Styles of Swing
With the, what seems to be, endless amount of Swing dance styles, it is sometimes hard to keep them all straight. Dances that can be referred to as Swing dancing include the Lindy Hop, Charleston, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Jive, Shag, and many other dances developed around the 1940’s. To help you identify some of the key identifiers of these dances, a few of the Swing dances will be discussed further.
You may recognize the first Swing dance, the Lindy Hop, by its basic move, the swingout. The swingout involves one partner pulling the other into a closed position from an open position. While doing so, they pivot 180 degrees, and then the other partner is swung back into the original position. The Lindy Hop also has characteristics similar to the Charleston because it was based off of it. Just as the Lindy Hop was developed from another dance, it helped to inspire the East Coast Swing, Balboa, Shag, and Boogie Woogie.
The next dance listed as Swing dancing is the Charleston. As stated previously, the Charleston was the inspiration for the Lindy Hop. However there were different styles of Charleston dances, the one from the 1920’s is quite different than the one in the 1930’s that the Lindy Hop is associated with. If you are wondering, the first one, the 1920’s Charleston, is the dance that became popular and associated with flappers. One key feature of the Charleston, apart from other Swing dances, is the swaying arms and quick foot movements that the dancers have that helps to spot this dance.
Another dance associated with the Lindy Hop is the West Coast Swing. This form of Swing dancing is distinguished by having an elastic feel to it. Dancers in West Coast Swing use an extension and compression partnership, which gives that elastic appearance. Additionally, West Coast Swing is more linear and slower than other Swing dances.
The last form of Swing dance we will cover is the East Coast Swing. To distinguish itself from the other forms of Swing dancing, especially the West Coast Swing from California, East Coast Swing was appropriately named. The East Coast Swing is going to have a little more bounce and pep to it than some of the other forms of Swing dances. It is also more standardized as it was originally developed for instructional purposes.
No matter what type of Swing dancing you choose, you are going to have a blast. Some may be easier to start out with than others, but Swing dancing is a great dance to learn for any occasion. To start your Swing dance lessons today, come into Dance FX Studios located in Mesa, Arizona. Dance FX Studios has private Swing dance lessons and group Swing dance classes for your enjoyment. See YOU on the dance floor!
