East Coast Swing is a social partner dance primarily derived from Foxtrot or more specifically its leaping version known as Shag. Many aspects of East Coast Swing were, and still are, influenced by Charleston and Lindy Hop. In many dance studios and classes, East Coast Swing is taught as one of the first forms of swing dance because of its forgiving nature and its relatively simple steps.
East Coast Swing is a fusion of its early counterparts, Eastern Swing and Lindy Hop, which were street dances. This form of swing dance utilizes both six and eight count patterns. The name East Coast Swing was coined to initially be a distinguisher between the street form and the competitive ballroom Jive.