Slapping Leather

Slapping Leather
Choreographed by Gayle Brandon (1978)
Description: 40 count, 4 wall, beginner line dance
Music: "Tulsa Time" by Don Williams; "Swingin'" by John Anderson; "Backroads" by Ricky Van Shelton
/This step description is the exact wording of the original step sheet, as signed and distributed by the original Choreographed by. Notes at the end were added to cover variations that have crept in since 1978

Counts Step Descriptions

PIGEON TOES (HEEL SPLITS)
1 Rise up on your toes and turn them in towards one another
2 Feet back center
3 Rise up on your toes and turn them in towards one another
4 Feet back center

SIDE STEPS
5 Point your right toe to the right side
6 Feet together
7 Point your left toe to the left side
8 Feet together
9 Point your right toe to the right side
10 Feet together
11 Point your left to to the left side
12 Feet together

FLOOR TAPS
13 Touch right heel to the floor directly out in front
14 Touch right heel to the floor directly out in front (heel, heel)
15 Touch right toe to the floor directly behind you
16 Touch right toe to the floor directly behind you (toe, toe)

SLAPPING LEATHER
17 Point right toe to the front (12 o'clock)
18 Point right toe to the right side (3 o'clock)
19 Cross right leg behind the left knee and hit your boot (9 o'clock)
20 Point right toe to the right side (3 o'clock)
21 Cross right leg behind the left knee and hit your boot (9 o'clock)
22 Point right toe to the right side (3 o'clock)
23 Cross right leg in front of your left knee as you turn 1/4 to the left and slap your boot on the inside of the foot
24 Slap your boot on the outside of the boot
/Picturing the face of a clock, count would be 12, 3, 9, 3, 9, 3, 9 with 1/4 left turn, 3

GRAPEVINES (BUCK AND WING)
25 Step to the right on your right foot
26 Cross your left foot behind the right
27 Step to the right on your right foot
28 Hop on your right (left heel up beside your right knee)

29 Step to the left on the left foot
30 Cross your right behind the left foot
31 Step to the left on your left foot
32 Hop on your left (your right heel up beside your left knee)

33 Step backwards on your right
34 Step backwards on your left
35 Step back on your right
36 Hop on your right (left heel to your right knee)

37 Step forward on your left
38 Step forward on your right
39 Step forward on your left
40 Stomp your right foot beside the left

REPEAT

/CHICAGO VARIATION: Dance begins on beat 5, with a foot pattern of RRLL instead of RLRL, and putting beats 1-4 at the end of the dance. Also, replace the steps done on beats 19-24 with just three steps, which happen to be the steps shown above in beats 19, 24, and 23, in that order. To make the dance come out even, the hop on beat 36 is done twice instead of once.

/SHORTER VERSIONS: In some places, the dance is shortened to 38 counts by leaving out counts 20-21. In some places, the dance is shortened to 36 counts by leaving out counts 19-22.

/OTHER VARIATIONS: In fact, this dance has seen more local variations than probably any other dance. Other variations that have taken hold over the years in various places include toe taps instead of heel taps, touches to the front instead of the side, putting the 1/4 turn in at a different place, and starting at various places in the dance. If you travel to different places throughout the world, expect to see this dance done several different ways.