What is the difference between east coast and west coast swing dancing?

I have went to three classes/dances now with friends and it is a lot of fun. I learned to lindy hop, charlston, a few turns and dips, and some other stuff i don't remember the name. I think i am doing east coast swing but i don't really know. What are the differences between the two types.





Also what are some good swing dance songs so i can practice at home?|||ECS is based in six-count patterns. East Coast Swing is either "rock step, step, step" or "step, step, rock step". In both cases, the rock step always starts on the downbeat.


Song list:


http://www.dance-forums.com/music/genre/鈥?/a>





WCS is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor. The dance allows for both partners to improvise steps while dancing together. The follower walks into new patterns traveling forward on counts "1" and "2" of each basic pattern, rather than rocking back


Song list


http://www.dance-forums.com/music/genre/鈥?/a>|||All swing dancing comes from Lindy Hop.





Lindy Hop is the original swing dance that evolved out of partner Charleston, in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Here's what the basic Lindy Hop swing out looks like:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEWlOGQD鈥?/a>





East Coast Swing came along in the 1940s, and was created by ballroom associations to compete with Lindy Hop teachers. Today, outside of the ballroom community, this dance is considered a stepping stone for beginners to learn before moving on to Lindy Hop. Here's the first in a series of videos on beginning swing:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTTUZMVJx鈥?/a>





West Coast Swing is an evolved form of Lindy Hop. As music changed from swing, to R%26amp;B, to Rock n' Roll, to Soul, to Disco, to modern pop music, so did the dance change. West Coast Swing essentially has the same steps as Lindy Hop, but it emphasis smooth and cool movements, and is normally danced to pop music rather than traditional swing music. Here's what west coast swing looks like:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ZxiPKma鈥?/a>








As for music, I recommend starting off with Indigo Swing:


http://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Swing/e/B00鈥?/a>


They are really good for beginners because their music beat easily fits to triple steps.





When you are ready for some faster music, then you can't go wrong with Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five:


http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Stout-and鈥?/a>





If you need some more music, check out this website:


http://www.swingdjs.com





Or you can listen to this podcast:


http://www.yehoodi.com/show/heymisterjes鈥?/a>





Anyway, I hope that helps!