On this page, learn more about East Coast Swing and couples dancing. Find out some of the
differences between East Coast and West Coast Swing.
You can download our list of practice songs for East Coast Swing here. We use PDF files and a
reader is available free from Adobe. NEW: Now you can download some of your favorite songs from our list - for just 88 cents. |
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Download Song List
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We'd also like to hear from you. We are always looking for great songs to use when we teach or
DJ. If you have a favorite song, we would love to know about it. Also, if you took our class let us know what
you liked about the class or what we could do better next time. We appreciate the chance to improve the experience
for the next dancers we teach.
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BASICS
East Coast Swing adds frame, connection, and lead & follow to the components of dance. The
frame is how you as a partner define your dance space. The connection with your partner allows you to communicate
with one another. This is necessary for lead and follow dancing. Lead and follow is the set of practices
and principles that you use to accomplish the communication. These elements work together. The frame forms the
basis for the connection, the connection forms the basis for lead and follow.
The basic pattern in East Coast Swing is six counts. There are three variants - triple swing,
double swing, and single swing. Single swing is often danced to faster music, because it reduces the number of steps
in the basic dance pattern.
In triple swing, the basic pattern is:
The man (or leader) starts the basic pattern with his left foot. The woman (or follower) starts the basic pattern
with her right foot. The foot that starts the pattern is often called the lead foot - left for the leader, right for
the follower.
To execute the basic triple swing pattern, the leader steps his left foot to the left, brings his right
foot next to his left transferring weight, then steps his left foot to the left. That completes the first triple step.
To execute the second triple step in the pattern, he steps his right foot to the right, brings his left foot next to his right
foot transferring weight, then steps his right foot to the right. To execute the rock step, the leader steps his left
foot slightly back behind his right foot (fifth foot position is recommended) and then returns weight to his right foot.
That completes the basic pattern in triple swing and he is ready to do the same thing again.
To execute the basic triple swing pattern, the follower steps her right foot to the right, brings her
left foot next to her right transferring weight, then steps her right foot to the right. That completes the first triple
step. To execute the second triple step in the pattern, she steps her left foot to the left, brings her right foot next
to her left foot transferring weight, then steps her left foot to the left. To execute the rock step, the follower steps
her right foot slightly back behind her left foot (fifth foot position is recommended) and then returns weight to her left
foot. That completes the basic pattern in triple swing and she is ready to do the same thing again.
ADDING HIP ACTION
You can add styling to your East Coast Swing with a little hip action. The easiest way to move your hips is to
bend your knees, one at a time. Bending your left knee moves your hips to the right. Bending your right knee moves
your hips to the left. Leave the same knee bent for all three counts (1&2 for the first triple step; 3&4 for
the second triple step) in each triple step.
To add styling to the basic pattern, bend the knee corresponding
to the lead foot (left for the man, right for the lady) on the first triple in the basic pattern, bend the knee corresponding
to the follow foot (right for the man, left for the lady) on the second triple in the basic pattern.
On the rock step, bend
the knee corresponding to the lead foot on the first count of the rock step (count 5) and bend the knee corresponding to the
follow foot on the second count of the rock step (count 6).
If you are doing it correctly,
it will feel uncomfortable at first. But with a little practice ... OK, maybe a lot of practice ... you will get the
hang of it.
East Versus West
Many beginning dancers are curious about the differences between East
Coast Swing (ECS) and West Coast Swing (WCS).
Learn about the differences here and watch videos hosted on YouTube to compare the
two dance forms.
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West
Coast Swing has gained in popularity lately and has been undergoing change for that reason as more dancers try it out
and experiment with variations. There are four basic differences between WCS
and ECS that we touch on here.
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The
first difference is that WCS is what is called a slot dance, while ECS is not. Typically,
in WCS, the woman (or follower) moves in a straight line, the slot, as though
she is in a track on the dance floor. The man (or leader) steps into, out of,
and across the slot as the woman moves back and forth along the slot. In ECS
there is no slot and the dance has a more rounded pattern as the partners dance around each other exchanging places and
dancing side by side.
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The
second difference is that WCS is typically done to slower music, which allows the dancers to move more of their body and
gives the dance a sensuous look which ECS does not have. The style of WCS is morphing somewhat as the popularity of the dance sends dancers on to the floor to dance
to other types of music.
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The third difference is that WCS allows the follower more latitude
in the way steps are executed. This is related again to the tempo, which allows
more time for the dancers to move. Also, the structure of the dance, based on
the slot, means the man can give the woman a chance to improvise moves at certain points as she is moving along the track.
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The
fourth difference is that ECS has a basic pattern (triple step, triple step,
rock step), while the WCS does not. This makes it more difficult to learn WCS,
though, of course, it also contributes to the fun of the dance.
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Here are links to two videos, hosted on YouTube. One shows a couple dancing
East Coast Swing while competing at the United Country Western Dance Council (UCWDC) sponsored Worlds 2007 event. The other shows a couple dancing West Coast Swing, improvising apparently on the spot. By watching these two videos you can compare
the two dance forms and see some of the differences outlined here.
[I should also mention that the East Coast
Swing video provided here shows a novice dancer competing (presumably with his instructor) while the West Coast Swing video
shows two advanced dancers improvising.]
Another video, also hosted on YouTube, shows East Coast Swing being danced using single swing timing. The video introduces
beginning level moves.
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Dance is an art form and, as with other
art forms, dance styles change over time.
The result is a large variety of dances and styles that dancers may choose from.
ECS and WCS are just two examples of these.
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From YouTube - If a video doesn't play continuously, it may be due to your connection speed. You'll
need a broadband connection with at least 500+Kbps for the best viewing experience. It's also possible that our servers are
experiencing high traffic, which sometimes affects the speed. If this is the case, there's not much you can do, but we are
continuously adding servers to keep up with demand. Thanks for hanging in there with us as we continue to grow.
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What is Musicality?
Perhaps you have heard this term and wondered what it meant. In general, with relation to dance,
it suggests making your dancing fit with the music. An example would be striking a pose
or adding some emphasis to your moves when the music hits a pause or an accent.
To get an idea of what musicality is all about, watch this video (on YouTube) of Benji Schwimmer and Mary Ann Nunez as they compete in a Jack and Jill (J&J) Competition for West Coast
Swing. (Even if you couldn't care less about musicality ... watch the video anyway!)
Note how Benji moves with the accents in the music as the song ('Think' by Aretha Franklin) starts
... and how Mary Ann follows his lead. Benji matches his moves to the cadence of the song, freezing with pauses
in the music, all the way up to the lyrics "Freedom, freedom, freedom...." Then note how he changes his moves during
this part of the song to match how the feel of the music changes as Aretha Franklin sings "freedom." Contrast, also,
the footwork during the first part of the song -- rapid weight changes -- with the smoother and relatively slower weight changes
during this change in rhythm of the music.
Note how he continues this throughout the song capturing the feel of the music and yet with different
moves. And notice how Mary Ann keeps right up with him, by matching his style. It is no accident they took first
place. What fabulous dancing!!
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Following is active, not passive.
If you have some experience dancing, then you likely know this already.
If you are a beginner, however, you may wonder what is meant by active following. Well, you are in luck, because the
same video of Benji Schwimmer and Mary Ann Nunez that we showed you for Musicality (just above) is also an
excellent example of active following.
Understand that Benji and Mary Ann are in a Jack & Jill contest, which means they have
not rehearsed the dance they are doing together. They are improvising out on the floor in real time.
And you are seeing it as they make up the dance. Benji is leading and Mary Ann is actively following -- matching Benji's
style but also adding in her own playfullness. It is fun and, frankly, amazing to watch!
As you are watching these two very talented and experienced dancers, note how Mary Ann matches her
footwork with Benji's rapid footwork as the song picks up speed. When Benji hits a pose with his hand up on the air
(Aretha Franklin says "Hey!" in the song; time is 1:29), Mary Ann is right there with him. Later, Benji jumps up on
his toes ("You need me and I need you..."; time is 2:04), Mary Ann again matches Benji's move with her own. Just
after that, they strut forward toward the audience and, once again, in unison, stop and dance back together. Finally,
notice when Benji pulls her close, Mary Ann lets her feet leave the floor but keeps them moving in time with the music ...
adding her own style to the mix, in the spirit of the styling that Benji has been using.
If you watch the video more than once, you will no doubt see some other examples of actively following
from Mary Ann.
They make it look so easy!!
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