Swing Dancing with a Baby

A few years ago I was at a swing dance party at Karly's house. Michael Clark and I noticed that, unlike at the normal dance location, we were allowed to dance without having to put our drinks down.

So we fooled around with leading while swing dancing as much as we could using only our right hands, with the left hand holding our glass. I nicknamed the style "Captain Hook Dances Swing".

Remember the picture in which I hold little Smiley with one hand, having him sitting in my elbow and held firm between the curve of my shoulder and the curve of my hand's span? That's how I can swing dance with my wife now, while holding the baby.

A large number of moves work just fine without the left hand.

Closed Basics
1. Six count basic (turning as normal, or counter-clockwise)
2. Six count basic kicking
3. Closed break-away basic ("dual rock-step-pivot")
4. Closed Eight-count circle basic
5. Neanderthal Lindy-circle basic
6. Closed flying Lindy basic (Charleston footwork)
7. Facing Charleston basic (20's or in-line)
8. Maxie Dorf Balboa basic
9. Willie Desatoff Balboa basic (break time)

Closed Facing Moves
10. Lolly kicks
11. Tuck turn (with cross hand catch, lead may also turn)
12. Belt turn (but not its behind-back variations)
13. Balboa break turn
14. Crossovers
15. Charleston hacksaw (and variants)
16. Six count kicking basic w/ Charleston throw-out modification (weight down in transition to Facing)

Closed Charleston Moves
17. Pendulum/Stall
18. Lolly kicks (traveling forward)
19. Around the World spin

Open (Crossed Hand) Moves
20. Return to closed by turning the follow counter-clockwise
21. J lead on odd side ("springy left side pass")
22. Sugar push
23. Barrel roll
24. Karly's turn
25. Underarm turn ("check the watch")
26. Kick-through Charleston (after a clockwise turn)
27. Charleston Kick-Around (after Kick-through Charleston)