As the various ballroom dances are popularized, many social dancers try them out. Surer than not, the original steps of the dances are modified based on the dancers’ impressions. 
       In the Philippines, all the dances danced in the ballrooms have, without exception, been brought over from other countries by foreign visitors or balikbayans. 

RHYTHMIC DIFFERENCES
       Almost immediately, as soon as they are introduced to an avid dancer, the new dance spreads. Unless the bearer of the dance is himself a teacher, more likely the dance will be modified by the very first person it was shared with. For unless the dance bearer had noted exactly what to look out for in studying the dance, the rhythm and step patterns, specific characteristics as well as names and terms will more likely be changed. 
       A classic example is the Swing which Filipinos so avidly dance in two versions -- the Single Swing and the Double Swing. The Swing as we dance it in the Philippines is very similar in rhythm pattern to that of Street Hustle danced in the United States. 

Street Hustle

Philippine  Double Swing 

        The Philippine Swing is totally different from the rhythms of both the  East Coast Swing or the West Coast Swing, both also known as the Jive. 
       The Philippine (Double) Swing  has a rhythmic pattern of two triple rhythm units and one double rhythm unit. Its namesakes in the US have rhythmic patterns of one double and two triple units. (Please refer to rhythm units.) 

East Coast Swing

1        2

3   &   4

5    &    6

West Coast Swing

1        2

3   &   4

5    &    6

       Since dances are differentiated and identified mainly by their characteristic rhythms, then surely we can say that the  Philippine Swing  is the same as the Street Hustle, and surely is not the same as the two other dances with similar   names -- the East Coast Swing and the West Coast Swing. 
       Why Filipinos have called the Street Hustle as the Swing is anybody’s guess. One can only surmise that a balikbayan, having been fascinated by the dance, mistook it for the East Coast Swing, and brought the Street Hustle into the country with its new name. Some teachers and instructors still mistake the Philippine Swing with the New York Hustle, or some other version of the dance. Why the said dances are different from each other is explained in the  Section on the Philippine Swing. 
       Surely by now you can determine if the two dances are the same, just by looking at their rhythmic patterns. 

  New York Hustle 

1      2

3   &   4

5        6

Philippine  Double Swing

&    1    2

3   &   4

5        6

NAME DIFFERENCES
       Another example of mistaken identity is the Boogie, another popular dance in Philippine ballrooms, and the Jive, fast becoming a hit among more sophisticated dancers. 
      The Jive is similar, but not the same,  in rhythm pattern as the East Coast Swing. Note the difference in  counting and actual beats. 

East Coast Swing

1        2

3   &   4

5    &    6

Jive

1        2

3      a  4

5      a  6

       In the triple units or chassés in the East Coast Swing, counts “3”, “5”, and both “&”s are valued at 1/2 beat each. In the Jive, counts “3” and “5” are valued at 3/4 beat each, while the “a” count is valued at 1/4 of a beat. 
       Thus because of the difference of the rhythmic patterns, the Jive and the East Coast Swing are not the same dances, though the Jive  is also known as the American Swing, because of the similarity in rhythmic patterns. 
       The dance Filipinos refer to as the Boogie, on the other hand, is also known as the Two-Beat Jive, where the triples are substituted by single rhythm  ‘tap-steps”. 

Boogie (Two-Beat Jive) 

1        2

3   &   4

5    &    6

        The name Boogie was probably adapted from the music, Boogie-Woogie, which was popularized in the 50s and 60s and to which the Jive was danced. 

STYLING
       Styling of dance has been most contested especially among the amateur dance instructors in the numerous ballrooms, as a result of the pre-occupation of some quarters in the Philippine dance arena for exhibition  dancing. 
       Many regular dancers have heard of the International Style and the American Style. These are the styles used for competitive dancing abroad, though local competitions still have to adapt the strict rules of international dancing. 
       The International style is more properly termed the English style, as this was first codified in 1922 and developed along the years. It has been copied by practically every good dance teacher throughout the world simply because it is acknowledged to be the best. 
       The American style was developed in the United States but not without the strong influence of the Latin American dancers. 
       The main difference between the styles lie in the movements. 
       In all English-style dances -- where there is room to move -- the knees, generally speaking, are at their straightest -- but not stiff -- at the full extent of a stride, and relax slightly as the weight is taken on the foot. This style dramatizes the legs much more than in the American style, so that many more dancers utilize this style in exhibitions and competitions. 
       A difference also lies in which foot to step with at the start of the pattern of  dances like the Waltz. In the English style, the man steps forward with his right foot first. In the American style, the man steps with his left foot. In both styles, the lady does the natural opposite. 
       Styling by local dancers is highly dynamic. Some utilize the English style to dramatize their movements especially during exhibition and demonstration dancing. 
       Quite a number of local amateur dancers have taken to learning the differences in these styles. Ironically, almost everyone who has learned some form of International style claims to be the authority. Amateur dancers are well advised to be critical and observant, lest they blindly follow a teacher’s personal dance interpretation while assuming it is a codified technique and  style. 
       While it would help social dancers to know the differences between the International Style and the American Style, especially if they plan to proceed later with competitive dancing, neither is as essential as knowing and understanding the rhythm and other characteristics which differentiate dances from each other, as well as the graceful and confident performance of these  dances  in their simplest form.