The shim sham is both a step and a choreography.

The Shim-Sham step takes two beats. When done with the left foot, the weight stays on the right foot. Stomp the left foot lightly, leaving the foot flat on the floor, as far forward and to the left as possible. On the second beat drag the foot, still flat on the floor, back to the right foot.

A shim sham on the right foot it the obvious reversal.


The shim sham choreography is a swing or Lindy Hop Line Dance from the 1930s.

The shim sham choreography begins with the shim sham step. This starts on beat eight, meaning the first shim sham step is performed on beats eight and one. Right-left-right-right, left-right-left-left, Right-left-right-right, and then do the eight beat break (step right, tap left behind, step left, tap right behind, step, step, kick, ball change).

The next part is the push. A single push takes two beats: one beat to push forward on a foot and the next beat to pull back to the starting position. When doing several pushes in a row, your weight shifts, but your feet don't really move. In this section of the shim sham, do two pushes to the right, and then do a crossover, wherein you do the first beat of the third push, swing your left foot up, step with your left foot crossing over, and then step with your right foot to uncross your legs. Now repeat the whole thing, starting to the left; once more to the right, and then two crossovers without the pushes.

The shim sham is now officially over, but is usually followed by the Tacky Annie.

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