Do You West Coast Swing?

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By Gloria Steffens


What is called today West coast swing originated from dance styles from the 1920's in New York. Swing dancing and jazz music grew up together and many believe that jazz influenced this style of dance to a large extent because these dance moves were based on impromptu dance steps. The dances were fun to watch and quickly became part of the mainstream culture.

In the early years of this dance style band leaders were noticing that people loved to come out to dance floor whenever they played music with the right beat to support this dance craze. So the band leaders encouraged the song writers to write music that would bring out the swingers in droves. At first swing was not appreciated by the professional dance associations.

Today this dance style has the respect of the professional dance associations and is even featured in many ballroom contests. Dance teachers discovered that the traditional New York way of dancing was too difficult to learn for many beginning dance students. Dance teachers started to teach an easier form of the New York version which resulted in the West coast version of today.

Dance clothes are big on the dance floor and serve to complete the whole dance experience. The clothes that people wore on the floor in the thirties and forties were baggy because people needed to move around freely and easily. Flowing skirts and baggy pants were the norm on the swinging dance floor.

Today the style of dress has changed because this dance style has been influenced by ballroom sophistication. Long dresses and formal attire is now the normal wear for dancers who perform the classic dance steps started in New York years ago. But some people like to dress in the styles of the years gone by when going out to the club or dance hall to dance.

Watching people in period clothes is like stepping back to an earlier time when dance was king. Flowing skirts and baggy pants might not look in vogue at the local shopping mall but the attire is perfectly welcome on the swinging dance floor. Those Dance enthusiasts moving to the beat having fun in their period clothes are the envy of many people who wish they could be so carefree.

West coast swing is based on dancing styles that grew out of the New York dance scene in the 1920's. This type of dancing is as popular today as it was back then. Some people love to dress up in period clothing of the thirties and forties in order to experience the complete dance experience. Many people are signing up for dance lessons because they too want to join the fun.




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