West Coast Swing (WCS) is a modern swing dance style that can be danced to most mid-tempo music in 4/4 time (and even some other time signatures). This means almost any music genre is fair game: blues, funk, rock, country, hip-hop, and Top 40 pop.
When most people hear "swing dance," they think of the vintage swing dances popular in the 1920s-1940s, like Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. WCS is an evolution of these dances that retains many elements of its predecessors, but expands on them to create a completely different aesthetic and feel.
WCS primarily stays in an open position, holding hands at a distance instead of close together in the usual "partner dance" embrace. It has a smooth, elastic appearance as partners move toward, away, and around each other. It also emphasizes creativity and expression for both leader and follower to create fun improvisational moments.
Below are two example videos. The first features Westie Underground instructors Steve and Dominique demonstrating for some beginner students what kinds of things are possible with a few months of experience. The second is a composition video made by a group from Barcelona featuring many top professional dancers from all over the world.
