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Partner Technique6 minutes

Balboa Come Around: Turn Together and Close with Confidence

By Mary De LucaUpdated

In brief
  • In the Come Around in Bal-Swing, you turn with your partner along a shared, compact path.
  • The lead comes from body alignment and weight changes, not from pulling on the hands.
  • Close the partner position only when the distance and alignment allow for a relaxed connection.
  • First practice slowly with familiar footwork, then continue your basic rhythm after closing.

A turn can look smooth from the outside and still feel like a collision on the inside. With the Come Around, you can especially clearly tell whether you’re giving each other space or trying to force the finish with your arms.

What you need for the exercise

  • Familiar Balboa footwork with confident weight changes
  • A partner with agreed lead and follow roles
  • Flat shoes with soles that glide in a controlled way
  • A level, clear space for a small shared turning path
  • Swing music at a relaxed practice tempo for you

The shared turning path determines the finish

The Come Around is part of Bal-Swing and brings you back into a closed partner position through a shared turning movement. For this exercise, start from a slightly open connection and take a compact clockwise turn, as seen from above. Entries, footwork variations, and ways of counting differ between teaching traditions. So the sequence here is an exercise in the movement path, not a universal foot sequence: keep the Balboa footwork you have already learned.

The leading partner changes their own orientation and moves the connection along with their body. The following partner takes their own steps and stays over their own supporting leg. Both of you move along coordinated arcs; nobody stays in place as a fixed pivot. Your arms transmit the path, they do not pull a body around the curve. The distinction between connection and arm pulling is also important in Lindy Hop, though you do not need to adopt its larger, more elastic movements here.

“Closed” describes the partner position, not an especially firm grip. Move close enough for the familiar contact to feel comfortable. For this preparatory exercise, a finish that lets both of you continue moving right away matters more than a specific turning angle. The steps for Up-Hold and Down-Hold belong to the separate basic step exercise and are not covered again here.

Leaving a clear spot to change shoes keeps bags from getting in the way when you need room to turn later.
Leaving a clear spot to change shoes keeps bags from getting in the way when you need room to turn later.

Build the Come Around in seven steps

  1. Establish a shared starting point

    Face each other in a slightly open hold and dance your familiar footwork in place. Keep your hands low and your elbows relaxed; begin only when you can both shift your weight confidently without relying on your arms for extra support.

  2. Start the right turn with a small step

    As the leader, orient your body slightly to the right with the next suitable weight transfer and take a small step along the arc. As the follower, follow the path offered without anticipating an additional turn yourself.

  3. Move around the curve with your body

    Continue your familiar footwork along the shared arc instead of just twisting your shoulders. Your feet carry the change of direction; your arms stay in front of your body and don't need to be stretched out or pulled behind your back.

  4. Maintain Distance During the Turn

    First, leave enough room for the next steps and don't move closer abruptly. The leading person adjusts their own path when the connection tightens; the following person maintains their balance instead of leaning their upper body into the connection.

  5. Link the approach to the step

    Reduce the distance through your walking path as soon as you realign with each other. The leading partner offers the familiar closed hold with their right hand on the upper back, without pulling the other person in or abruptly stopping their path.

  6. Keep Moving in Closed Position

    After reconnecting, move straight into another familiar weight shift. The finish is successful if you can keep dancing without a corrective step, tightening your hold, or a shoulder jerk; you don't need to be perfectly face-to-face.

  7. Repeat the sequence with music

    Dance one Come Around each to calm music, followed by several basic rhythms in closed position. Only increase the tempo once your connection stays steady; if you start to rush, make your steps smaller instead of working your arms faster.

How to recognize proper execution

Do it like this

  • Keep your knees flexible and stay upright over your feet
  • Keep your hands at a steady height as you move closer
  • Only dance as much of a turn as you can both control
  • If your feet touch, stop and start again with more space

Not like this

  • Lock your knees and tilt your upper body into the turn
  • Jerk your hands up suddenly to close
  • Force a full turn despite losing your balance
  • Dance through the figure with more force after a kick

Your practice routine checklist

Before Your First Try

Start

After the Slow Round

Review

After practicing to music

Application

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. There is no definitive count sequence for all Come Around variations; use the footwork and counting of the version you learned. This guide describes the shared pathway, not individual foot contacts. So don't invent an extra step to force the close onto a particular count. The pathway, weight and musical pulse should fit together.

Find your way around as a pair

On udansa, you can find dance partners to slowly repeat the Come Around with and consciously agree on lead and follow roles. Be specific and say that you want to practice Bal-Swing and returning to closed position.

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Find your way around as a pair

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