East Coast Swing (ECS) is a partner dance derived from the Lindy Hop. The basic step is triple step, triple step, and a rock step. East Coast Swing (6 count) is intermixable with most forms of swing dancing, though primarily with the Lindy Hop. For more information see Wikipedia's definition.
Lindy Hop is an organic fusion of many of the dances which preceded it and were popular during its development, but is predominantly based on jazz, tap, Breakaway and the Charleston. Originally an Afro-American dance, Lindy Hop combines the movements and improvisation of African dances with the formal 8-count structure of European dances. Lindy hop combines elements of solo dancing with partner dancing in its foundational step the 'swingout', where the European partner dancing format was adapted to allow men and women to dance together (a practice usually forbidden in African dances), and yet also to improvise 'alone' without disturbing the structure and flow of the dance. Lindy hop entered mainstream American culture in the 1930s, popularised by touring dance troupes, dance sequences in films and dance studios. Lindy Hop moved off-shore in the 1930s and 40s, again in films and news reels, but also with American troops stationed overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other allied nations. Despite their banned status in countries such as Germany, lindy hop and jazz were also popular in other European countries during this period. Lindy hop was revived in the 1980s by American and European dancers, and is now popular in many First World nations.
For more information about Lindy Hop than you'll most likely care to read, click here.
The Charleston is a dance named for the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm is a traditional one from West Africa, popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States of America by a 1923 tune called The Charleston by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade. While it developed in Afro-American communities in the USA, the Charleston became a popular dance craze in the wider international community in the 1920s. Despite its black history, Charleston is most frequently associated with flappers and the speakeasy. Here, these young women would dance alone or together as a way of mocking the "drys," or citizens who supported the Prohibition amendment, as Charleston was then considered quite immoral and provocative.
More information lives here
Balboa is a form of a swing dance that emerged in the 1930s and 1940s. It is danced with the lead and follow dancing where their chests touch for a body lead connection. The art of Balboa is the subtle communication between the lead and follow, like weight shifts, that most viewers cannot see. As a result, Balboa is considered more of a "dancer's dance" than a "spectator's dance".
Balboa is danced to a wide variety of tempos. Because the basic is so simple, Balboa can be danced to fast music (over 300 beats per minute). Balboa is also danced to slow music (under 100 beats per minute), which allows more time for intricate footwork and variations.
More information about Balboa here.
West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance derived from Lindy Hop. It has the soul of a street dance but has been tamed by ballroom dance studios. More info