What is West Coast Swing?

West Coast Swing is a contemporary form of swing dance with its roots dating back to 1930s New York and later California, where it currently enjoys status as the official state dance. West Coast Swing combines swing dancing with R&B, funk, top 40, & blues music.

West Coast Swing is a smoother style of swing than traditional big band swing and is more casual than ballroom dancing. The music tends to have a strong beat and sexy attitude, with a rhythm that gets people up on the dance floor.

West Coast Swing has recently received acclaim on national television with college students Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollman winning first place (and $25,000) dancing West Coast Swing on Fox TV;'s "30 Seconds to fame" in August 2002. This young couple also placed third dancing WCS on CBS's Star Search reality show in March 2003. In addition, Kyle Redd and Sara Vann Drake (pictured right) performed West Coast Swing on ABC Family Channel's "Dance Fever" mini-series, making it to the semi-final round in August 2003.

WCS is a lead/follow dance with fundamental patterns and counts; however, there is plenty of room for musical interpretation and styling. The basic rhythm patterns are 6 and 8 counts, though they are frequently extended. The leader stays primarily in the center, while the follower moves along a straight or "slotted" path. The dance relies on leverage and connection between the leader and the follower.

West Coast Swing is extremely versatile Once you've learned the basic patterns and technique, you can dance almost anywhere, anytime...whether you're at a nightclub, a wedding, black tie gala, or even at your next company party.