History of the West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing, also known as Western Swing, originated from one of the many local forms of the Lindy Hop. Its popularity is primarily contributed to Dean Collins who moved to Los Angeles in 1937. He, however, never took full credit for it saying that “in swing, there are only two types, good swing and bad swing.” Later, the Arthur Murry system officially incorporated the dance into its syllabus, and the dance became much more standardized. The coaster step was replaced by the anchor step, and it became common to start in closed hold.
Due to the documentation of West Coast Swing’s development within the United States throughout the 20th century. It is possible to trace individual moves back to specific people and locations, which is quite rare to find in dance history. While West Coast Swing remains one of the most popular dances in the Swing family, there still remains a large variety of variations in it due to the influences of East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Jitterbug.
About the Dance
Unlike many social dances, the West Coast Swing has walks that start with heel leads and triples. These walks cause the swing to be danced in a line, meaning that it is a “slot dance.” Some suggest that this started because there was no way to dance a rock step in a crowded bar. Regardless, the West Coast Swing features seven main steps, with most everything else as variations that can be danced in different times.
Recommended Music List for Beginners
- Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
- Besame Mama, Mongo Santa Maria
- Guajira, Yerba Buena
- Mueve El Cuerpo, Rodolfo Guerra
- De Hombre A Mujer, Donato
- Oye Como Va, Santana
- Lolita, Giants of Latin
- Wabble Cha, Joe Cuba
- El Pollo De Carlitos, Latin Music 5
- Smooth, Carlos Santana