(L) 5(R kick over L)
6(R step over L) 7(L)
@8(R) 1(L turn on ball) 2(R) 3(L) 4(R) 5(L) 6(kick-ball-) 7(change)
Break:
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) +(L hold) 7(R)
Tacky Ann:
@8(R to the left) 1(R to the right) 2(L to the right) 3(L to the left)
4(R to the left) 5(R to the right) 6(L step over R) +(slide feet apart)
7(plant feet apart)
@8(R to the left) 1(R to the right) 2(L to the right) 3(L to the left)
4(R to the left) 5(R to the right) 6(L step over R) +(slide feet apart)
7(plant feet apart)
@8(R to the left) 1(R to the right) 2(L to the right) 3(L to the left)
4(R) 5(L) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
Break:
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(L)
Kicks and breaks:
@8(R) 1(L) 2(R kick-ball-) 3(change) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(L)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(R kick-ball-) 3(change) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
@8(R) 1(L) +(R) 2(L and right knee up and to the left) 3(R) 4(L and
right knee up and to the left) 5(R step over left) 67(spin counter-clockwise)
Step and drag:
@8(L to the left) 1(drag R) 2(L to the left) 3(drag R) 4(L to the left)
5(drag R) 6(L to the left) 7(R) +(L)
@8(R to the right) 1(drag L) 2(R to the right) 3(drag L) 4(R to the
right) 5(drag L) 6(R to the right) 7(L) +(R)
@8(L to the left) 1(drag R) 2(L to the left) 3(drag R) 4(L to the left)
5(drag R) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
Break:
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L walk right) 6(R walk right) +(L hold)
7(R)
@8(L) 1(R walk left) 2(L walk left) +(R hold) 3(L) 4(R) 5(L walk right)
6(R walk right) +(L hold) 7(R)
@8(L behind right) +(R) 1(L) 2(R behind left) +(L) 3(R) 4(L behind
right) +(R) 5(L) 6(R behind left) 7(hold)
Shorty George:
@8(R kick-ball-) 1(change, knees to the left) 2(knees to the right)
3(right knee to the left, L forward) 4(right knee out) 5(right knee in)
6(right knee out) 7(right knee in)
@8(L kick-ball-) 1(change, knees to the right) 2(knees to the left)
3(left knee to the right, R forward) 4(left knee out) 5(left knee in) 6(left
knee out) 7(left knee in)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(R kick) 3(L kick) 4(L) 5(R) 678(Tabby-the-cat)
Break:
@8(R back) +(L) 1(R forward) 2(L back) +(R) 3(L forward) 4(R back) +(L) 5(R forward) 6(L back) +(R) 7(L forward) 8(hold)
Savoy kicks:
@1(R) 2(L) 3(R kick) 4(L kick) 5(L kick) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(kick L)
@8(bend L back at knee) 1(kick L) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(bend R back
at knee) 5(kick R back) 6(replace L with R) 7(bring left knee up) 8(tap
L back)
@1(kick L) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(bend R back at knee) 5(kick R back)
6(replace L with R) 7(bring left knee up) 8(L back)
@1(R) 2(L) 3(R kick) 4(L kick) 5(L kick) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(kick L)
@8(bend L back at knee) 1(kick L) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(bend R back
at knee) 5(kick R back) 6(replace L with R) 7(bring left knee up) 8(tap
L back)
@1(kick L) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(bend R back at knee) 5(kick R back)
6(replace L with R) 7(bring left knee up) 8(L back)
@1(R) 2(L) 3(R kick) 4(L kick) 5(L kick) 6(R kick-ball-) 7(change)
@8(R) 1(L) 2(L) 3(R) 4(R) 5(L) 6(R) 7(L kick)
@8(bend L back at knee) 1(kick L) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(bend R back
at knee) 5(R kick back) 6(replace L with R) 7(bring left knee up) 8(tap
L back)
@1(L kick) 2(L down) 3(R kick) 4(L kick) 5(L kick) 6(R kick) 7(R kick) 8(R kick)
Swing (4+10+10):
@1(R) 2(L) 3(R) 4(L tap behind)
@5(L kick) 6(L down) 7(L swing in front of R) 8(back) 1(L swing behind
R) 2(back) 3(L swing in front of R) 4(replace L with R) 5(pause) 6(L tap
back)
@7(L kick) 8(L down) 1(L swing in front of R) 2(back) 3(L swing behind
R) 4(back) 5(L swing in front of R) 6(replace L with R) 7(pause) 8(L tap
back)
Coda (moving to the left):
1(R step over L) 2 3(L) 4 5(R) 6 7(L) 8
1(R step over L) 2 3(L) 4 5(R) 6 7(L) 8
etc.