West Coast Swing in the context of "Lindy Hop"

In partner dancing, connection is physical, non-verbal communication between dancers to facilitate synchronized or coordinated dance movements. Some forms of connection involve "lead/follow" in which one dancer (the "lead") directs the movements of the other dancer (the "follower") by means of non-verbal directions conveyed through a physical connection between the dancers. In other forms, connection involves multiple dancers (more than two) without a distinct leader or follower (e.g. contact improvisation). Connection refers to a host of different techniques in many types of partner dancing, especially (but not exclusively) those that feature significant physical contact between the dancers, including the Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop, Balboa, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Salsa, and other ballroom dances.

Other forms of communication, such as visual cues or spoken cues, sometimes aid in connecting with one's partner, but are often used in specific circumstances (e.g., practicing figures, or figures which are purposely danced without physical connection). Connection can be used to transmit power and energy as well as information and signals; some dance forms (and some dancers) primarily emphasize power or signaling, but most are probably a mixture of both. Philosopher of dance Ilya Vidrin argues that connection between partners involves norm-based communication that include “a physical exchange of information on the basis of ethically-bound conditions” (proximity, orientation, and points of contact) which constrain agency and predictability.

Swing dance is a category of social dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origin of each dance predating the swing era. Hundreds of styles of swing dancing were developed; those that have survived beyond that era include Charleston, Balboa, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Collegiate Shag. Today, the best-known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, which originated in Harlem in the early 1930s. While the majority of swing dances began in African-American communities as vernacular African-American dances, some influenced swing-era dances, such as Balboa, that developed outside of these communities.

Swing dance was not commonly used to identify a group of dances until the second half of the 20th century. Historically, the word swing referred to a style of jazz music, which inspired the evolution of the dance. Jitterbug is any form of swing dance, though it is often used as a synonym for the six-count derivative of Lindy Hop called "East Coast Swing". One who danced swing was called a swing dancer. Jitterbug might refer to Lindy Hop, Shag, or other swing dances. The term was famously associated with swing era band leader Cab Calloway because, as he put it, the dancers "look like a bunch of jitterbugs out there on the floor due to their fast, often bouncy movements." The term swing dancing is often extended to include West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, East Coast Swing, Hand Dancing, Jive, Rock and Roll, Modern Jive, and other dances developed during the 1940s and later. A strong tradition of social and competitive boogie woogie and Rock 'n' Roll in Europe add these dances to their local swing dance cultures.

The swingout is the defining dance move of Lindy Hop.

The swingout evolved from the breakaway, which in turn evolved from the Texas Tommy. The first documented mention of the swingout pattern that resembles breakaway was in 1911, to describe a "Texas Tommy Swing" show done at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Its variants are used in Jive, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing and Modern Jive.

In partner dancing, an open position is a position in which partners are connected primarily at the hands. The connection is through the hands, wrists, and fingers, and relies heavily on frame and the compression and tension of both partners' arms. This is as opposed to a closed position, where partners are in closer body contact.

Many forms of dancing use the open position. Modern Jive, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and Latin are primary examples, but an open position is used in waltz, country, and other styles at times.