What is “Swing” dancing? Swing dancing is fun, high energy (which is great for exercise) always evolving and changing form of dance with lots of fun turns and exciting music to match. New versions of old dances are inevitable and the rabbit hole of Swing dancing goes as deep as you want it to.

You might be surprised to learn how many different kinds of Swing dancing there is!? Just look at all these titles below … they are all variations of Swing!

Lindy Hop

Balboa

Collegiate Shag

St. Louis Shag

Jitterbug

Lindy Charleston

Eastern Swing

East Coast Swing

West Coast Swing

Western Swing

Boogie-woogie

Carolina Shag

Imperial Swing

Jive

Skip Jive

Modern Jive

Rock and Roll

Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll

Washington Hand Dancing

Push and Whip

Modern Swing

Mo-Cathy or Silly Swing

Out of the list of Swing dance choices above, the 5 top dances that can be utilized most for social dancing are: the Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag, East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing.

Here is a little bit of history about these dances. The Lindy Hop was the original Swing, and it emerged during the 1920’s to 30’s. It was followed Balboa and Shag-two dances that are also in the Lindy Hop family. The East Coast Swing is a simplified version of the Lindy Hop and comes in triple, double, and single-time varieties. Single time is commonly referred to as Jitterbug, although the term “Jitterbug” originally referred to anyone who danced Swing.

The West Coast is a modern version of Lindy Hop with a different twist on the style. Originally, Lindy Hop dancers looked down on West Coast dancers, nick-named “Westies” and vice-versa. Today both styles of dancers tend to appreciate each other’s swing version a bit more.

So now that your interest is peaked, how does one go about learning Swing dancing? Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona recommends starting with either Jitterbug or West Coast Swing by taking private dance lessons. This way you can dance swing to a variety of music and have lots of fun doing it. Private instruction is the fastest way to become a great Swing dancer.

In fact taking private one-on-one dance lessons is the fastest way to becoming a great social dancer of any style of dance you are interested in.  Dance FX Studios teaches just about any style of social ballroom dance popular today including Country and Latin Styles. Why not try out the dance of your choice today by taking advantage of our New Student Offer of only $25 for an hour lesson!