Swing

Brief history of "swing"
Controversy at every turn, tuck and rock step, Swing developed around the turn of the century from the combination of dances like Charleston and Tap Dancing with new partner dances that "Break-A-Way" to one hand holds and had lots of turning. One of the most popular styles was the Lindy Hop which became the basis for contemporary Swing. As interest in this dance grew other dance styles, music types and regional influences left their mark on the dance giving way to such names as Jitterbug, Jive, "West Coast", Boogie Woogie, Shag and Rock n' Roll. What makes Swing such a popular dance is the encouragement to develop your own styles while dancing and the merriment while doing it.

East Coast Swing
Originally created in 1940's as a "refined" form of Jitterbug/Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing was designed with simplified moves and less of the outlandish erotic acrobatics found in the Dance Clubs. Over time many of the original moves made their way back into the dance and now East Coast Swing is often used as an umbrella term for dance styles such as Jitterbug, Jive, and Rock n' Roll to name a few. The flexibility of this dance allows it to be danced to a whole range of music from Big Band to contemporary Rock music.

West Coast Swing
There are many different theories on why West Coast Swing is danced in a slot formation. Attributed to Dean Collins who brought the dance from New York to California, the basis of Lindy Hop was influenced by Latin Dance styles to create the tell tale moves and stylings of this dance. Sexy and provocative the dance is commonly known to be danced to R&B. As music styles changed the West Coast Swing adapted and is now also danced to Hip Hop, Funk and Disco. Most notably West Coast Swing was a heavy influence on the dance Hustle.