Ugh yeah bad audio. This was a much older video but the info was good so we left it up. You can read our article on East Coast Swing vs West Coast Swing here: www.westcoastswingonline.com/east-coast-swing-vs-west-coast-swing/
Clear explanation. Small addition: For me the biggest difference is the bounce (or the lack of it in WCS). You don't mention it in words but it shows clearly in your examples. For me, but that's personal, is why I prefer ECS and other bouncing dances like Boogie Woogie, Balboa, Lindy Hop and Blues :)
Yes sir. You're 100% right. WCS has a lilt or bounce to it that WCS no longer has. WCS is the smooth swing dance. Happy Dancing - Brian PS if people are new to WCS please check out our Beginner West Coast Swing Page. It has lots of FREE cool resources www.westcoastswingonline.com/beginner-resources/
Lindyhopper here and a recent West Coast Swing convert (lindyhopping since 1998!) Love the smoothness and lack of bounce of West Coast which is now why I prefer.....West Coast! I still love Lindy but LOVE West coast. I tried a few years after doing lindy but wasn't ready. Ready now! Loving West Coast!
Thanks @@aprilsaccountabilityaccoun2889! I hope to do some videos comparing Lindy to WCS to explain the similarities and differences for newbies. Keep dancing! -Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline I cannot wait to see the video. I have a bit of a hard time currently trying to take my lindy out of my west coast. When west coasters dance with me they immediately can tell I am a lindyhopper. I want to eventually be able to do West coast and have people think I am a west coaster! I will keep dancing /practicing until it happens!
@@aprilsaccountabilityaccoun2889 Keep up the good work. A lindy video is coming but not till summer. I have to brush up on my understanding of it to create a good resource. Best wishes! B
Thanks Bryan. Its a video I've wanted to do for a while now. Its a question we get a lot so I figured I'd try to answer as best as I could! Thanks for the feedback. -Brian
Thanks! Yeah it's easier to dance WCS all night long. ECS suites a ballroom dance mix better when you'll only dance one every 6 or 7 songs. Thanks for the support! -Brian
We do what can be considered a variation of East Coast, but we don't overly pronunce our triple steps. We smoothe-out the triple step. We avoid the hard triple step because it overly engages the hips, and causes a ripple in the movement. Like when a flat water surface hits a small rock to go over it. We consider it wasted motion and energy. So, we glide with mininum effort, and keeping attention on the flow, and being one with nature. We step up with 1 2, (3, & 4) (5 & 6)
Thanks for the video, Brian! Really appreciate it. I have a question...what is the difference between Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing? I thought they were the same thing but not positive since I've heard both names
Great Question! Here is an article that will hopefully explain some of the differences! www.westcoastswingonline.com/types-of-swing-dance/ I hope that helps! Thanks for the support of out channel! -Brian
Hi Jaine, Thats a great question but I don't have an easy answer. Different styles of swing will all use "Swing" West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and many others are all considered swing so each of the communities will use "swing" to refer to their dances from time to time. Different dance communities will use slightly different terms but 'swing' will pop up all over the place. This article may help define them a bit for you. Hope this helps...www.dancetime.com/swing-dance-styles-1872/
I think east coast swing is easier to start out with however I think West Coast Swing is cooler long term! ;-) Check out www.WestCoastSwingOnline.com for more info about WCS.
When I first started dancing I tried a few east coast style lessons and also a mini west coast swing workshop. I chose the east coast style... basic east coast swing is far easier and likely more gratifying for a beginner. Now I dance west coast swing exclusively.
I was told very good East Coast swing dancers move back and forth in an elastic line (also to build momentum), and you always aim for the line to stay the same; The lead is also just moving around more in East Coast. Is this not accurate?
There are always different styles and different ways to do each dance. I'm just teaching what i know from my 20 years of experience but that does NOT make me the definitive source of info ;-) I think the leader moves around quite a bit in both WCS and ECS. The lead itself should remain calm in both dances as well. Hope that helps a bit...
I don't know either dance you talk about in this video but I know lindy hop, what dance is closer to Lindy hop?- west or east coast swing? I know lindy hop can mix in 6 counts and 8 counts in the same song, as long as you keep getting back to the "one" of the rhythm. In fact you can do the same move for 16 straight counts in lindy hop then jump back on the "one" and start a fresh 6 count in lindy hop, which allows for a lot of creativity. Can you do that in West and East Coast swing?
We in St louis don't start with a back step. We count triple step triple step back step. We dance some slot and some in the round. We also do single time, double time and triple time in our routine. Routine meaning the song start to finish not a competition routine. We sometimes dance to 100 bpm but mostly we dance to between 110 to 140. We call what we do the Imperial (Named after a club we used to dance at) And style that dance studios teach is too formal the people that learned in the clubs we frequent call what we do is street dancing. Not as formal and not as feminine
Great explanation! I am looking to do an East Coast Swing for my first wedding dance. Do you have recommendations for good songs? Also I'm a beginner and was wondering if you had any advice. I'd like the dance to be fun for my fiancee and I.
That's really cool! We DO have a list of ECS songs (although we weren't thinking of wedding dances when we created it. East Coast Swing Music: www.countrydanceonline.com/top-10-east-coast-swing-songs/ We have a great beginner ECS tutorial over on our other channel. East Coast Swing for Beginners: ua-cam.com/play/PLgM0bfYIGz3QVa5c7xdhkCtjyvAgh5pY4.html Let me know if I can help in any way! Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline Now I'm totally confused. I was told West Coast Swing was the Rockabilly style aka more like Jive. That's why I've been seeking WCS for years to no avail. If I like 50's music and Big Band swing, should I have been showing up to the ECS events?
@@faerykat Yeah WCS is a slower dance (way slower than jive for sure) If you like 50's music and Big Band WCS is probably not the best dance for that style of music. Take a peek at this article that will walk you through the different styles of swing dancing! www.westcoastswingonline.com/types-of-swing-dance/
Ok now i'm confused. Rock step, triple step, triple step is apparently the basic rhythm of 4 dances to my knowledge: jive, east coast swing, west coast swing and boogie woogie. I understand that a dance is not only defined by the basic rhythm but what is actually the difference between these? Especially jive and east coast swing, they seem very similar to me, although east coast swing is usually considered a type of swing dance, while jive is categorised as a latin dance.
I understand that it can be confusing at first. Think of it as you do vocabulary...words can have a different meaning depending on their context. Its difficult to get into the technical differences of those 4 dances in a message like this but yes those dances are all very similar to a newer dancer. You are not alone in thinking that. There is a great blog that gets into the history of social dancing that you might find interesting... dancehistorian.com/blog/?v=1d20b5ff1ee9
Thanks for the kind words. Nope we didn't practice but we have danced just about every week together since 2004 so I think Megan can read my mind (and my lead) pretty well these days! -Brian
Ha! Good question. The short answer... I have no idea LOL The longer answer... there are almost countless slight variations of swing dance that are influenced by the music and culture of their geographic area :-)
Having danced east coast first and only recently taken on west coast, I can say that east coast is easier. West coast has many nuances that rely on a stricter form. East coast has more freedom and bounce.
*Learn the ECS Basics:* ua-cam.com/video/4veppv9jBXc/v-deo.html
*Learn the WCS Basics:* ua-cam.com/video/vq6iYMorQIs/v-deo.html
*More Swing Dance History:* bit.ly/3aoT7Ds
My Left ear loved this video
Ugh yeah bad audio. This was a much older video but the info was good so we left it up. You can read our article on East Coast Swing vs West Coast Swing here: www.westcoastswingonline.com/east-coast-swing-vs-west-coast-swing/
Lol I just noticed after reading this comment
Same🤣
😂😂😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Clear explanation. Small addition: For me the biggest difference is the bounce (or the lack of it in WCS). You don't mention it in words but it shows clearly in your examples. For me, but that's personal, is why I prefer ECS and other bouncing dances like Boogie Woogie, Balboa, Lindy Hop and Blues :)
Yes sir. You're 100% right. WCS has a lilt or bounce to it that WCS no longer has. WCS is the smooth swing dance. Happy Dancing - Brian
PS if people are new to WCS please check out our Beginner West Coast Swing Page. It has lots of FREE cool resources
www.westcoastswingonline.com/beginner-resources/
Lindyhopper here and a recent West Coast Swing convert (lindyhopping since 1998!) Love the smoothness and lack of bounce of West Coast which is now why I prefer.....West Coast! I still love Lindy but LOVE West coast. I tried a few years after doing lindy but wasn't ready. Ready now! Loving West Coast!
Thanks @@aprilsaccountabilityaccoun2889! I hope to do some videos comparing Lindy to WCS to explain the similarities and differences for newbies. Keep dancing! -Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline I cannot wait to see the video. I have a bit of a hard time currently trying to take my lindy out of my west coast. When west coasters dance with me they immediately can tell I am a lindyhopper. I want to eventually be able to do West coast and have people think I am a west coaster! I will keep dancing /practicing until it happens!
@@aprilsaccountabilityaccoun2889 Keep up the good work. A lindy video is coming but not till summer. I have to brush up on my understanding of it to create a good resource. Best wishes! B
I remember dancing with my WWII generation dad to big band music. He was doing East Coast while I was dancing West Coast. We both did well.
As the great Dean Collins once famously said "it's all swing!" Hope you're still doing some dancing these days :-) -Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline gotta find a partner. Nobody wants to swing anymore. They are intimidated. It’s so easy
@@DJarry394 People have a hard time getting started for sure.
@@DJarry394 yeah I can't find anything near me. Been looking for years.
This was a very clear and concise explanation. Thank you, it clarified my questions well.
Thats great to hear. Thats EXACTLY why we made the video. Glad to be a help -Brian
Customer has a few area rugs, need to determine if they can be cleaned with extraction process, ARE THEY DRY CLEAN ONLY??
Hi Mike... maybe the wrong place for that comment? ;-)
0:36 sloted dance
1:57 music speed (under 115 BPM)
2:38 two walks and two triples
Great job on video! 4 minutes packed with good clear information.
Thanks! That's our goal. I think it works perfect for the UA-cam format. Happy Dancing! PS Any other topics you'd like us to cover? -Brian
Smartly explained and quickly in first minute or so.
Thanks Randy!
All your videos are so very helpful!
Awwww thanks! This was a popular topic. We just shot it early before our cameras and mics were on point. Thanks for the support! -Brian
This guy is the Dragon of Dance!!!!
Great explanation and demonstration.
Thank you! There are so many things that are different about the 2 dances but also so many things that are the same.
Thank you! Great explanation!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the video!! 🎉
Thank you for watching!
This is really clear and helpful!
Thanks Bryan. Its a video I've wanted to do for a while now. Its a question we get a lot so I figured I'd try to answer as best as I could! Thanks for the feedback. -Brian
Very good video. I read your article and was such as informative. Thanks for your initiative and sharing this information in such an easy way. 👏
Glad it was helpful! -Brian
Thank you so much for this clear explanation!
Super glad you found it helpful! -Brian
Glad it was helpful!
Clear concise explanation as always . I prefer WCS those bouncy speedy repetitive triple steps in ECS would not suit me . Good aerobic workout tho .
Thanks! Yeah it's easier to dance WCS all night long. ECS suites a ballroom dance mix better when you'll only dance one every 6 or 7 songs. Thanks for the support! -Brian
We do what can be considered a variation of East Coast, but we don't overly pronunce our triple steps. We smoothe-out the triple step. We avoid the hard triple step because it overly engages the hips, and causes a ripple in the movement. Like when a flat water surface hits a small rock to go over it. We consider it wasted motion and energy. So, we glide with mininum effort, and keeping attention on the flow, and being one with nature. We step up with 1 2, (3, & 4) (5 & 6)
Very fun 😊
Thanks for the video, Brian! Really appreciate it. I have a question...what is the difference between Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing? I thought they were the same thing but not positive since I've heard both names
Great Question! Here is an article that will hopefully explain some of the differences! www.westcoastswingonline.com/types-of-swing-dance/ I hope that helps! Thanks for the support of out channel! -Brian
When they say just swing, witch one they are talking about? If I wanna go to social dance of swing, what I'm going to find there?
Hi Jaine,
Thats a great question but I don't have an easy answer. Different styles of swing will all use "Swing" West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and many others are all considered swing so each of the communities will use "swing" to refer to their dances from time to time. Different dance communities will use slightly different terms but 'swing' will pop up all over the place. This article may help define them a bit for you. Hope this helps...www.dancetime.com/swing-dance-styles-1872/
From what ive found, theres usually a mix of the different types :)
Thanks for the clear explanation! The differences make sense with the regions. ;)
I'm glad you found it helpful -Brian
if I want to learn swing, should I learn west or east coast swing first?
Most folks find East easier to learn first. Both are great!
I think east coast swing is easier to start out with however I think West Coast Swing is cooler long term! ;-) Check out www.WestCoastSwingOnline.com for more info about WCS.
I completely agree!
West Coast Swing Online
When I first started dancing I tried a few east coast style lessons and also a mini west coast swing workshop. I chose the east coast style... basic east coast swing is far easier and likely more gratifying for a beginner.
Now I dance west coast swing exclusively.
I love how these dances were designed for the dance floor and staying out of other people's way
It is nice isn't it!
I was told very good East Coast swing dancers move back and forth in an elastic line (also to build momentum), and you always aim for the line to stay the same; The lead is also just moving around more in East Coast. Is this not accurate?
There are always different styles and different ways to do each dance. I'm just teaching what i know from my 20 years of experience but that does NOT make me the definitive source of info ;-)
I think the leader moves around quite a bit in both WCS and ECS.
The lead itself should remain calm in both dances as well.
Hope that helps a bit...
I don't know either dance you talk about in this video but I know lindy hop, what dance is closer to Lindy hop?- west or east coast swing? I know lindy hop can mix in 6 counts and 8 counts in the same song, as long as you keep getting back to the "one" of the rhythm. In fact you can do the same move for 16 straight counts in lindy hop then jump back on the "one" and start a fresh 6 count in lindy hop, which allows for a lot of creativity. Can you do that in West and East Coast swing?
We in St louis don't start with a back step. We count triple step triple step back step. We dance some slot and some in the round. We also do single time, double time and triple time in our routine. Routine meaning the song start to finish not a competition routine. We sometimes dance to 100 bpm but mostly we dance to between 110 to 140. We call what we do the Imperial (Named after a club we used to dance at) And style that dance studios teach is too formal the people that learned in the clubs we frequent call what we do is street dancing. Not as formal and not as feminine
Hey there! Thanks so much for sharing. It's good to hear about all of the different kinds of swing dancing. Best wishes, Brian
You basically do it at the end instead of at the beginning.
I would like to see jive and swing side by side bcz idk the difference, is there a video like that?
not that I know of but... we have an article that has some links: www.westcoastswingonline.com/types-of-swing-dance/
@@WestCoastSwingOnline thank you!!! 😀
Great explanation! I am looking to do an East Coast Swing for my first wedding dance. Do you have recommendations for good songs? Also I'm a beginner and was wondering if you had any advice. I'd like the dance to be fun for my fiancee and I.
That's really cool! We DO have a list of ECS songs (although we weren't thinking of wedding dances when we created it.
East Coast Swing Music:
www.countrydanceonline.com/top-10-east-coast-swing-songs/
We have a great beginner ECS tutorial over on our other channel.
East Coast Swing for Beginners:
ua-cam.com/play/PLgM0bfYIGz3QVa5c7xdhkCtjyvAgh5pY4.html
Let me know if I can help in any way!
Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline thanks for responding to me. I'll check out your song list and let you know if we end up doing one. We're super excited.
I like the faster type ..east coast
Cool beans! ECS is faster for sure. WCS is a little slower and more dynamic. Whatever moves you. Happy dancing,
Brian B
We love it too!
NB 1.02😊
East Coast Swing and International Jive are almost the same, with some differences.
Yep they are FAR more similar than different! -Brian
@@WestCoastSwingOnline Now I'm totally confused. I was told West Coast Swing was the Rockabilly style aka more like Jive. That's why I've been seeking WCS for years to no avail. If I like 50's music and Big Band swing, should I have been showing up to the ECS events?
@@faerykat Yeah WCS is a slower dance (way slower than jive for sure) If you like 50's music and Big Band WCS is probably not the best dance for that style of music. Take a peek at this article that will walk you through the different styles of swing dancing! www.westcoastswingonline.com/types-of-swing-dance/
@@WestCoastSwingOnline thank you
Jive and East coast Swing are the same dance, aren't they ?
The patterns you might learn are slightly different but yes! Basically the are the same dance. Jive is done to much faster than swing though!
Thanks you ;-)
You are very welcome! I'm glad to help.
@@WestCoastSwingOnlineabsolutely I prefer to use the slower music
yeah, I (being a west coaster) would like to think that west coast is slower, cooler. and less bouncy
Me too!
My question is which one is country swing
Oh... great question! Here is our video on country swing: ua-cam.com/video/2vWEbtxtsRU/v-deo.html
Ok now i'm confused. Rock step, triple step, triple step is apparently the basic rhythm of 4 dances to my knowledge: jive, east coast swing, west coast swing and boogie woogie. I understand that a dance is not only defined by the basic rhythm but what is actually the difference between these? Especially jive and east coast swing, they seem very similar to me, although east coast swing is usually considered a type of swing dance, while jive is categorised as a latin dance.
I understand that it can be confusing at first. Think of it as you do vocabulary...words can have a different meaning depending on their context. Its difficult to get into the technical differences of those 4 dances in a message like this but yes those dances are all very similar to a newer dancer. You are not alone in thinking that. There is a great blog that gets into the history of social dancing that you might find interesting... dancehistorian.com/blog/?v=1d20b5ff1ee9
Thanks, I'll take a look
Best of luck. Happy Holiday
Loved it. Now I get it!
I'm so glad!!!
OoOop whEre'S mY mArKer
Totally my manager
I'm lost lol
Either they practiced this presentation a thousand times or she can read his mind.
Thanks for the kind words. Nope we didn't practice but we have danced just about every week together since 2004 so I think Megan can read my mind (and my lead) pretty well these days! -Brian
HA, Idk Argentine Tango either- it's complicated!
I used to but not anymore.
@@WestCoastSwingOnline Forgotten it from lack of opportunity to dance or practice it?
What about MIDWEST SWING 🤣😂❤️🔥💭
Ha! Good question. The short answer... I have no idea LOL The longer answer... there are almost countless slight variations of swing dance that are influenced by the music and culture of their geographic area :-)
West Coast is very similar to the Hustle.
It has its similarities for sure.
but West coast swing looks easier to learn
ECS is probably easier to learn but both are very cool. -B
Having danced east coast first and only recently taken on west coast, I can say that east coast is easier. West coast has many nuances that rely on a stricter form. East coast has more freedom and bounce.
East coast swing looks like someone needs to pee but the bathroom is occupied.
Dancing is weird no doubt! LOL -B
Holy moly is the audio out of balance on this. Don't watch it with headphones on!
The sound is loud but even through the video. I am sorry if you had a problem with it.