Eight-Beat Rhythm

The core rhythm of Lindy Hop is its eight-beat rhythm, used for moves like the Lindy Turn, Lindy Circle and Swing Out. This rhythm is gives the Lindy Hop part of its distinctive character, since it is missing from the majority of the related dances that evolved from Lindy Hop (with the exception of West Coast Swing, a near relative of Lindy Hop).

The eight-beat rhythm has a rhythm structure that can be summarized as "mirrored even-odd-even-odd". In more detail:

The leader and follower use the same rhythm of steps but on opposite (mirrored) feet—if the leader steps on his left foot, the follower will be stepping on her right foot (and vice versa).
The leader starts with his weight on his right foot; the follower starts with her weight on her left foot.
Both dancers perform an even number of steps on the first two beats of an eight-beat phrase.
Both dancers perform an odd number of steps on the second two beats of an eight-beat phrase.
Both dancers perform an even number of steps on the third two beats of an eight-beat phrase.
Both dancers perform an odd number of steps on the last two beats of an eight-beat phrase.

Graphical representation of eight-beat rhythm

In the most common version, the dancers perform two steps for the even pairs of beats, and they perform a triple step for the odd pairs of beats. A complete eight-beat sequence is then:

Count			Leader	Follower
1		2	Left, Right	Right, Left
3	&	4	Left, Right, Left	Right, Left, Right
5		6	Right, Left	Left, Right
7	&	8	Right, Left, Right	Left, Right, Left

Although the table above lists numbers the steps from 1 to 8, it is important to realize that these eight beats are not always exactly aligned with eight-beat phrases in the music—the steps can be offset from the phrasing. For example, if the dancers perform a six-beat move followed by an eight-beat move, starting at the beginning of a repeated eight-beat phrase in the music, then:

Steps 1-6 of the six-beat move correspond to beats 1-6 of the first musical phrase.
Steps 1-2 of the eight-beat move correspond to beats 7-8 of the first musical phrase.
Steps 3-8 of the eight-beat move correspond to beats 1-6 of the second musical phrase.
Step 1 of the next move would start at beat 7 of the second musical phrase.

Consequently, the remainder of the book uses numbers to indicate the order of the steps, rather than to indicate any particular position in the musical phrasing.