What is your favorite swing style?

Mine is East Coast which is my favorite dance period. I also like Jitterbug.

West Coast I don't care for and Lindy I have not yet adapted to and have yet to try Balboa.

What exactly is Jive?

"Wherever you go, you represent the team. You will talk like, you will look like and you will act like the most dignified professional in your hometown" - Vince Lombardi to his players.

Ghostdance wrote:

EC Swing basic is generally taught that we do a pair of triple steps before we do the rock step. Although some teacher will teach doing rock steps first before 2 triple steps. Ron Montez for one, teaches this way. While in Jive, we start out doing the fallaway rock steps before a pair of chasses (so chasses are in fact the same as triple steps, but dancing faster and bouncier). As for fallaway rocks, both partners briefly turn into promenade position, facing same direction while doing the rock steps. In the EC Swing you can almost do the rock steps anywhere you want to.

Not having learnt the gold level steps yet, I can only observe up to silver level syllabus of Jive, and Chasse is used in most of syllabus within the context. One occasion tap-step is used to replace chasse. And the "Walks", (for man's steps), after one chasse to the left, cross right foot behind left foot then step left foot to the left side (within the timing of one measure of music or one chasse). You can repeat chasses (to the left or to the right) or chasses/walks in many other combinations.

Hope this help answering your question.

It also depends on what style of east coast swing you're talking about. If you hang out at a swing club and watch the really good dancers there, what they do looks very different from competition-style ballroom ECS, which to me isn't too far off from jive techniquewise. The patterns are mostly similar (though club swing tends to be pretty improvisational) but rather than the springy leg action and straight-upright posture of ballroom ECS, club swing has a "digging into the floor" feel that emphasizes downward movement and has a much more relaxed posture.

For me personally, the look and feel of club-style ECS is more fun, though I'm trying to work on both styles so I can dance to fit the occasion. I know a few club swing junkies who think jive is an abomination -- but then I bet there are jive junkies who think the reverse.

Let's see.... I love west coast and single time east coast. Unfortunetly, I can't make really accurate opinions on some things because my studio taught swing is very bad ways and so my knowledge of swing is not very accurate. But from what I do know, single time east coast and west coast are my favorites.

what is jive? Hard!!!!

~LBa

You Haven't Truly Made It Until Your Head Is On A Pez Dispenser

In what way does it differ from EC swing?

"Wherever you go, you represent the team. You will talk like, you will look like and you will act like the most dignified professional in your hometown" - Vince Lombardi to his players.

ULFChild wrote:

Really, if you learn it, Jive's Bronze and Silver level steps are common to American style EC Swing.

Don't let the term "Jive" intimidate you !!! It is faster and springy, that's all.

To answer the original question, I only know 1 swing dance which would be the Jive Which makes it my most as least favorite!

From what I've seen and heard, swing is (mostly) about that "special hip motion". Once you figure out how to do that (properly!), it wouldn't be hard to learn the rest. (I think? )

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." - Horace