West Coast Swing (WCS) is taught by instructors from Country & Western, Swing and Ballroom backgrounds.  Each one has some distinct differences.    This became obvious to me last year (more later).

West Coast Swing technique as it’s frequently taught today, was documented by Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance Studios and many ballroom studios today still teach from this material (not all ballroom instructors use this material). 

Two Main Differences

Coaster Step

The biggest point of contention from the West Coast Swing dance community is the Coaster Step.

A Coaster Step (for the leader)  takes place on there 5&6.    The right foot is placed behind the left (on 5),  the left is a step in place (on &) then  the right is placed beside the left again(on 6).  Variations on this exist so descriptions may vary.

The Coaster Step was predominate in the early days of WCS when the dance closely resembled Lindy.   As the dance evolved, it was determined that the Coaster Step was a hindrance to the critical connection between partners.    The anchor step soon replaced the Coaster Step for both partners.

Unfortunately, many ballroom studios still teach WCS with a Coaster Step simply because it has been taught that way in ballroom since it was first introduced.

Tap Step vs Triple Step

Tap Step is simply a tap on 3 (forward for leader, behind for follower) and then a step with the same foot on 4.

In place of Tap Step, many teach a triple Step ( ‘trip – le – step’) on the 3 & 4 count.

And, hopefully not causing too much confusion here,  a variation of the triple step can be done called a Moving Triple Step on the &3, 4 but we can save that for another day.

Tap Step Issues

Momentum – Basics of Connection says the follower should keep moving in the direction led until they are stopped, run out of arm, etc. Tap Step teaches the follower to stop their own momentum.

Balance – More often than not,  I see this done flat footed with the leaders weight firmly on the heal of the weighted (right) foot.  Weighted this way it is possible for the follower to push the leader off balance.

Compression – This posture can cause a couple of things to happen.   If the leader is off balance, there will be no compression.  Also, the leaders elbows may have a tendency to drift behind again affecting compression and connection.

Flexibility – It prohibits, or severely limits, cross slot patterns

So  is Tap Step wrong?  No it is not wrong, but it should be taught with the stipulation that it is not the norm, but executed when led.

The Hard Way

As I mentioned, I had an experience that really punctuated the differences for me.  Last year I attended a Saturday workshop taught by a nationally known instructor.   It was an intermediate class so I felt confident I would be able to handle it.

Up to this time, all my WCS instruction had been from classic ballroom instructors and less than ten minutes into the class I knew I was in trouble.  I could barely get started with the pattern that everyone else was learning with no difficulty.  Why?   In place of my tap step and Coaster step, they were doing triple steps.   I struggled for the entire hour and finally got it with the help of a couple of very kind ladies.

After that, I sought out instructors from the swing community to help me correct this.   My next group class was much more productive.

Conclusion

I’ll be the last person to say that Tap Step and Coaster Step are wrong, but they are clearly a limitation to the dance and should be taught after a student has learned to dance with triples and anchors.

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Endangered Species

 I was thinking the other day about the dances we enjoy and what the future holds for them.   Looking back through history, many dances come and go.  Some last for centuries while others are gone after a few short years.   

 Let me say that I’m not making any predictions.  I’m just speculating on what the future  could hold for some classic dance styles.

I am a great lover of music.  I can listen to many different genres of music from big band to country to contemporary and I love them all.  I wonder though, as music ages and generations come and go.  What will happen to  the dances we associate with that style of music?

Of course, we all know that dances are based on timing and not the music style, but I believe it’s safe to say  that in most cases, the two are closely related.

What will happen to the waltz and quickstep in another thirty or forty years?  Will we still be listening to the music from the big band era?  Will it become more and more difficult to find contemporary music with the timing for these dances.  Waltz maybe, but how often do you find contemporary Quickstep?   Will Foxtrot someday become  as rare as the polka?

What influences the popularity or decline of a particular dance?  One thing that technology has given us is the ability to record and preserve music.  This very well could be one possible reason why dances like Waltz and Quickstep have survived.  

Prior to recorded music,  dance styles were strictly driven by the popularity of music and what was performed live by orchestras or bands.   I believe this could have greatly influenced the life of many dance styles.

I know much effort has gone into preserving the current ballroom and latin dances.  The competitive organizations, local clubs and dance studios have standardized the dances to teach and hopefully we will see these dances continue in popularity  for many generations to come.

What do you think the future holds for these favorite dance styles?

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Fads come and go, cultures change, generations pass, but ballroom dancing will always be Timeless.  

A Timeless Tradition

Ballroom Dancing – passion, blinding sequins, skimpy outfits. That’s what most people think of when they hear “Ballroom.” Well, that and the Hollywood and sports stars that have traded in their Italian leather soles for a sleek pair of dance shoes.

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Waltz: a dance born in the suburbs of Vienna and in the alpine region of Austria. As early as the seventeenth century, waltzes were played in the ballrooms of the Hapsburg court. The weller, or turning dances, were danced by peasants in Austria and Bavaria even before that time. Many of the familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to simple peasant yodeling melodies.

Read More Waltz Dance History

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Foxtrot Dance History

The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of “Fox” after his grandfather.

Harry was thrown on his own resources at the age of fifteen. He joined a circus for a brief tour and he also played professional baseball for a short while. A music publisher liked his voice and hired him to sing songs from the boxes of vaudeville theaters in San Francisco. In 1904 he appeared in a Belvedere Theatre in a comedy entitled “Mr. Frisky of Frisco.” After the San Francisco earthquake and the fire of 1906, Harry Fox migrated East and finally stopped in New York.

Read More Foxtrot Dance History

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History of Swing

 We dance East and West Coast Swing and maybe a few others but where did it come from?  Here is a good article on the history of Swing.

 Swing dancing beginnings

What do you think of when you hear the words “swing dancing”? Many people picture guys throwing girls wearing poodle skirts in the air and Elvis Presley playing in the background.

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