Like a personal trainer or a tutor, private lessons are highly recommended for dancers of all levels (even beginners and instructors) who are serious about improving their dancing and want the most value for their money. This one-on-one personal feedback is by far the most effective and efficient method of learning. We can give you access to technique and strategies not readily available from most instructors. We can help you create new possibilities in your dancing, at your own pace, your own level, and in your own style.
About our teaching style
Our Swing Literacy Development Method is different from the traditional method of teaching dance. It uses a skill development approach, unique to WCS, but very common in sports. Prepare to hear a whole new perspective. Regardless of the purpose of the lesson, we build skills from the ground up, correcting any foundational issues along the way. The advice, corrections, and drills we offer are based on years of experimenting to find the most effective methods to teach body mechanics and efficient movement, not based on our opinions.
We often use a Socratic method: rather than spoon-feeding instructions, we use questioning techniques to guide students to develop skills organically, which makes them learn faster and “feel” better. These techniques tend to be more interactive and require more engagement from the student. We put the student at ease by offering encouragement and solutions without artificial ego-stroking: we prefer to get right to the source of the issue so you get full value for your time.
Get Coaching:Live: in Vancouver
One-on-one coaching in our beautiful Vancouver studio, for brand-new beginners to seasoned competitors. Live: at Events
To ensure availability, email to request appointments in advance, but feel free to approach us at the event. Online/Remote
Reach us from anywhere in the world! Take a Lesson via Skype, or get feedback via email in a Video Critique. |
Private Lesson FAQ’s
Do you work with Beginners?
Do you offer ProAm privates?
Does it matter which of you I work with?
What about parking (Vancouver)?
Do I need a dance dummy?
My partner and I would like coaching on lifts. Who should we work with?
Oops! My package expired, and I still have a bunch of lessons left!
I'm visiting Vancouver for a week. Can I set up a bank of lessons in a row?
Pedagogy without parallel
Tessa’s pedagogy is without parallel. When she teaches, she doesn’t just pelt you with information, she connects new concepts to existing ones, so that it makes a deeper impact, lasts longer in memory, and deepens your overall understanding of the dance.
The code to unlock the dance
“I am so grateful for the privates and workshops that have accelerated my dance progress. Myles & Tessa’s ability to interpret my learning style and body mechanics, imparted foundations and skills that allow me to feel I can understand what can improve many situations even on-the-fly while dancing. A work in progress, but I’m now more aware when I can improve a move, figure out what is missing, and how to adjust. The bonus is that I can also better follow other instructors in workshops and fill in the blanks if necessary. Looking forward to continued development and enjoyment of musicality, partner communication, boing, and kissing, that turn a good dance into a great experience.”
Tackle your goals
Dynamic and deeply knowledgeable instructors, Myles and Tessa deliver private lessons that are productive and fun. Whether you want to learn a specific move or figure out how to improve your general dancing, they will assess your dancing and teach you specific ways to improve your movement and partnership skills based on clearly explained body mechanics and useful exercises, drills and one-on-one feedback.
Support in transition
“I have taken lessons and workshops with both Myles and Tessa and have been impressed with their professional approach to teaching. Having come from a long history of “other” dance forms it was refreshing to be welcomed and encouraged to explore the script of West Coast Swing and then to be enthusiastically encouraged to incorporate my knowledge from my previous career in ballet, tap, contemporary, flamenco, jazz..SOOOO much fun! Their honesty and support in growing up in WCS is valuable to all and certainly appreciated by me.”
Becoming more responsive partners
Every lesson is packed with generously supplied information which is put into practice before proceeding to other topics and leaves us with material to work on long after the lesson is over. From our first lesson on, Myles and Tessa figured out a learning progression that suited us and helped us become more responsive dance partners.