East Coast Swing: Introduction & Demonstration

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Because of the public's fascination with the Lindy Hop being danced in the Savoy ballroom, American ballroom dancers developed the ECS, a six-count, more simplified version of the Lindy Hop. At first, there was a great distaste among ballroom dance teachers for the swing, spurring the insulting term jitterbug for the dance. ECS incorporates much of the Latin technique popularized in dances such as the Chacha (as preferred by the ballroom dancers) with various figures from Foxtrot while retaining the feel of swing. In ballroom competitions, the pure Latin technique preferred in the dancing of the ECS has caused many swing dancers in observation to feel that it is not a true representation of swing dancing (ECS is not featured too much in National Swing Competitions).