How to Dance the East Coast Swing: Beginner-Friendly Steps to Get You Moving

Video created by Carolyn Barreno and Stefan Trandafirescu

We’d like to invite you to dance with us—or rather, to dance with the expert ballroom dancing instructors and owners of Studio Lux, located in Austin, Texas. Carolyn Barreno and Stefan Trandafirescu are champion dancers and established dance instructors who have taught internationally and in the Bay Area, and they’ve kindly agreed to share some fun, light-to-moderate intensity dance moves with us and all of you.

Related: Join the Healthy Heart Challenge!

Take a look for yourself, grab a partner, and get moving! There’s no better way to celebrate heart health than with a little swing.*

What You’ll Learn From This Video

In this video, Carolyn and Stefan will teach 7 different steps to the classic partner dance, the East Coast Swing. Don’t let the name intimidate you—when it comes to the difficulty of the steps, each of these moves are appropriate for newcomers, beginners, and beyond.

Carolyn and Stefan will show you how to do the following East Coast Swing steps:

• The Triple Step
• The Rock Step
• The Basic: A combination of the triple step and the rock step
• The Basic Turning to the Right
• The Throw Out
• The Underarm Turn
• The Underarm Release from Basic

Related: 6 Unconventional Exercises That Don’t Feel Like a Workout

Dancing is a great way to get moving, and a wonderful exercise for anyone who might feel reluctant about starting a workout plan. Plus, it’s a fun way to connect with others. Let’s get moving and dance our way into better heart health!