About
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing originates in the 1930’s from a dance called ‘Savoy Style Lindey’ in New York. Later, this dance was enjoyed by many, widely known as ‘Rock and Roll’ or ‘Jitterbug’ at the time.
Today, you can find a number of communities dancing West Coast Swing, with a more recent emergence in the Netherlands.
The versatility and creative outlet that this dance provides is something you can’t easily find elsewhere.
The dance floor is your canvas and you and your partner are the painters, creating your small masterpiece of movement. So put on your dancing shoes and let’s bring music to life!
Why we love it-
WCS Eindhoven & Team
We hope that by engaging with people in our community and dancing to our favourite songs, we will foster a vibrant and creative dancing community.
WCS Eindhoven is bringing music to life step by step with those who have joined and participate in our joy of the dance.
Our goal is to bring smiles to peoples lives through West Coast Swing; a partner dance which gives creativity to both the lead & follow.
Claire van Akkerveken
With her roots in the California West Coast Swing scene, Claire has been dancing since 2015, learning alongside top global Champions at US conventions like Boogie by the Bay and MADjam. Her background also spans Latin, Classic and other Swing Styles, giving her a versatile, well-rounded approach to movement.
After relocating to Eindhoven, she founded the local WCS community to bring the dance home. Teaching at WCSE since 2023, Claire actively travels across Europe for elite coaching—bringing world-class technique, multi-genre versatility, and high energy to her students.
Leysan Gafurova
Leysan’s dancing journey began with foundation in Classical and Latin dance before she discovered West Coast Swing in Kazan in 2008. Her background in traditional techniques brings a refined sense of posture, rhythm, and body awareness to her modern WCS style.
Since relocating to Eindhoven, Leysan began teaching West Coast Swing in 2024, sharing her deep love for connection and musicality with the local community. She travels to dance events and conventions across Europe to train, gain new perspectives, and bring fresh inspiration back to her community.
