What’s the West Coast Swing?

The glamour of Hollywood has sent out its siren call to movie star wannabes of all kinds for generations. They make their way to the Gold Coast with little more than dreams in their pockets. Most never make it, some get steady work, and some really make an impact. So when Sol Ruddosky made it to Tinsel Town in 1936, he was determined to be in the latter category. At age 19, he was already quite well known as an accomplished dancer around the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York. He started taking dance lessons at 14 in his home town of Newark, New Jersey and was a wizard at the Lindy Hop. Named Dancer of the Year in 1935 by one of America’s most prestigious magazines, The New Yorker, Sol felt it was time to head out to Hollywood to try his luck. Upon arrival, he wasted no time and soon found a job as a janitor in a local diner.

Sol worked endlessly to make a name for himself, trying desparately to make it out of the choruses of movie musicals. He took on the stage name of Dean Collins, worked at a diner and worked on his craft through numerous dance contests. Finally, in 1939 RKO Pictures hired him as a choreographer for “Let’s Make Music,” and from there he would go on to teach movie stars such as Shirley Temple, Cesar Romero, and even Arthur Murray, a famous dance instructor.

From that moment, Dean went on to work in about 40 films as either a dancer or choreographer. Having made his mark on the silver screen, he eventually teamed up with the greatest female Swing dancer in history – Jewel McGowan. Together, the two danced for 11 years in many contests and movies. They even had the opportunity to star along with the Andrews Sisters in the 1941 Abbot and Costello comedy “Buck Privates.”

Even though they gained fame and recognition from their movies, the dance contests that made them stars. Dean’s spin on the Savoy Style Lindy made him so famous that it was named it the West Coast Swing. And as a choreographer for films, his dance was catapulted into international fame as people watched it on the silver screen. Everyone wanted to learn and dance the West Coast Swing, America to Europe. And in 1988 the State of California declared the West Coast Swing the official state dance.

The West Coast Swing is danced within an imaginary rectangle known as a “slotted dance” so that dancers can easily claim their own part of the dance floor. Depending on how many people are on the dance floor you can change and move your rectangle at will. So as you do the West Coast Swing, remember Sol Ruddosky!

Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin have been performing, coaching, creating and developing fantastic choreography for over 30 years. The run NYC’s premier dance center If you interested in learning more history of any dances make sure you check out their site. They are currently coachingdance lessons in NYC