So Country dancing doesn’t intrigue you, and you aren’t interested in Latin dance styles of dance either. Maybe you are tired of going out dancing at all your regular bars and your “go to” style of just shaking around is getting old. What you really need is a dance style that you can use when your favorite pop or top 40 jams are playing, right? Well…guess what? There is an official dance that you may not know about, but you’ll surely want to learn…it’s called the West Coast Swing!

West Coast Swing is generally regarded as one of the most challenging social dances because it is filled with unique concepts, like the leader and follower doing different things at the same time. However, like the Argentine Tango, which is also quite unique and special, the West Coast Swing is one of the most rewarding dances you will ever attempt, and we at Dance FX Studios believe that West Coast Swing is well worth a try. So if you are a dancer needing a challenge, or simply someone who wants to discover a worthwhile skill, this one is for you!

Here is a bit of history about the dance and the reasons why this may just be the perfect partner dance for you.

The West Coast Swing evolved from the East Coast Swing in California and quickly moved from spin-off dance status into its own separate dance category with a feverous following. As I mentioned earlier, aside from Argentine Tango, the West Coast Swing may be the most intricate partner dance taught.  The West Coast Swing is a slotted partner dance, meaning it is danced along a line, also described as a track. For this dance the follower generally moves forward and back along a track while the lead steps on and off the track as he changes her momentum and direction.

There are a few stories that attribute the reason for the slot.  The following story seems to make the most sense because the Hollywood film industry has a wide-reaching impact over what becomes popular. This was especially true in the 1930’s and 40’s, as movies were the biggest media influence. At that time the wide-angle camera had not been invented yet, so producers had the dancers line up and dance in a straight line to create the camera shots. In this way, the film captured dancer’s profiles instead of their backs as they rotated. Since they moved this way for the entire dance, the audience was able to see a lot more of the “West Coast Swing” and then go home and repeat it. The film version of the dance became such common practice that the slots stuck. Pretty interesting evolution of a dance, don’t you think?

Here are a couple of other facts about the West Coast Swing dance…

• Triple steps can be tricky and the West Coast Swing is full of them! Very few social dances use triple steps because they require a strong sense of rhythm. Triple steps also demand a high level of control over the body center, making them not as easy as steps in other dances.
• Dancing in open position requires a good frame. There are a lot of ways for closed position dancing to compensate for a weak frame, but in open position, if you don’t maintain your own frame, you’re lost. With the West Coast Swing as one of your dances, you will learn to develop an amazing frame in both positions, making you more well-rounded as a dancer.

If you’re looking for a new obsession, the West Coast Swing is an exciting dance to pick up. At Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona, you can take beginner West Coast Swing dance lessons with or without a dance partner. Dance lessons for singles or couples offer so many benefits, from stress relief to weight loss. Join us in the joys of learning to dance, letting loose and having fun with West Coast Swing lessons today!