Swing Dance Steps

Swing is a fun and unique dance. On this page we will show you the basic 6 count step for East Coast Swing. Beginners usually start with East Coast Swing, because it's the easiest of all the swings to learn. It will give you a solid foundation for more difficult swing styles.

East Coast Swing is a very popular dance that can be danced to a variety of music styles, from blues and country to disco and pop. If it's written in 4/4 time and has a tempo between 135-170 beats per minute, you can swing it.

East Coast Swing 6-Count Basic

East Coast Swing has a basic count of 1&2, 3&4, 5,6. It's known as a triple step swing. The basic pattern is triple step, triple step, and a rock step.

When you're starting out you can replace the triple step with a single step. In that case the pattern would be step, step, rock step or rock step, step, step, depending on how you start counting. The overall progression is, of course, the same.

The triple step is really not that difficult to master, it is performed in a chasse-like manner - side step, together, side step.

Swing Steps For Men

The man starts with his left foot.

• 1&2: Triple step (chasse) to the left (left-right-left)
• 3&4: Triple step to the right (right-left-right)
• 5: Step backward with your left foot
• 6: Weight shifts to your right foot

Swing Steps For Women

The woman starts with her right foot.

• 1&2: Triple step (chasse) to the right (right-left-right)
• 3&4: Triple step to the left (left-right-left)
• 5: Step backward with your right foot
• 6: Weight shifts to your left foot

Remember, keep the steps small.

When you're ready for more, check out the ballroom dance videos. Video is a great way to learn dancing.

For swing shoes, clothes, and accessories check out DanceStore.com