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West Coast Swing

West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance derived from Lindy Hop. It has the soul of a street dance but has been tamed by ballroom dance studios.

It is easily recognized by a distinctive push-pull pattern that results from its narrow slot.

It is believed that the origins of the WCS are in Savoy style Lindy, in a particular style that was popularized by dancer Dean Collins after he moved to California in 1930s.

Step sheets from ballroom studios reveal that this particular style was known under different names until it took on the name "West Coast Swing".

In 1988, West Coast Swing was pronounced the Official State Dance of California

West Coast Swing is believed to have evolved from Lindy Hop, though both have evolved since the fork. There is still a large amount of crossover between the two dances and between the various styles.

Key differences of WCS are:

The follower moves back and forth along a shoulder width rectangle, called the slot, with respect to the leader. The leader is more stationary and also mostly stays in the slot. A general rule is that the leader leaves the slot only to give way for the follower to pass him.

Various reasons have been given for the slotted style. One reason is that when all followers dance in lines, club owners could pack many more dancers onto the floor. Another reason was that in Hollywood, film makers wanted dancers to stay in the same plane, to avoid going in and out of focus.

WCS emphasizes Blues and Rock and Roll music, rather than Swing Jazz. Funky WCS accepts a broad spectrum of contemporary music. In practice, WCS may danced to almost any music in 4/4 time.