West Coast Swing

West Coast Swing is a modern form of swing dancing, and one of the most popular in the world.

West Coast Swing began as a style of Lindy Hop danced in California in the 1940′s, and over time it was adapted to new kinds of popular music and influenced by various other dance styles. WCS is currently the state dance of California, but the dance has actually spread all over the world.

The Music

WCS was originally danced to slow to medium tempo big band swing music. Over time, it was also adapted to other styles of music, starting with blues and R&B. Today dancers enjoy a wide range of popular music that includes a lot of the top 40 hits of today as well as the last few decades. Good WCS DJ’s also discover a lot of lesser-known artists who play music that fits the dance.

The Dance

West Coast Swing was originally known as Sophisticated Swing and the dancers placed a lot of value on elegance and poise rather than the groove and athleticism of Lindy Hop. The dance has since absorbed ideas from influences as far-ranging as Hip Hop, Hustle, Salsa, and even country dances such as Two-Step. As a result, Modern WCS can range from getting “down and funky” to displaying influences from lyrical and contemporary dance.

More about WCS

• West Coast Swing on Wikipedia
• About West Coast Swing
• Myles and Tessa — Vancouver dancers who are recognized as the top WCS dancers in Canada
• The US Open — One of the biggest WCS competitions in the world