Do you know how to do the Electric Slide? The Wobble? The Tush Push? If I asked you to show me Waltz box step, could you? Can you join in on the Horah? Do you remember how the Shim Sham goes? How about that Go, Johnny, Go square dance? These are “dances”. They are sets of choreographed […]
What do you WANT?
And now for a little practical philosophy.Ask yourself: What do you really want in West Coast Swing? Take a moment before answering: your readily available answer might be keeping you from being honest with yourself, which might be sabotaging your ability to have your needs met. Many dancers approach us seeking advice, from all corners of […]
Balancing Your Dance Life: Your Ideal Westie “Diet”
Before you get all scared, let me clarify: I’m referring to a diet of dance, not a diet of nutrition. This sadly misrepresented word is technically supposed to refer to a regular balance of fuel, not a short-term restriction of it. So, using the original intention of the word, ask yourself how your “dance diet” […]
14 common teaching habits that might be sabotaging your students
Even the best teachers with the best intentions have moments of unintentional subliminal teaching: when their teaching habits or advice accidentally deliver a completely different, counterproductive, undesirable lesson. Check your habits here! In this article, I’m going to talk about why certain advice backfires. Then I outline 14 typical teaching habits or advice that tend to […]
The “Not-Good-Enough” Myth
“One day, I hope to speak Egyptian Arabic well enough to visit Egypt” This makes no sense, right? You don’t need to be fluent in Arabic in order to visit Egypt. In fact, the Egyptians would probably be pleasantly surprised if you even tried “Hello” and “Thank you”. When it comes to language, skill proficiency […]
Private Lesson Pains
No matter your level, when it comes to dance instruction, nothing gives you more bang-for-your-buck than private lessons. Private lessons are a part of a balanced dance diet. The one-on-one feedback fills your bucket with encouragement and homework to last you a few weeks to a few months of social dance practice. BUT, there are […]
Guy-guidance and Dude-diligence: Q&A for the Westie-Men
MEN! You have questions, maybe you’re too shy to ask, or maybe you’re afraid of being judged for asking. Myles has heard it all, and is here to provide the answers! Champion leader Myles Munroe answers 21 probing questions from men who dance West Coast Swing, including 5 questions that everyone wonders about but avoids […]
Evolving Event Standards & Trends
As WCS spreads and grows exponentially worldwide and the dance evolves, the landscape of dance events is changing too. There are more dance activities available on the market now, so in an effort to compete for attention and attendees, events have to be innovative and offer more value. The tried and true formula is still […]
Shoe Review 2019 edition: WCS Footwear Trends Dissected
Fashion, just as West Coast Swing itself, evolves as trends change and new technology becomes available. This is one of my most popular articles, with some new additions! In effect, any shoe can be a dance shoe with a somewhat flexible sole and suede on the bottom. Some people take their favourite shoes to a […]
What Swing Euphoria Looks Like
There are so many of these weekend experiences that have been personally moving or meaningful to us for different reasons: relationships built, magic moments in performance, hysterical spotlights or all-skates, powerful learning transformations, teaching breakthroughs, etc. But the third weekend of May 2017, we were privileged to experience a new degree of “epic”: the […]