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West
Coast Swing combines elements of other social club dances, focusing on
spinning and direction change, but is done to slower funk and R&B music.
West Coast Swing is also a slinky and creative dance. West Coast Swing also
stresses leader-follower connection and dancing in close harmony with the
music.
West
Coast Swing is a laid-back, improvisational, smooth and sultry dance done to
a wide variety of slower swing-tempo music, including rhythm & blues, funk,
country-western, and rock & roll. You'll recognize artists such as Christina
Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Roomful of Blues, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Our
emphasis is on having fun and playing with the music, rather than wild,
gyrating aerobics.
Leaders and followers groove back and forth with each other along an
imaginary line, referred to as the slot. West Coast Swing is slower than its
East Coast brethren, but the dancers take the extra time to do fancy
footwork: spins, quick turns, and improvised groovin'.
West
Coast Swing is one of the most popular partner dances in the country and is
especially popular in the Bay Area. It developed from the Lindy and is done
primarily to medium tempo Rhythm & Blues style music (it can also be done to
music that includes Soul, Rock and Big Band). Depending on the music this
dance ranges from "sophisticated swing" to "funky swing". This is a great
dance and those of us that dance West Coast Swing love it with a passion.
It
is a slotted, 6-count and 8-count patterns. Depending on the style it may
have lots of turns or lots of footwork. Syncopations are common. The man
stays pretty much in one place while the woman moves back and forth in a
slot. Therefore, it's the woman's movements that are emphasized. There's a
lot more hand and arm motion than in the shag to produce figures like
left/right passes, tunnels, and various wraps. |
