SWAY Research

SOCIAL DANCE: SWAY
The term sway has a specific meaning in the technique of ballroom dances.
Sway describes a dancer's body position in which the entire body gracefully deflects
from the vertical. Entrance to and exit from this position are matters of fine technical
detail and differ in various dance figures.
Ballroom dancing techniques have been developed and systematized in 20th

century. Sway is one of the important technical terms especially in Modern Standard
dances. It is defined as the inclination of the body away from the moving foot and
towards the inside of the turn and indicated in each step of the figures in the syllabus.
The inclination of the body is seen in other sports such as running, skating, skiing,
motorcycle, etc., although the term “Sway” is not always used. In many cases, this
inclination is induced in the movement of turning, so that it has been explained using
centrifugal force.
Sway in ballroom dancing is also often explained as the balancing with the
centrifugal force in turning. However, in most of the turns in ballroom dancing, the
translational movement of the body is almost straight except some curving figures. The
main component of turn is regarded as the rotation around the body axis (center of
gravity), so that the expression “centrifugal force” is not adequate. Actually, the
translational body movement with acceleration and deceleration is more important than
the rotation as the “inertia force” to be balanced.
From a mechanical point of view, the inclination of the body can be analyzed in
any direction, however, since Sway in ballroom dancing is in side direction of the body
(in the coronal plane), the forward or backward inclination (in the sagittal plane) is
excluded in the analysis. Sway usually appears in the swing dances (Waltz, Foxtrot,
Quickstep and Viennese Waltz), however, the present analysis may be applied to other
dances and sports.
The problem is that the way Sway looks is vastly different from the way Sway
feels, and a lack of correct understanding of fundamentals will result in broken frame
and posture.
The Sway is the simplest and most popular social dance in the world, commonly
seen at weddings, proms, and other parties around the globe.
There are two basic kinds: Single Sway and Triple Sway.
1. SINGLE SWAY
 Single sway is based on slow walking steps, mostly in place.
 Pretty much any social dance variation can be adapted into single sway. Try
variations from Merengue, Swing, and Tango.
 Done to faster music (~120 bpm) with a Latin beat and Latin styling, single sway
turns into Merengue.
2. TRIPLE SWAY
 Triple Sway is based on slow triple steps, mostly in place.
 Many different social dance variations can be adapted into The Sway. Variations
from Bachata work especially well.
 Done to faster music (~120 bpm) with a Latin beat and Latin styling, Triple Sway
turns into Bachata.
There are other types of sway that will be discussed further:

1. TECHNICAL SWAY
When most people talk about Sway, they are talking about Technical Sway. This
is a natural inclination of the body away from the direction of movement. What this
means is that if you dancing a Waltz Natural Turn, on step 2 your body should make a
line from the LF (Lady's RF) to the top of your head. Your spine should not be straight
up and down in relation to the ground. The reason for this is mechanical: sway kills
momentum and allows you to slow down, stop, or change direction. The faster you are
moving, the more momentum you generate, and the more Sway you will need to affect
that momentum. This is the same reason motorcycles tilt as they go around corners,
and the faster they are going, the more they tilt.
In Ballroom Dancing, Technical Sway is just a lean in the direction away from the
way you're moving, proportional to your momentum, in order to slow down, stop, or
change direction. It is called Technical Sway because it comes naturally from correct
technique and is proportionally a result of your Swing, without having to think about the
Sway itself at all.
2. COSMETIC SWAY
Absolute beginners are told not to think about Sway at all, because Technical
Sway will come as your movement progresses. However, once dancers begin to master
basic Swing and Sway, Cosmetic Sway is added to the mix. Cosmetic Sway is a slight
tilting of the shoulder line in order to exaggerate shape beyond what Technical Sway
allows and make the shape more beautiful. This is achieved by stretching one side
upward, while making sure not to crunch the opposite side. I say that this is where
things start to get dangerous because when beginners see Sway, they try to copy it by
stretching one arm up and crunching the other side, but this will result in an ugly shape
and a disruption in balance. Cosmetic Sway is added on top of Technical Sway, not
instead of it. Once the fundamentals of Technical Sway are achieved and Cosmetic
Sway is added on top of it to achieve a more beautiful shape.The idea of Cosmetic
Sway is relatively new in Ballroom Dancing. A few decades ago, it did not exist, and
shapes were less exaggerated and more controlled. Look at the difference in dancing
between these two Waltzes, one from 2014, the other from the early 90's.
To dance Cosmetic Sway, dance a regular Waltz Natural Turn, with a lot of
Swing and therefore a lot of Technical Sway, but additionally, between steps 2 and 3
stretch the left side (Lady right side) upward to the sky as the feet close, without
distorting the straight topline from elbow to elbow.
3. BROKEN SWAY
Broken Sway (sometimes called Released Sway) is when the body generates
sway from tilting the upper body, and not much happens with the base. This is different
from Cosmetic Sway, which is a slight tilting added on top of Technical Sway. The
reason many dance students are told not to use Broken Sway is because they try to use
it in moving figures, like Natural Turns, when in fact Broken Sway should only be used
on Line Figures, when not moving your feet, but shaping, a great example of which is
the Oversway, in Tango. Broken Sway should never be used as a substitute for
Technical Sway, since they are used in completely different situations.
To dance Broken Sway in an Oversway position, stand on the left foot (Lady right
foot), with a flexed knee and the free leg extended to the side. Tilt from the hips and
shoulders to the right (Lady left), making sure not to crunch the space under your arms.
This is a basic Broken Sway.
Technical Sway is used on all figures that have Swing (i.e. all moving figures in
Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep), Cosmetic Sway can be added on top
of it to make a more beautiful shape, and Broken Sway is only used in Line Figures.
REFERENCES:
Ballroom Guide. (2016). The Three Types of Sway. Retrieved from http://www.ballroom
guide.com/resources/blog/2016_03_31_sway.html
Enge, N. (2015). The Sway. Retrieved from https://www.libraryofdance.org/dances/the-
sway/
Shioya, T. (2018). Analysis of Sway in Ballroom Dancing. Retrieved from
https://www.md
pi.com/2504-3900/2/6/223/pdf.

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SOCIAL DANCE: SWAY

Ballroom dancing techniques have been developed and systematized in 20th

There are other types of sway that will be discussed further:

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