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Swing dancing was born in the 1930s at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, but its roots go deep into the slave plantations of the old south.  In the 1940s, swing was "discovered" by the downtown white dancers and a national dance craze was born.   In the 50s, Rock and Roll evolved, and couple dancing faded away for an entire generation.  But couple dancing is back!

East Coast swing is made up of (mostly) 6 count steps.  It's the most commonly seen basic swing dance,  it's the easiest to learn, and in a short time almost everyone will be on the dance floor having a good time.

Lindy or Lindy-Hop is a  more advanced form of East Coast swing, usually made up of 8 count steps.

West Coast swing is described as "the Cadillac of swing" by Robert Bryant of the (now defunct) US Swing Dance Council.  In the California versions of West Coast Swing, the woman stays in an imaginary "slot" and dances from one end of the slot to the other, while the man moves in and out of the slot leading his partner.  Most of the dancers favor slower music as this allows time for interesting footwork variations called "syncopations." 

What style of music to dance to?  The music varies, and the only thing most people seem to agree on is that it is best danced to a medium tempo.  Some people like rhythm and blues, some like contemporary rock, and some like oldies from the '40s, '50s and '60s.  West Coast swing steps cannot be "canonized," in other words, the steps are still constantly developing, transforming, adapting, evolving, and morphing with regional styles.   Anyone can invent a new WC swing step....even you!