“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 […]
In every skill-based activity there’s a difference between the beginners and the veterans. This makes sense – the longer you work at something, the better you get at it. Notice I said work at; just because you hack at something longer, doesn’t mean you’re improving. But the dance community is full of distinctions, divisions, labelling…ways […]
I am simultaneously appalled and entertained by some of the things my students say in lessons. I don’t blame them for ignorance and I’m not disappointed in them in any way. But sometimes they report “facts” about the WCS scene that they have heard from their peers (and sometimes unfortunately from a teacher) that are […]
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 […]
We all solicit, teach, encourage, and promote WCS to newbies all the time in an effort to grow our community. But the first rule of marketing is “know your customer”. How can we hope to attract and retain new Westies unless we step into their shoes and figure out what concerns they have, what orientation […]
Whether you are a seasoned recreational dancer or keen rookie, you are probably looking for the best way to improve your dancing in the most time- and cost-effective way. Let’s compare your dance progress to a fitness program. If your goal was to get in shape, you would go to the gym and have […]
