How Do You Perform West Coast Swing?
The West Coast Swing is considered by many swing dancers to be the cooler and more sophisticated kind of swing dance. As opposed to its geographical counterpart, where dancers move around with no regard for their placement on the dance floor, West Coast Swing dancers perform their moves in a narrow, linear pattern called a slot. The West Coast Swing also uses slower music ranging from 110 to 130 beats per minute. Though considered slightly more difficult than the East Coast version, the West Coast Swing is also a little sexier, which makes well worth the effort. Face your partner throughout the basic beginning steps. Begin with a starter step consisting of 4 beats. This is simply a movement that allows you to remain in place while still anticipating the upcoming motions. It is designed to allow your body and your partner a “build-up” period to catch the rhythm in order to perform the dance in proper time. Take 1 step back with the left foot on the first beat after the 4-beat starter st
