A good piece of music deserves a good grasp of its compatible dance moves. So, before hitting the road to that party or night club, or signing up for that dancing class you have always wanted to try, it’s essential to understand the basics of dancing. Let’s look at two of the oldest categories of dancing – the east coast and the west coast swing.
Definitions
The east coast swing is a type of dance where partners move around and around the dance floor. This circular motion requires considerable floor space. Generally, the movements of the two partners resemble each other’s moves – so that if one takes a left step back, the other takes a right step forward and so on.
The west coast swing, on the other hand, follows a linear movement where the partners move up and down taking up relatively smaller floor space. The movements of the two partners generally differ – the lead partner moves shorter distances up and down a “slot” and around the follow partner who spins and turns as he/she moves.
Comparison Chart
| East Coast Swing | West Coast Swing |
| Dancers generally move circularly | Dancers generally move linearly. |
| Takes a relatively large dancing space | Takes a compact dancing space |
| Dancers’ movements mirror each other’s movements. | Dancers do different things |
| Variously known as jitterbug, boogie-woogie, jive, and lindy hop | Variously known as whip, shag, and push |
| Easier to learn | Relatively difficult to learn |
| Dancers mostly make fast and energetic movements | Is a little slower |
East Coast Swing vs West Coast Swing
What is the difference between East Coast and West Coast Swing? To help differentiate these two dance styles, let’s take a closer look at how each dancer moves, the speed with which they dance, the ease with which you can learn these styles, and some variations of each.
- In the east coast swing, dancers move in a circular pattern. This takes up a relatively large dancing area. In addition, the general movement of one dancer is mirrored by the other’s movements. For instance, if one partner moves a step to the right, the other moves a step to the left.
In the west coast swing, partners move up and down a particular “slot” utilizing a compact dancing area. Dancers make different moves while performing this swing. The follow partner spins and turns as he/she moves up and down the “slot”. The lead partner moves in shorter distances up and down the “slot” while moving around the follow partner.
- The east coast swing is older and features faster and more energetic movements than the west coast swing. It is also very limited in adaptability, unlike the west coast one which can be used with a wide variety of songs. Of the two, east coast swing is easier to learn as it has basic movements.
- The east coast swing has a number of variations such as jitterbug, boogie-woogie, jive, and lindy hop while the west coast swing has variations such as whip, shag, and push.