How to Dance the West Coast Swing : Demonstration of West Coast Swing Dance Steps

Watch some west coast swing dancing using the steps, moves, tips and techniques taught in this dancing lesson video series.

Expert: Leslie Sack
Contact: www.lesliesack.com
Bio: Leslie Sack has been teaching, performing and competing in Latin and ballroom dancing for the past 12 years. Before moving to Santa Barbara in 1999, she taught at Washington Dance Club in Seattle, WA.
Filmmaker: Diana Bacon

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• west coast swing techniques
• west coast swing steps
• west coast swing dancing
• west coast swing tips
• west coast swing guide
• dancing the west coast
• dancing the swing
• swing dancing
• west coast swing basics

[boilergod77]

This is a perfect example of what happens when you take lessons at a franchise studio , you end up looking choppy & pathetic. This is a very poor example of West Coast Swing.

[wildhog1777]

I'm a little defensive for all the badmouthing by you commenters. I have a background in wcs. What I see is an instructor with a novice trying to give a good example of some very basic moves. I could burn the floor with her. Seems this expert generation wants to make wcs into freestyle dancing. No weight changes, hijacking, tap steps, leading on right foot, coaster steping whips. ballroom west coast. Lets not count. No rules. You make my teachers roll over in their graves

[gfunk449]

can't stand that this video is linked to by all the real wcs videos out there, because of the stupid tagging system

[EVEJessieArr]

@EVEJessieArr A good example is that in the Ballroom right-side pass, the girl does a snap turn on 4, rather than step-cross-step over 3-and-4, preventing the lead from getting his hand on her back to lead her back down the line on 4 and into a whip (or a number of other moves based on the whip.) That said though, learning about Ballroom WCS is worthwhile for any dancer to better understand the different versions of the dance, and these videos are also a good way to get beginners started.

[EVEJessieArr]

@wildhog1777 The reason people complain about ballroom-style west coast is that there's a lot of moves that "club" style west coast dancers can't lead on the follows due to them being unwilling to break frame (a no-no in ballroom) even when led to do so. My girlfriend's a ballroom dance instructor, and I dance WCS competitively, so I frequently have to teach her when and how to break frame in order to lead certain moves on her.

[AlgisKemezys]

Thanks for sharing this..

[FNDPerth]

haha ..this is a poor example of WCS, theyve got guts to put themselves on you-tube.

[andihof1]

That Guy seems to be bored to death. He's certainly the winner of the "Don't Move Competition 2011" ;-) :-D

[swingnsanity]

As far as this being Ballroom West Coast Swing, it is done plenty good enough.  I just don't care for Ballroom West Coast Swing.

[swingnsanity]

At least to me it is this simple:

This is Ballroom West Coast Swing. What does that mean? Well Ballroom West Coast Swing is to West Coast Swing like a Mexican Pizza is to a Pizza. If you go to a Pizza restuarant, you aren't going to see any of them eating a mexican pizza. Ballroom WCS is like Mexican Pizza in that it uses different techniques for everything (and lets not even talk about the music), just like Mexican pizza uses refried beans and a completely different crust.

[w00dface]

not a great way to do wcs. Would put me off doing it if I saw this as a new comer.

[wildhog1777]

Thanks for the comment but I do think many people take theirselves too seriously with these comments. Anyone can be a competitor only a few are winners. I feel some of Leslie's demo's are good but some are distructive and those moves tell me she is in over her head. In over 20 years of teaching performing and winning competitions I've learned alot. As in the movie Rudy there is a dance God and its not me. Dancing is a great art form. Just do it with LOVE