Beginner WCS Playlist

Just starting to learn West Coast Swing? Are you wanting to practice but you just don’t know which songs are good for beginners? Well, you’re in luck! We’ve asked a variety of instructors/DJs from the Twin Cities and have compiled a list of songs that are good for beginners to practice to!

The list below is, by default, sorted by beats per minute (bpm) starting from slowest to fastest. Each song should have generally easy to hear beats that should make it easy for you to practice your West Coast Swing!

 

Song NameArtistGenreBPMDJBuyListen
RoyalsLordePop85Tim EideYouTube
For What It’s WorthJeffery OsborneR&B/Soul88Tim EideYouTube
Everybody KnowsJohn LegendR&B90Hieu LeYouTube
Save Me for LaterSuzie VinnickBlues90Hieu LeYouTube
I Got the BluesBrother YusefBlues90Tim EideYouTube
Black VelvetAlannah MylesRock91Tim EideYouTube
Let's RockChrisette MicheleR&B/Soul92Chris KempainenYouTube
Marvin & MilesGare Du NordJazz93Tim EideYouTube
The Ghost InsideBroken BellsAlternative Rock94Chris KempainenYouTube
In TangerineBernhoftPop95Chris KempainenYouTube
The Big BangRock MafiaPop96Hieu LeYouTube
The ItchKeb' Mo'Blues96Hieu LeYouTube
My Baby's Tellin' LiesKeb' Mo'Blues96Bob ZimmermanYouTube
Anything's PossibleJonny LangRock96Bob ZimmermanYouTube
Tired of Being AloneAl GreenR&B/Soul97Bob ZimmermanYouTube
Change the WorldEric ClaptonRock97Bob ZimmermanYouTube
All RiseBlueRock98Bob ZimmermanYouTube
Ain't Leavin Without YouJaheimR&B99Chris KempainenYouTube
Absolutely PositivelyAnastasiaPop101Chris KempainenYouTube
Because of YouNe-YoR&B/Soul110Hieu LeYouTube

 

Do you have any beginner songs that you’ve used for practice/lessons? List them below in the comments section!

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What is WCS?

Alright… so, when thinking about how it would good to have a page introducing newcomers to what West Coast Swing was, I realized…

No definition I could write out here would do the dance justice. So I have decided to take a simple (i.e. lazy), multifaceted approach in introducing you to this dance.

What is it and where did it come from?

For a description/history of the dance, what better resource should I direct you to than Wikipedia?

 

West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop. It is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic extension-compression technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor. The dance allows for both partners to improvise steps while dancing together, putting West Coast Swing in a short list of dances that put a premium on improvisation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_coast_swing_(dance)

What does it look like?

Why, I’m glad you asked! Check out these videos for a taste of what West Coast Swing is like!

Ben Morris & Melissa Rutz - Seattle Easter Swing 2011 - Jack'n'Jill
Maxence Martin & Tatiana Mollman - Social Dancing
Jason Barnes & Erica Berg - Routine

But why should I do it?

After reading the history, description, and even watching some videos, I realize that no textual or even video description could do justice in telling you why this dance is so great. At the heart of it, this dance means something to the people who do it. So, I decided to let the people of the community tell you!


When I don't have words, West Coast swing is a great outlet to express myself & communicate through body movement. It's also just a fun escape from daily stresses & reality. I love the people I meet through WCS and the variety of music we are able to dance to! Nicole Z.
For me, West Coast Swing is happiness. It's joy and it's passion and it's romance. It's dramatic and it's moving. It's friendship. Michael S.
It's one of my only outlets for musical expression, something that I can use my entire body to celebrate. It's also a life lesson: How to have a conversation, move as a unit, wait/have patience. One of the ways that I have magical moments with people 🙂 Tracy W.
wcs allows me to fully express myself - it is one of the only dances of the many I dance that gives me, as a follower, a voice while still following. Christine M.
I think creative expression is an invaluable asset in life. WCS provides people with a tangible opportunity to have this when they might not have found it elsewhere. I have seen first and secondhand the positive impact this has on people's lives... And it's a big one. Ben M.
I like the people, the music, the freedom for creativity, and the continual process of learning and improving. Bryan B.
WCS to me is an expression of movement to so many different forms of music that even though we are all doing the same dance, it looks different because we have the freedom to express it in our own way. Victor L.
The fountains of youth are: active mind, active body, and participation in the human race. WCS does all that. Ken B.
West Coast Swing is the ultimate platform for artistic expression. The floor is a blank canvas, the music is your inspiration, and you and your fellow artist collaborate together to create something entirely unique and personal. Your personalities meld together, your moods mesh, your bodies coexist to create a work of art. Some may love it, some may despise it, some may be confused and perhaps even disturbed by it. But no matter, it is your soul's expression and you thank every day for the ultimate medium of West Coast Swing. Taletha J.
WCS is the lifeline - to friends who become like family, to music, to emotion, to expression, to communication without words, to joy. Michelle H.
WCS... where they not only allow me dance as nutty as I am, they highly encourage it! Jay T.
It's individuality at its highest level while maintaining physical contact with a partner. A safe means to express ones self through the guidance of music. It allows dancers to experience connection to a partner, music the floor and to the space around them with limitless imagination.........it's a way of life for many. Michael K.
To me WCS = heaven Soleman K.
West Coast Swing is much more then a dance. Its a feeling. A feeling that you share with whoever you're dancing with. Its a conversation of emotion, excitement, and companionship. Its the rhythm of the soul, your heart beat, your pulse. Kris S.
I love WCS...my wonderful sociable hobby for 20yrs...love the movement,music and all the wonderfully talented people along the way!! Rosa P.
To me west coast swing is a fun, challenging (both mentally and physically) social activity that helps me enjoy music and movement with other people. It has broken down physical barriers, gotten almost completely rid of awkwardness, and much more! Andy M.
WCS is freedom to me, feeling alive. I don't have to think or speak or worry--For three minutes, it is just me, my partner, and the music. No where else am I so in the moment and connected to (yet disconnected from) the world. Lauren A.
West coast swing is a healthy way for me to exercise and dance to popular music in a classy way. I love how all ages can dance to it. I also love going to competitions for WCS because I get to meet a ton of people! Rachel E.
What I love about WCS is the freedom and versatility it offers that can be adaptable to incorporate other types of dances. Bob Z.
The things that attract me most about west coast swing compared to other dances comes down to diversity and community. West coast swing covers the widest range of music genres, tempos, aesthetics, movements and communication through connection, and has a relatively even spread across age demographics (salsa community probably wins ethnic diversity). Of all the dance communities that I have participated in, the west coast community is the most friendly and inclusive, the most excited about dance, and the most willing to be ridiculous when it's time to just let loose and have fun on the floor. Calvin B.
WCS started for me as a physical outlet that got me off the couch and moving. What it's turned into for me was unimaginable. I have a dance family now. It's huge. It spreads not just across states and countries, but continents. My closest relationships in my life now are with fellow WCS dancers. I haven't just gained the joy the dance itself provides (which is enormous in and of itself), but it has provided me with my closest friends and confidants. It has taught me new music, new movement & on top of it all, is humbling. This dance, which I found by accident, has literally changed my life for the better. In so many ways. Kate H.
West Coast Swing is a doorway to creativity and freedom, to creating a story with someone else, and ultimately to feeling alive. It can become an obsession to try to get through that doorway. Allison S.
West Coast Swing to me is something I use to challenge my tendencies to be a control freak, and my tendencies to not trust people easily. It's something that has slowly shown me it's not only safe, it's fun, and amazing things can come out of listening to your partner and trusting that they're going to take care of you. It's been helping me to figure out what my personality truly is. There is so much encouragement to try new things. It's a wonderful dance and an amazing community. Mary H.
I love the variety of music and ability to play within it. Joanna L.
Pure connection. Honest communication. Creativity, humor, and warmth. Etta B.

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