West Coast Swing

WCS: The 5 Basic Steps

In this video, Anthony and Rose break West Coast Swing down to the core—literally. If the dance has ever felt complicated, overwhelming, or like you need to memorize a hundred patterns just to get by, this is the reality check you’ve been waiting for. According to them, 90% of West Coast Swing is built from just five things: Side Passes – Left side, right side, underarm… same steps, different wrapping paper. Sugar Pushes – Basic compression and release with endless variations. Rolling Passes – Same track as a side pass, just spin the follow while you’re at it. Whip Patterns – The only 8-count you really need. Everything else is just a remix. Wrap In & Outs – Looks fancy. Isn’t. Super social and super repeatable. They also explain why you shouldn’t learn the sugar push first, why most patterns are just cleverly disguised basics, and how changing hands is basically all choreographers do anyway. The message? West Coast Swing isn’t hard. It’s just made to look that way. Learn these five elements well, and you’ll be able to recognize (and dance) just about anything thrown your way.