Expert: David Lynch - 7/2/2007

Question
What is the difference between West Coast Swing and triple swing?
Is there an East Coast Swing?  The only one I ever learned had triple step to the
right, then to the left, then back rock.  Is this West Coast Swing?


Answer
Diane:
In the 1930s during depression time There was lots of different local styles, Young folks did what the parents or  /sis /bro  or friend. showed them. no tv,primitive adult radio, no web.
She danced around him in an unpredictable wild way.

gradually,as schools,teachers, formal learning, increased Swing formed into single, double tap swing and triple swing. just like you learned.
on the East coast, they kids tended to to 1x or single ecs, or smooth lindy, or 6 count swing- different names but mostly the same dance.  
There werehuge popular crowds, big dance halls as big as one complete city block large.
Alcohol , beer, wine, and hard liquer was served and sometimes female dancers bump into other couples.  this led to fights like the "zoot suit riots on the west coast -lrge scale fights between hispanics and navy dancers.
everyone wanted a way to avoid this so some dancers      invented wcs. -in slot form
in WCS the Females walked in rl 2 steps toward the male who did a rock step at the same time then they both did 1 riple step in one spot then she backed away on second triple l, then walked in again.  Lady had a slot for in and out and did not take anyones space. it was more neat, safe, orderly, more dancers could fit into the room or hall so the owners and police were happy. less fights, more dancing.  triple swing changed into lindy hop.
in the 50s ecs morphed into rock and roll, be bop,
triple was more for grown up adults, parents.
Lindy hop was forgotten.
in the 70s, 80s and part of the 90s dancing was non touching separate. individual. then came pop and hiphop, break dancing.
young teens started doing ny  savoy style black lindy hop like fra nkemanning of seattle who had become a postal carrier.  
Many added lindy charleston, charleston from the 1920s, balboa, salsa, and ecs and wcs
I susggest learning 3x tripl step, then 2x, 1x, lh, then wcs which is hardest.  
triple swing, rock, and wcs are all gaining in popularity now.  Tango, is populer andeven Waltz and foxtrot, samba, rumba,
If you are liking the triples try lh or wcs or rock or be bop, or even jive.
Maybe you will be in one of my classes on cruises or major cities.
keep dancing.
hopee this helps.