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SWING IS NOT THE SWING

        A few years ago, my dancing partner, Rene "Smile" Canlas informed me that the Swing as we dance it in the Philippines is not the same Swing danced in the United States or elsewhere in the world. Dancers in other countries do the Hustle, the East Coast Swing and the West Coast Swing.
       East Coast Swing, he said, is actually equivalent to our Boogie, and the Jive is but a faster version of the Boogie. Later, one of my regular partners taught me the Jive as he learned it from a much more experienced instructor. 
        I've since been intrigued by these bits of information, but no one here seems informed enough to give definite confirmation. So when I got the opportunity to visit both the East Coast and the West Coast of the U.S. in mid-1997, I vowed to find out for myself. I'm glad I did, for not only did I clarify the information, but I also got first-hand lessons on the contested dances and their styles. 
        I initially gathered information on the Swing and Boogie from two franchise dance schools of the Arthur Murray Studios which are advertised in most city newspapers and magazines and can easily be reached by phone. These schools specialize in social dancing instead of competitive and exhibition dancing. 

        Another source was Ms. Skippy Blair, the multi-awarded dance teacher, choreographer and dance analyst, who not only has won in practically all the California state and national dance championships in her time, but also continues to train the current champions using the Universal Unit System. Once a teacher at the Arthur Murray Studios, Ms. Blair now operates Syncopations, her own dance studio with four branches, and holds key positions in the major dance associations in the United States. 

        In Georgia, Mr. Monty de Mayo demonstrated the two versions of the New York Hustle -- the three-count and the four-count -- approximating our own Double Swing and Single Swing, respectively. The Americans, it seems, dance the Hustle at a much slower tempo than the Philippine Swing. The foreign dance music albums available in music bars can give us a clearer idea of this tempo. 
        Mr. de Mayo demonstrated the East Coast Swing, which is rhythmically the same as our Boogie and Jive, but again the musical tempo is slower. He added that the Lindy is but a variation of the East Coast (Triple) Swing. We Filipinos dance the Lindy as a variation of the Boogie basic pattern. 
        Ms. Eva Nikos of the Arthur Murray Studio in Los Angeles confirmed the information I gathered from Mr. de Mayo. She however informed me that California dancers and teachers in the area dance the West Coast Swing (also known as the Golden State Swing), a form of the East Coast Swing. 

        Ms. Blair later accommodated my queries with detailed responses and demonstrations of the West Coast Swing, making sure I got the patterns perfectly. It turns out that Ms. Blair actually started the West Coast Swing after she realized how easier it was to teach than the original. I later brought home her dance teacher manuals and several video tapes of the dances, including the West Coast Swing. 
        Studying these materials back home, I realized that the Philippine Double Swing is basically the California Hustle, with exactly the same rhythm and step pattern. It is also very similar to the Street Hustle. 
        Some local dancers had claimed that our Swing was the New York Hustle. I have to violently disagree. The rhythm patterns of the Philippine Swing and the New York Hustle (and even those of the Hustle's rhythm combinations -- such as the Spanish, American, Latin, Lindy and Tango Hustles) are miles apart. 
        It seems to me though that Filipinos have helped in the evolution of the California Hustle. As we continue to dance, innovate and create new variations of the Philippine Swing, soon we will, and may already, be developing it into a new dance with its own distinct character, essence and tempo. This was the route taken by the Street Hustle and the California Hustle before they became totally different dances from the New York Hustle. 
        The Jive (double-triple-triple rhythm pattern) here is the same competitive dance in the United States and Europe. A variant, the Two-Beat Jive known in Europe, is the same as the East Coast Swing and our Boogie. But in the United States, the Boogie is a type of music (the post-war Boogie-Woogie), not a dance. And then, there's the East Coast Swing (single version), also known as the Rock 'n Roll, danced mainly by the elderly. 
        The West Coast Swing is also a different dance from the East Coast Swing and the Jive. In East Coast Swing, both partners take the "back rock" steps before the two sets of triples. In West Coast Swing, the lady walks forward in a slot before making a triple step. The final two beats are left as an "anchor", giving both partners the freedom to syncopate the triple. Also in West Coast Swing, the couple dance in a narrow slot, allowing comfortable dancing even on crowded ballroom floors. 
        This and a few other differences separate the two dances from each other. And though they have the same rhythm patterns, the essence and character are totally different. 

        It was exhilarating to analyze these dances, checking out the similarities and differences. But while in the U.S., my colleagues and I had quite a different thrill with two other dances during the annual international conference of the Million Dollar Round Table. 
        During the Fellowship Night, the Atlanta band struck up "Achy Breaky Heart", so we all lined up to dance the L.A. Walk (Electric Slide to Americans), while snickering baduy (out-dated) between our teeth. The Americans and other foreigners lined up behind us so they could follow our lead into the different variations. 
        We were barely back in our seats when the band played the Macarena, and the Americans rushed to the dance floor, to dance the latest craze. Rest assured, fellow Filipinos, we stayed glued to our seats as they showed off the dance which had been passe for at  least two years back home.

"Your description of the Filipino dancer is contradictory. How can the dancer not be responsible on the floor and still enjoy a wondrous dance when he has to lookout for flying arms and bodies?" -- from a dancer in New Jersey

"The jeepney is an most appropriate symbol for the Filipino dancer -- very irresponsible yet adaptable." -- from a Filipino based in Hawaii

"I always knew our Swing was not the Swing in the US. Neither is it the Hustle." -- from a recent visitor to the East Coast.

"Why do DIs refer to the "break on 2" as off-beat. They just prove how naive they really are."

"I can't imagine Tango-ing in a dance hall where no one follows the line of dance." -- from an American dance champion

"I love your story on the ballroom queens. But there's much more juicy details to tell about each of them."