Lindy Hop Spawns New Styles of Swing: East Coast Swing & Jitterbug

By Doug Jauer

As Lindy Hop grew in popularity, dance studios began to realize they were losing out on potential business. However, early Lindy Hop footwork and patterns were not well standardized like the traditional Ballroom and Latin dances instructors were accustomed to teaching.

Sometime in the 1940s, Lauré Haile and other instructors at the Arthur Murray Dance Studios set out to create a more refined form of Swing Dance—one that could be easily taught in their studios. The dance they developed was called Eastern Swing.

Eastern Swing borrowed much of its footwork from Lindy Hop but used a six-count basic pattern consisting of two triple steps and a rock step. It moves in a circular motion and frequently shifts between closed and open positions. Some eight-count patterns can also be incorporated into Eastern Swing. Compared to Lindy Hop, Eastern Swing has a less bouncy feel and a more upright posture—expected, given its ballroom origins. Up-tempo Big Band music was the genre of choice for early Eastern Swing dancers, as Big Band dominated the musical scene of the 1940s.

Another Swing Dance called the Jitterbug emerged around the same time as Eastern Swing. The name “Jitterbug” came from Cab Calloway’s song Call of the Jitterbug. The Jitterbug shared a similar rhythm with Eastern Swing but featured simpler footwork. It became especially popular among young people and often incorporated athletic lifts and dips reminiscent of Lindy Hop.

The Jitterbug became the dance of choice at sock hops and high school dances as teenagers and young adults embraced a new style of music—Rock and Roll. Both Rock and Roll and the Jitterbug reached the height of their popularity in the 1950s.

Other dances evolved from Eastern Swing and Jitterbug in different regions of the country, including DC Hand Dancing, Jive, Rock and Roll, and Boogie Woogie. By the 1970s, Eastern Swing came to be known as East Coast Swing, distinguishing it from a new style of Swing emerging from California called West Coast Swing.

Today, East Coast Swing and Jitterbug remain popular in dance studios and Swing Dance clubs across the United States. The Jive is the competitive version of East Coast Swing performed at ballroom dance competitions worldwide. Many instructors consider East Coast Swing the ideal dance for beginners due to its simple yet versatile footwork and quick learning curve.

Note from the Editor: If you want to try a super simple, easy to learn style of swing dancing and you're not local to Northwest Iowa where Midwest Swing Dance Co. hosts classes and events, we also offer an online class for you and we hope you'll give it a try! You can take this class at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. Here's a link for more information and to get yourself signed up: SWING DANCE MADE SIMPLE

• References

  • East Coast Swing Video

  • Jitterbug Video