It’s great to see students all over the world taking the initiative to practice on their own. Practice of personal movement skills is part of a balanced diet of partner dance learning and skill development, regardless of your ambition level. We are strong advocates of “homework”: once you learn your skills in your lesson, you need […]
Dance feedback is like hugs. Everybody can benefit from them, but no one will admit to it, and it can get awkward to ask. An no one likes an unwanted hug. This article is your go-to source on how to gracefully GET and GIVE feedback. Read on to discover: The 3 conditions required for feedback […]
Something doesn’t add up….How many WCS patterns do you think you’ve ever learned?Just calculate how many patterns you learn per week, then multiply that by how long you’ve been dancing.Now, how many of those patterns have you actually adopted into your social or competition dancing?Oof. That’s a big difference.That’s a lot of money and time […]
Do you hear feedback from teachers and judges that you need to work on your timing? Being off time could be referring to 10 or more different issues. Whenever a teacher or judge tells you you are off time, you need ask them to elaborate so you know where the problem is. Without knowing the […]
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 […]
Do you live in a community where there’s not a lot of dance resources? (dancers/dance parties/instructors) Are you afraid of losing your improvement momentum because of it? Are you starving for feedback to know that you are on the right track? You don’t need to wait for the next big convention, or think that you […]
Mirror & memorization method works brilliantly for some dances like ballroom because in ballroom there are set techniques for every movement that are precise and predictable so as to compare dancer to dancer. There is agreement in the ballroom world on what a “proper” pattern should look like. And the closer you can get to […]
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” […]
I love that while our dance evolves as fast as technology, we use technology to evolve our dance. YouTube is a great source of inspiration, but for the most part, a horrible teacher: YouTube doesn’t know what you need to improve You have to force yourself filter out the entertainment aspect It doesn’t provide […]
Can’t get your body to do what the teacher expects? You could be dancing in the wrong profile. I’ve got good news for you: It’s not your fault – there’s nothing wrong with you, but you need different tools. You are not alone – most dancers are struggling to conform to an ideal. […]
