West Coast Swing—The State Dance

When you mention "West Coast Swing" to dancers who practice it regularly, be prepared for their eyes to light up. They may give you a wide smile and talk about local classes or workshops with fabulous instructors who teach the dance and win top awards at local competitions.

History

Today's West Coast Swing has roots in Jitterbug and Lindy Hop, African American swing styles that complemented early jazz and blues in New York during the 1920s and 1930s. Variations for this 4/4 time dance quickly found their way to the West Coast, a region with increasing appreciation for big bands, blues, jazz, rock and pop music throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Whether music was fast or slow, West Coast Swing fit perfectly, so it quickly gained acceptance throughout the United States. Jump ahead several decades: Today it is danced the world over. With no syllabus, the dance continues to evolve. You are likely to see several West Coast styles at the same time during the same dance.

The Versatile State Dance

Rhythmic accents have been refined over the years, making the dance even more versatile. Some avid fans use it for almost any kind of music, including tunes usually associated with a Foxtrot or Cha Cha. Due to its popularity throughout California, West Coast Swing was declared the California State Dance in 1989.

A Club Dance

West Coast Swing is classified as a "Club Dance," a preferred style to complement music in nightclubs. Strict ballroom guidelines do not apply, since improvised variations and matching or responding to your partner's moves are part of the fun. Many experienced ballroom dancers, who enjoy more disciplined styles like Waltz or Tango, are also drawn to West Coast Swing.

Dancing in a slot

Unlike dance styles that travel around a room or use wide circular patterns, West Coast is a "slotted dance." A dance couple remains in a narrow rectangular section of the floor. Other West Coast couples choose adjacent parallel slots. Primary patterns depend on moves that remain within a slot – or eventually return to it after variations – an advantage in small studios or nightclubs with limited floor space.

Not your "starter" dance

As much fun as this dance offers, studio instructors seldom suggest new dancers start with it. The basics are more complex than the East Coast Swing, a good dance to master first at beginning levels. West Coast involves intricate rhythm changes and syncopations. Steps are borrowed from Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballet, Disco, and Western. Multiple spins, body rolls and acrobatic moves are included as well.

Before you try improvisations or advanced techniques where leaders and followers actually trade roles – something that rarely happens in other partner dance styles – it's best to work on the beginning steps until they are embedded in muscle memory.

After that, you're ready for exciting dance-based "conversations" with West Coast Swing partners!

Numerous regional organizations provide valuable information about West Coast Swing. Here are some of them: The San Francisco-based Next Generation Swing Dance Club, the Santa Cruz Swing Club, the Redwood Empire Swing Dance Club in Santa Rosa, and Capital Swing Dancers in Sacramento.

Hope to see you on the dance floor!

Cheryl

Cheryl Burke Dance Mountain View

For more information, see cherylburkedance.com. Click on "Contact Us" or visit the studio Facebook pages.

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