The Western Swing:
The Western Swing has quickly gained popularity across the United States because of its sophisticated style and easy adaptation to today's modern rock style music. Originally a regional style popular in the west and southwest regions of the US, the Western Swing made its bid as a nationally accepted Swing style in the late 1950s and has been gaining popularity ever since.
The Western Swing incorporates many forms of Swing including the Lindy, Shag, Whip, and Push. Versatile dancers are always creating new and interesting movements in the Swing. The Western Swing can be danced in a relatively small area, provided the dancers have an assortment of dance breaks. Ad-libbing and complete freedom of expression can be interpreted into the dance.
Western Swing music is written in 4/4 time and should be played at a tempo of 30-36 measures per minute. It is a spot dance with a slower tempo that allows for shuffling movement and upright position. Occasional use of Hip Movement and/or Push style is also used to enhance this style of dance. The use of Slot dancing is a major part of the dance.
Your Western Swing lesson begins with the man and lady changing places with each other in a slot established by the man when he leads the lady to Open position. In most cases, the man will therefore travel as much as the lady. The man's use of different Link Steps regulates the position and direction of the Slot.