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West Coast Overview

by Randy Lewis & Debbie Olson

West Coast Swing (WCS) is a “Slot Dance” where the woman moves forward and backward in “her slot”, while the man moves perpendicular to the woman's slot, out of and then back into the slot. It is less vertical (up and down) than Jive, being more lateral and smoother and is generally danced slower than Jive. Dance it with feeling according to how the music speaks to you.

General rule - you can do anything - nothing is written in stone - except maybe WCS has no “rock recover.” Other forms of swing/jive may begin or end with a “rock recover.” Yes, Roundalab and ICBDA both have written figure definitions – these are your “generally accepted guidelines” from which to begin.

Start Position - never facing square - slight V position to begin and end – lead hands joined low in a Latin hold - lead foot pointing towards partner - trail foot back and toeing out - elbows are near the body but not glued to body - arms have tone - no forward poise - weight over supporting foot.

Leading the Lady - The woman does not move until the man moves her. He does this by moving his body, not pulling or pushing with his arm. Both partners have tone in their arms. The lead occurs when the man steps back, keeping his arm firm in relationship to his body. The man does not let his arm stretch out. The woman allows her arm to extend slightly before she moves in response to the man’s lead.

There are four groups of WCS figures: Sugar, Passing, Whip, and Other. There are two "basic" timing groups in WCS: 6-count (beats) and 8-count timing.

Sugar Figures: the woman moves forward/backward and/or turns in her slot, but does not pass the man. The woman does not change direction. Sugar figures timing;
Six beats - one and 1/2 measures of music - 1,2,3&4 ; 1&2
Easy timing modification for Sugar figures - 1,2,3,4 ; 1&2 where beat 3 is a touch or tap.

Passing Figures: the woman will pass the man on either his right or left side. The woman passes the man while still staying in her slot, as if dancing on a balance beam, and the man moves in and out of the slot. The man should never make the woman go around him. The basic passing figures timing;
Six beats - one and 1/2 measures of music - 1,2,3&4 ; 1&2
Easy timing modification for passing figures: 1,2,3,4 ; 1&2 where beat 3 is a touch or tap.

Whip Figures: Whips have the man rotating around the woman as she moves forward/backward and/or turns in her slot. Again, the man should never make the woman go around him. The basic whip figure timing;
Eight beats - two measures of music - 1,2,3&4 ; 1,2,3&4 ;

Other Figures: "Other" includes all the figures that do not fit into one of the 3 main groups. Also, standard figures modified in any way.
Essentially - Anything goes – WCS may include jive and east coast swing figures.
One of the nice things about WCS is that you are free to improvise – therefore it’s hard to be wrong.

From clinic notes prepared for the ICBDA convention, 2021, and reprinted in the Dixie Round Dance Council (DRDC) Newsletter, February, 2022.


dingbat



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