As a West Coast Swing Instructor, I always teach the triple instead of a Tap on the Sugar Push. It is more difficult than the tap step.

However I find once a student does the tap step, it is difficult to get them to do anything else. It is lazier. Later once they use the triple as there basic steps for the Sugar Push (Push Break - I like Sugar) then they can learn the Tap Step or other syncopations.

The First thing I teach is the Under Arm Turn (Pass), this gets them moving down the slot. The last thing I teach is the starter step (east coast swing). Because in WCS you can start anywhere. It is a great dance.

I find this works bests. Lori

True, and a similar thing happens when teaching swing. If you teach single time swing first, a beginner will have trouble with triple time. If you teach triple time first, single time becomes so easy for a beginner that you almost don't even have to teach it.

Also, the tap step on the sugar push is considered by most good west coasters to be a thing of the past.

Absolutely True. And I now have to reconsider my Triple and single ECS tactics. Thanks, dd

At our studio, one teacher prefers the tap step, one prefers the triple step, and it's left up to the dancer to decide which is best. I was originally taught to tap, and then later on when triple was introduced it did throw me for a loop, but I worked it out and now use both. If the music's faster I'll usually tap, if it's slower I'll triple.

There's a lady at our studio who is a die-hard west coast fanatic. She says in the larger WCS circles the sugar push itself is becoming a relic, and that many people are omitting it from their dance altogether.

J

Bless you delightfuldance. . .
I have a group of dancers, Ball room dancers with 1 or more years of experience dancing in an active competitive studio, that are learning WCS as a group class.
I always teach the side pass befor the sugar push, My first pattern I teach is the 8 count basket, then the whip, then side pass, then sugar push. I also teach the follow first and make everybody understand each part then the lead. They are complaining up a storm!! But the class is getting larger each week and they are slowly becoming better dancers all around and they are having fun in the WCS. I am putting a throw out and pick up in soon as they all dance ECS allready.