History of East Coast Swing:

  One Swing origination succession says Swing started with a dance called the Texas Tommy, and some people say Swing combines the Charleston and the two-step. ”Other dances that had an influence on swing dancing were the Black Bottom, Big Apple, Scrontch, Varsity Drag, Mouche, Suzie Q, Ballin' The Jack, Shim Sham Shimmy and Truckin'. Also having an influence were fad ‘animal dances’ such as the Turkey Trot, Buzzard Lope, Possum Trot and Grizzly Bear” (Cirio). Many of these dances did not make it in to the racist mainstream white society because they originated in black society in speakeasies and jazz clubs. However, they did eventually spread along the east coast. One story goes that when Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo flight across the Atlantic, people celebrated everywhere including the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. One guy was having so much fun dancing when people asked him what he was doing, he said, “The Lindy Hop.” The East Coast Swing came from the Lindy Hop some say. Perhaps the truth of the origins of Swing dancing is that there are many and that tracing the derivations would be pointless because Swing has become a style of its own.

   Swing dancing gained nationwide popularity after World War II. On the east coast, dancers were doing a Swing dance with rotating character. In this rendition, the couple has no fixed slot. On the west coast, the lead partner stayed in the middle of the slot and the follower moved within that slot. Because of this difference, the two versions of swing came to be known as East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing (Eijkhou). East Coast Swing is sometimes referred to as Eastern Swing, but Western Swing is a completely different dance to country and western music. Hence the use of the word “coast” in both titles. East Coast Swing is also sometimes called Triple Step Swing or Triple Timing Swing because its basic count is 1&2, 3&4, 5, 6. Some people also call this triple step count the “rock step” and is generally believed to have been the beat that kids of the 1950s danced to at sock hops. “It is generally danced without strict regard to any particular orientation or geometry” (Baker). Because of its freer movement, this dance is easy to learn and became very popular.