Rhythm – East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Latin Hustle 2020

East Coast Swing:
Swing dancing is by far the most versatile dance in the World. The rhythm is infectious and as natural to us as our heartbeat! Swing has many forms and varieties that are enjoyed everywhere there is music. We are going to work on the variety of Swing known as the East Coast or Triple Swing. This form of Swing provides the best foundation from which the dancer can ‘grow’ into Swing’s numerous varieties. In my book “Quickstart to Swing,” I present four Swing rhythms with over a hundred interchangeable figures. East Coast is just one of the rhythms presented there, but I feel it is the most important. It lends itself to cumulative growth in all of Swing dancing. The fundamentals learned in East Coast Swing allow its practitioners to make much easier entry into other varieties like Jive, Lindy Hop, and West Coast, Shag, etc. The cover of Quickstart to Swing says, it’s “The all American dance that has the whole World – Jumpin’ Jivin’ & Wailin’!” Come join the fun.

The following video is comprised of the actual 5 – 7 dance steps that you will learn immediately in your first several hours of instruction in East Coast Swing. Your progression and learning curve will be based on your coordination, frequency of lessons, and practice.

Latin Hustle 2020 – The fastest growing dance in America
The only faced paced dance you’ll need!!  No not the line dance, but the most popular partner dance during the mid ‘70s to mid ‘80s! The dance romanticized in the hugely popular motion picture “Saturday Night Fever,” and that kept TV audiences mesmerized once every week on the hit show “Dance Fever,” is making a huge comeback! With its roots in New York City, this dance is as easy as walking tall and marching in place to a consistent cadence. If dance history repeats itself, and it will, then the resurgence in Swing and Lindy Hop, the Tango and Latin, will sow the seeds for the growth of the Hustle communities! In 1960 the Twist nearly destroyed ballroom dancing. No more ‘touching’ resulted in a generation that gave up on the notion of having to “learn how to dance.” Clearly, it was the Hustle in the ‘70s that not only saved what was known as ballroom dancing but also added huge numbers to its corps after the initial fad died down. Youth had no interest in their grandparent’s form of dancing and yet longed unknowingly for the pleasures and natural chemistries that only ballroom dancing can provide. The Hustle brought us back “together again” and now, as ballroom dancing is enthusiastically embraced on campuses throughout our nation, the interest in this great dance has been rekindled. After all, how often is it that Broadway produces a show from a movie as it has with Saturday Night Fever? My predictions for the return of the Hustle are coming into fruition as the new present pop of music of 2020, is now being written in that familiar disco beat. Couples who are learning Hustle are enjoying social events of every kind more now than ever. The ease of learning this great dance will get you out on the dance floor this weekend!! Perfect for weddings, clubs, and events.

The following video is comprised of the actual 5 – 7 dance steps that you will learn immediately in your first several hours of instruction in Hustle. Your progression and learning curve will be based on your coordination, frequency of lessons, and practice.

West Coast Swing: is a smooth (no bounce) Swing dance and it is danced in a slot (think of dancing between railroad tracks).  The dance allows room for syncopated footwork and improvisation.  It is danced in primarily in 6 and 8 count patterns.  Followers have more freedom than any other dance, performing their syncopated footwork at will while the leader provides the basic rhythm while anchoring the follower.  West Coast Swing can be danced to a wide range of music including Rhythm and Blues, Country Western, Funk, Disco, Rock and Pop.  This dance is definitely one of my favorites because of it’s diversity and I LOVE teaching it! Video presentation of beginner steps coming very soon.

 

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