After WWll many of the big ballrooms were torn down and dancing moved into night clubs. Dance floors were smaller and there wasn't room for swing, so West Coast Swing was invented. West Coast is danced on a straight line, called a slot, thereby taking up very little space. West Coast Swing became very popular and there are clubs all over the US where only WCS is danced.
It's a fun social dance that is usually danced to a blues rhythm. For a couple starting out with social dance, I would highly recommend WCS lessons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blimey!! If this is supposed to be slower than Jive then goodness knows how fast Jive dancing truly is!! LOL!!! It's very very physical and athletic isn't it?!?! Love the way this dance ended!! About time the man gets turned upside down! LOL! Hope they won!! Take care
ReplyDeletex
Hahahaha Surprise ending, huh?
DeleteI can still dance swing (without the lifts and throwing around), but jive has me puffing in 30 seconds. LOL
Hi Manzi. I agree with Old Kitty - this is pretty fast stuff! No wonder dancers are so athletic - they have to be! Isn't it amazing just how many different forms of dance there are out there, and, of course, it's evolving all the time with each generation. Hope all is well in your little corner of the world.
ReplyDeletethisisme
DeleteAll the throwing around on the floor, up and down.... you are so right. Gotta be young and athletic for that. Haha
Things are fine with me, except about 4 or 5 inches of "snow" last night. Oh well, spring has to due soon.
My eyes would have trouble keeping up, so my feet would have no chance.
ReplyDeleteJohn
ReplyDeleteJust like your 920 SPOT ..... You have "spot."
Oh all the dances I've seen on here, this one looks the most fun!!
ReplyDeleteKeith
DeleteI bet you did this dance in high school. It's been just about the same since Tad was a Pup. :)
Now this is something I recognize though I'm sure there's no way I could dance it!
ReplyDeleteBish
DeleteBet you could. Someone brought their 94 year old mother to one of the social dances I used to go to. She could hardly walk in and her son in law asked her to swing. OMG You would never know it was the same woman who came through the door. She was really good. I think it must be muscle memory.
Boy did that take me back to the high school dances when all of us ordinary dancers would part, make a circle and watch the class "dancers" put on a show.
ReplyDeleteLoved the ending also.
Patti
DeleteI consider this the basic American dance that just about everyone knows because each generation has danced it and it's changed hardly at all.
I love watching good swing dancers.... I can even do a step or two myself... I am by no means good, but it is a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteHey QT
DeleteI bet you and Hubs could get out there and really cut a rug... or 2 rugs. Ha
Bears don't swing; they trundle.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Bear
DeleteThat could be a new dance, the Bear Hug Trundle. I can see it now. Haha
Swing is exciting and fun to watch for those of us who can't do it.
ReplyDeleteRiver
DeleteI'm sure you must have done this in High School
This one does look like tons of fun
ReplyDeleteBut spinning around so much I'd be done
Dizzy and knocking over everything
Have to hold me up with a puppet string
A puppet string, that would work
DeleteTo hold you up without a quirk
And you can spin for ever more
And pick up QT's by the score.
Hahahaha
I am so excited that my 3 thirty something daughters and their husband's have been taking lessons at our community college. I'm trying to talk my husband into lessons too:)
ReplyDeleteDoreen
DeleteTalk is cheap.... just drag em.
Used to do this...not anywhere to this extent.
ReplyDeleteturquoisemoon
DeleteNo, your panties would show unless you wore jeans.
Another fun dance; I think we did some version of this when I was a teenager.
ReplyDeleteInger
DeleteI bet you did. It was universal all over the world. This was sooooo popular during WW2.
They look like they're having fun and they make the flipping look effortless, which I'm sure it's not. ;)
ReplyDeleteRosey
DeleteOnce they have paid their dues, it can be effortless, that may take years, though. Oh dear.
I've heard this is still quite popular and had a few friends who took lessons. They loved it.
ReplyDeleteMark
DeleteIt certainly is. It's like the bunny, as it just hangs in there.
What a cool idea to do the challenge with Dance as the theme, and your posts are very informative! I've always liked the idea of Swing dancing, still working up the courage to try it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Good luck on the rest of the challenge- almost finished!
A fellow A-Z'er,
Rebecca
Rebecca
DeleteThank you for stopping by and leaving a very nice comment.
I'm glad you enjoy dancing and no one would be looking if danced swing. :) i.e. until you got so good they couldn't keep their eyes off of you.
This was my mother's era, and I bet she could swing dance with the best.
ReplyDeleteSusan
DeleteI bet she had many a glorious evening swing dancing. And most likely doing the foxtrot and waltz, too.
This looks like a ton of fun. I found myself grinning ear to ear just watching it. And you were absolutely right about it taking up very little dance floor.
ReplyDeleteRobin
DeleteI'm happy this put a big grin on your face. It is a happy, kick up your heels type dance that has been around forever.
wishin I could dance like that!!
ReplyDeleteRosemary
Deleteyes, wouldn't that be loverly if we all could. :)
Greetings human, Manzanita,
ReplyDeleteBeen a bit out of the swing of things lately. And my human is sleeping.
Wow, I hope that guy had on clean underwear! My human used to swing on the West Coast, but that's another story...
Pawsitive wishes,
Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar! :)
Penny, My friend,
DeleteHahaha Clean underwear it must be. His mother told him to always wear clean underwear.
Your human must be very tired answering all those comments. But I know you help him all you can.
and cutsy pawsitive wishes to you, Penny.
I love this one, Manzanita.
ReplyDeleteJulia
DeleteThank you. Thanks for stopping.
That was great! I can't swing or jive, but I'm old enough to know Bill Haley & the Comets.
ReplyDeleteJJ
DeleteWell, then you achieved your sacred goal in life.
Whoo Hoo
I do love swing dancing, it's so much fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteAnother really interesting post! And it makes so much sense, after I read it, that tearing down dance halls with lots of room to dance, and then dancing on smaller dance floors would change the style of dancing. Neat. :-) I learned something else today. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Manzanita .. great ending to the dance - I get tired watching it!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to come back and refer to your descriptions ... they are all great -
Cheers Hilary