West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing developed in California in the 1940s and 1950s out of Lindy Hop, as dancers adapted a smoother, more elastic style to Western swing and country boogie. The name appeared in dance literature in 1961, and in 1988 California made it its official state dance.
Partners dance in a slot, an imaginary rectangle in which the follower travels back and forth while the leader moves little, so many couples can share a crowded floor. Six- and eight-count patterns such as the sugar push, underarm pass and whip are a base for improvisation, with music from about 102-114 beats per minute down to slower blues. The World Swing Dance Council supports events and competitors worldwide.
Sources
- Wikipedia: West Coast Swing
- World Swing Dance Council: About (mission)
- The Open World Swing Dance Championships (official site)
Organisations connected with this dance
Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.