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When/how to ask pros to dance

By Tessa

I seem to be a victim of the “fear factor” – many people tell me that they or their friends are too intimidated to dance with me. One reason is they think that I’m going to dance with them the exact same way I dance with other Pros. They think I’m going to pull out tricks and crazy stuff and they aren’t going to be able to “handle” me. NOT TRUE. I always adjust my dance to the connection of my partner. Notice I didn’t say “level” of my partner. To me, I could care less if a guy is pre-novice or all-star: if he has a great connection, I can play more because he can handle it. If he has a poor connection, I will play less…

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Upbeat/Downbeat Timing in WCS and Ceroc

By Tessa

Upbeat/Downbeat Timing in WCS and Ceroc

Q: Do you see any fundamental differences between dancing Down beat/ Up beat pairs versus Up beat/Down beat pairs? What are they? More specifically, do you see the differences affecting each dance’s ability to interpret/reflect the music, and if so how?

A: The first question about the possibilty of being limited by dancing upeat/down beat vs. Downbeat/upbeat is a good one, the debate is still going on in the Hustle community and the Nite club Two-step community. There are two answers, one simple, one not so much… Read More »

Teaching technique to beginners

By Tessa

Differences between Ceroc/Modern Jive and West Coast Swing

Quoted Question:

“There is a phrase I use from time to time when teaching beginners “lets get the nuts and bolts in place and then worry about the finer details”. In other words there is a difference between talking about technique and doing it. A beginner who is copying an action of a teacher is using many of the techniques the teacher is, they just don’t know it and as such don’t know how to fine tune these techniques to make the dance smooth and flowing. Read More »

Pros’ attitudes towards social dancing at events

By Tessa

Personally, I LOVE social dancing. I’m a close-the-ballroom type. The only thing that will send me home early is uninspiring music or sheer fatigue. Unfortunately, fatigue is a common occurrence when I am on staff at an event, because I have likely had a full day of workshops, private lessons, judging, competing, and possibly our Showcase routine, which by the way, is every bit as draining as it looks!…

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How Judges Judge

By Tessa

When I’m judging prelims, we are instructed by the chief judge to pick a set number of “Yes’s” (usually 10) and 2 alternates. Sometimes I am judging both leaders and followers, sometimes just one or the other.

In each heat, I usually use the first song to pick out my “No’s”. That means, I look for the dancers who are offesive either in behavior or dress, grossly off time, missing major techniques, or not being a good team player with their partner. Once I have them eliminated, I can concentrate on narrowing down the field of dancers who don’t have these major errors… Read More »