Easy Brilliant
WEST COAST SWING
Become amazing! Super fast!
[xxxxxxxxbkup] WCS INTENSIVE CRASH COURSE - 3 hours
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm
Be amazing, super fast! We'll focus immediately on the things that empower you to dance WCS all night with everyone, with confidence, comfort and joy! For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed. Bring a water bottle. Scroll down for full description & multi-tier pricing, including Early Bird prices!
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm
Be amazing, super fast! We'll focus immediately on the things that empower you to dance WCS all night with everyone, with confidence, comfort and joy! For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed. Bring a water bottle. Scroll down for full description & multi-tier pricing, including Early Bird prices!
WCS for ADVANCED LINDY HOPPERS ONLY - Part 2 - An Accelerated Intensive Workshop
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 4:00-6:00 pm
We'll start with an accelerated reprise of WCS for Adv.Lindy Hoppers, Part 1, several months ago, if you weren't there: the "building blocks" approach to mastering WCS infinitely faster than the standard old Beginners "step patterns + 'technique' " approach, plus quickie Lindy-to-WCS conversion tips. Then we'll immerse ourselves in advanced skills and use them to construct gorgeous WCS moves ("patterns") — skills that also allow lots of room for individual expression & musicality while in the MIDDLE of the lead-follow flow. We'll apply our new insights in the context of a very cool family of infinitely variable Intermed/Adv WCS moves ... that also can work natively in Lindy Hop. You'll become a genuinely good WCS dancer, dancing WCS with confidence, skill, and (hopefully) joy. And ready to steal cool WCS skills & moves back into your Lindy Hop.
Note #1: Workshop will run ELEF, or choose-a-role, or a mix, as participants prefer.
Note #2: We'll be trying to squeeze about 6 hours of workshop into 2 hours. Bring water.
Class size limited to 14.
PREREQUISITE: Advanced Lindy Hoppers only. Seriously. You are a better Lindy Hop dancer than Ken. You have probably taught Lindy Hop or Swing classes. You do NOT need to have attended Part 1.
Ken dances WCS and some Lindy Hop, and teaches WCS. Ken sez, "I'm assuming your Lindy Hop is better than mine, and I am grateful that you are willing to join me for this. If I bungle anything I say about Lindy Hop, please jump in and correct me! I look forward to a mutually respectful and joyful workshop with all of you!"
Scroll down for full description & multi-tier pricing, including early bird prices.
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 4:00-6:00 pm
We'll start with an accelerated reprise of WCS for Adv.Lindy Hoppers, Part 1, several months ago, if you weren't there: the "building blocks" approach to mastering WCS infinitely faster than the standard old Beginners "step patterns + 'technique' " approach, plus quickie Lindy-to-WCS conversion tips. Then we'll immerse ourselves in advanced skills and use them to construct gorgeous WCS moves ("patterns") — skills that also allow lots of room for individual expression & musicality while in the MIDDLE of the lead-follow flow. We'll apply our new insights in the context of a very cool family of infinitely variable Intermed/Adv WCS moves ... that also can work natively in Lindy Hop. You'll become a genuinely good WCS dancer, dancing WCS with confidence, skill, and (hopefully) joy. And ready to steal cool WCS skills & moves back into your Lindy Hop.
Note #1: Workshop will run ELEF, or choose-a-role, or a mix, as participants prefer.
Note #2: We'll be trying to squeeze about 6 hours of workshop into 2 hours. Bring water.
Class size limited to 14.
PREREQUISITE: Advanced Lindy Hoppers only. Seriously. You are a better Lindy Hop dancer than Ken. You have probably taught Lindy Hop or Swing classes. You do NOT need to have attended Part 1.
Ken dances WCS and some Lindy Hop, and teaches WCS. Ken sez, "I'm assuming your Lindy Hop is better than mine, and I am grateful that you are willing to join me for this. If I bungle anything I say about Lindy Hop, please jump in and correct me! I look forward to a mutually respectful and joyful workshop with all of you!"
Scroll down for full description & multi-tier pricing, including early bird prices.
MAKE ME AWESOME FAST! - COMBO PRICE - SAVE $10/person
FULL DESCRIPTIONS:
WCS INTENSIVE CRASH COURSE - 3 hours
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm
Be amazing, super fast! A 3 hour intensive crash course. We'll focus immediately on the things that empower you to dance WCS all night with everyone, with confidence, comfort and joy! For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed.
WCS is surprisingly fast to learn … if you start smart. Nearly everything in WCS is a matter of just a few "building blocks" that we mix and match. And 3 super-helpful "partner dancer" skills to make everything work smoothly. Once we have that, we use it to construct all the basic moves ("patterns" in WCS-speak), and we're ready to add sizzle, styling, variations, and musicality! So much easier and faster this way!
Special note for Lindy Hoppers: You will also strongly improve all your Lindy Hop lead-follow dancing — all variations on your Swingouts, Pass-by's, Tucks and Sugar Pushes, both leaders & followers.
• Instructor: Ken Kreshtool. "The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" –Harvard University students' comments, 6 years in a row. (For videos of Ken dancing with Paula Wilson, scroll down.)
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
• Class size limited to 16 - 8 leaders, 8 followers. Anyone can dance any role. If you are genuinely flexible on role, that's also an option on the Registration form. Due to room size – we want ample space for everyone. (NOTE: All our previous similar courses sold out early. No idea if this one will, but it's worth noting.)
• Prerequisite: For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed.
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
EARLY BIRD (Before FEBRUARY 1)
• $45, or $85 for 2 people, except...
• $150 ($50/hr) per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $25 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
REGULAR: (FEBRUARY 2 and after)
• $60, or $115 for 2 people, except...
• $210 per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $30 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm
Be amazing, super fast! A 3 hour intensive crash course. We'll focus immediately on the things that empower you to dance WCS all night with everyone, with confidence, comfort and joy! For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed.
WCS is surprisingly fast to learn … if you start smart. Nearly everything in WCS is a matter of just a few "building blocks" that we mix and match. And 3 super-helpful "partner dancer" skills to make everything work smoothly. Once we have that, we use it to construct all the basic moves ("patterns" in WCS-speak), and we're ready to add sizzle, styling, variations, and musicality! So much easier and faster this way!
Special note for Lindy Hoppers: You will also strongly improve all your Lindy Hop lead-follow dancing — all variations on your Swingouts, Pass-by's, Tucks and Sugar Pushes, both leaders & followers.
• Instructor: Ken Kreshtool. "The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" –Harvard University students' comments, 6 years in a row. (For videos of Ken dancing with Paula Wilson, scroll down.)
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
• Class size limited to 16 - 8 leaders, 8 followers. Anyone can dance any role. If you are genuinely flexible on role, that's also an option on the Registration form. Due to room size – we want ample space for everyone. (NOTE: All our previous similar courses sold out early. No idea if this one will, but it's worth noting.)
• Prerequisite: For this accelerated Crash Course, you MUST have some prior dance or athletic experience (any amount, any genre). No partner needed.
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
EARLY BIRD (Before FEBRUARY 1)
• $45, or $85 for 2 people, except...
• $150 ($50/hr) per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $25 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
REGULAR: (FEBRUARY 2 and after)
• $60, or $115 for 2 people, except...
• $210 per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $30 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: TBD as situation evolves.
COVID: TBD as situation evolves.
(Postponed to a future date) ADVANCED CONNECTION SKILLS for EVERYONE
WCS for ADVANCED LINDY HOPPERS ONLY, PART 2
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 4:00-6:00 pm (2 hours)
This will be an accelerated intensive workshop. We'll start by reviewing what we learned in WCS for Adv.Lindy Hoppers, Part 1, several months ago, if you weren't there: the "building blocks" approach to mastering excellent WCS infinitely faster than the standard old "step patterns + 'technique' " approach, plus quickie Lindy-to-WCS conversion tips. Then we'll immerse ourselves in advanced skills that we use to construct gorgeous WCS moves ("patterns") — skills that also allow lots of room for individual expression & musicality while in the MIDDLE of the lead-follow flow. We'll apply our new insights in the context of an infinitely variable intermed/adv family of WCS moves ... that also can work natively in Lindy Hop. You'll become a genuinely good WCS dancer, dancing WCS with confidence, skill, and (hopefully) joy. And ready to steal cool WCS skills & moves back into your Lindy Hop.
As you know, Lindy Hop is a rather complex amalgam, incorporating partnered moves, solo jazz movements, moves that must be memorized as choreography, etc. WCS's magic is that it is Lindy Hop's partnered moves only, simplified and made totally coherent and accessible as pure 100% lead-follow ... and then that simplified coherent core has been built on and extended and complexified into an amazingly rich improvisational vocabulary. Most of which can be borrowed straight back into Lindy Hop, as some top Lindy Pros are already doing. The first key is really wrapping one's head around the incredibly simple, coherent, core partnered-movement "building blocks" at the heart of WCS. The second key to playing joyfully is advanced WCS Connection technique and skills. And that's what we'll focus on. That's what lets us do, say, 500 variations in the MIDDLE of a Swingout aka Whip.
Some of the technique we'll focus on in the workshop is stuff Ken has learned from over 200 teachers, but especially from Black dancers who are Alvin Ailey alumni, who know both African & African diaspora dance as well as the European classical dances. Yes, WCS is a lot more "white" in its aesthetics than Lindy Hop, but the secret to brilliant WCS is focusing on African-rooted dance skills/technique, and then applying them in the partnered-movement context. You probably already know much of this stuff — or at least, your body knows it. We'll be making it explicit, and showing how it instantly makes WCS soooooo much better and easier.
We'll do all this in the context of some fairly advanced WCS patterns. All of which translate directly back into Lindy Hop, because they are essentially extensions of standard Lindy Hop moves. But you MUST have the advanced WCS connection technique and skills to pull them off. (Editorial note: We think these skills really should be taught at the very beginning of any Beginner series — and we'll do some of that in the 1:00 pm Crash Course — but almost no other teachers do that. I have no idea why.)
• PREREQUISITE: Advanced Lindy Hoppers only. Seriously. You are a better Lindy Hop dancer than Ken. You have probably taught Lindy Hop or Swing classes. You do NOT need to have attended Part 1.
• Class size limited to 14. Due to room size – we want ample space for everyone.
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
Why?
EARLY BIRD (Before FEBRUARY 1)
• $25, or $45 for 2 people, except...
• $75 ($50/hr) per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $15 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
REGULAR: (FEBRUARY 2 and after):
• $30, or $55 for 2 people, except...
• $100 per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $15 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
Saturday, February 10, 2024, 4:00-6:00 pm (2 hours)
This will be an accelerated intensive workshop. We'll start by reviewing what we learned in WCS for Adv.Lindy Hoppers, Part 1, several months ago, if you weren't there: the "building blocks" approach to mastering excellent WCS infinitely faster than the standard old "step patterns + 'technique' " approach, plus quickie Lindy-to-WCS conversion tips. Then we'll immerse ourselves in advanced skills that we use to construct gorgeous WCS moves ("patterns") — skills that also allow lots of room for individual expression & musicality while in the MIDDLE of the lead-follow flow. We'll apply our new insights in the context of an infinitely variable intermed/adv family of WCS moves ... that also can work natively in Lindy Hop. You'll become a genuinely good WCS dancer, dancing WCS with confidence, skill, and (hopefully) joy. And ready to steal cool WCS skills & moves back into your Lindy Hop.
As you know, Lindy Hop is a rather complex amalgam, incorporating partnered moves, solo jazz movements, moves that must be memorized as choreography, etc. WCS's magic is that it is Lindy Hop's partnered moves only, simplified and made totally coherent and accessible as pure 100% lead-follow ... and then that simplified coherent core has been built on and extended and complexified into an amazingly rich improvisational vocabulary. Most of which can be borrowed straight back into Lindy Hop, as some top Lindy Pros are already doing. The first key is really wrapping one's head around the incredibly simple, coherent, core partnered-movement "building blocks" at the heart of WCS. The second key to playing joyfully is advanced WCS Connection technique and skills. And that's what we'll focus on. That's what lets us do, say, 500 variations in the MIDDLE of a Swingout aka Whip.
Some of the technique we'll focus on in the workshop is stuff Ken has learned from over 200 teachers, but especially from Black dancers who are Alvin Ailey alumni, who know both African & African diaspora dance as well as the European classical dances. Yes, WCS is a lot more "white" in its aesthetics than Lindy Hop, but the secret to brilliant WCS is focusing on African-rooted dance skills/technique, and then applying them in the partnered-movement context. You probably already know much of this stuff — or at least, your body knows it. We'll be making it explicit, and showing how it instantly makes WCS soooooo much better and easier.
We'll do all this in the context of some fairly advanced WCS patterns. All of which translate directly back into Lindy Hop, because they are essentially extensions of standard Lindy Hop moves. But you MUST have the advanced WCS connection technique and skills to pull them off. (Editorial note: We think these skills really should be taught at the very beginning of any Beginner series — and we'll do some of that in the 1:00 pm Crash Course — but almost no other teachers do that. I have no idea why.)
• PREREQUISITE: Advanced Lindy Hoppers only. Seriously. You are a better Lindy Hop dancer than Ken. You have probably taught Lindy Hop or Swing classes. You do NOT need to have attended Part 1.
• Class size limited to 14. Due to room size – we want ample space for everyone.
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
Why?
- Because WCS has techniques & skills – and very cool moves – that Lindy doesn't. And vice versa. Learn them, dance them, steal them!
- Lindy Hop + WCS on Wednesday nights in New York City!
- Because WCS is a direct descendant of Lindy Hop and remains a surprisingly close cousin. So we can start from where you are, leveraging the similarities & focusing on the differences. Master WCS fast, like magic.
- Because dancing WCS is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. If you can stand the music.
- And because a few Adv. Lindy Hop dancers asked me to do this. So this is limited to Adv Lindy dancers only, for tight focus, small class size, and speedy learning. Thanks for understanding. Please, please – Forward this to all your Adv Lindy Hop friends who might be interested! Thanks!
EARLY BIRD (Before FEBRUARY 1)
• $25, or $45 for 2 people, except...
• $75 ($50/hr) per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $15 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
REGULAR: (FEBRUARY 2 and after):
• $30, or $55 for 2 people, except...
• $100 per person if your household income is $300K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $15 for all Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS & yoga teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: TBD as situation evolves.
COVID: TBD as situation evolves.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE
• Wear clothing. Preferably comfortable. Bring an extra shirt and change into it as needed.
• Wear comfortable shoes that let you pivot. Suede or hard-leather soles are good. Most dance-sneaker or plastic soles are good. Grippy rubber soles like on running shoes are bad. High heels and Salsa shoes: not good for WCS; flats or low heels are much better. Character shoes: marginal; your feet will probably hurt after 30 minutes.
• NO BLACK SOLED SHOES! (Studio requirement — they leave streaks. If that's all you own, wear socks or nylon thingies OVER your shoes.)
• RAIN & SNOW: Bring clean, dry shoes and change into them at the door, to protect the nice wood floors.
• Deodorant & fresh breath required. Bring a clean shirt and change into it as needed.
• Please do NOT wear perfume!
• Please do NOT use hand moisturizing lotion immediately before class (ick slippery).
COVID: We will be consistent with whatever the COVID situation is.
NOTE: Full refund available if you test positive or show any symptoms before class of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
• Wear comfortable shoes that let you pivot. Suede or hard-leather soles are good. Most dance-sneaker or plastic soles are good. Grippy rubber soles like on running shoes are bad. High heels and Salsa shoes: not good for WCS; flats or low heels are much better. Character shoes: marginal; your feet will probably hurt after 30 minutes.
• NO BLACK SOLED SHOES! (Studio requirement — they leave streaks. If that's all you own, wear socks or nylon thingies OVER your shoes.)
• RAIN & SNOW: Bring clean, dry shoes and change into them at the door, to protect the nice wood floors.
• Deodorant & fresh breath required. Bring a clean shirt and change into it as needed.
• Please do NOT wear perfume!
• Please do NOT use hand moisturizing lotion immediately before class (ick slippery).
COVID: We will be consistent with whatever the COVID situation is.
NOTE: Full refund available if you test positive or show any symptoms before class of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
YOUR TEACHERS
Ken Kreshtool: Internationally ranked West Coast Swing competition dancer. International West Coast Swing instructor. "The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" — Harvard University students' comments, 6 years in a row, for his on-campus dance classes (while working on a PhD there). Also has advanced degrees in law, psychology, and education policy, and formerly taught ballroom, salsa, swing & lindy hop. Ken is compressing what he has learned from over 200 dance teachers into the best classes you'll find anywhere.
Paula Wilson [not teaching this session]: Internationally ranked West Coast Swing competition dancer. Graduate of the Alvin Ailey School's Professional Division. Professional modern dancer and internationally traveling Argentine Tango teacher for 12 years. Award-winning former early childhood education teacher.
Some videos of us. These are pure improvisational lead-follow dancing — we are making it up as we go along. Not choreographed, not rehearsed. Typically for a demo like this, we hand the DJ a playlist of songs and say "you choose - play any one of them."
Paula Wilson [not teaching this session]: Internationally ranked West Coast Swing competition dancer. Graduate of the Alvin Ailey School's Professional Division. Professional modern dancer and internationally traveling Argentine Tango teacher for 12 years. Award-winning former early childhood education teacher.
Some videos of us. These are pure improvisational lead-follow dancing — we are making it up as we go along. Not choreographed, not rehearsed. Typically for a demo like this, we hand the DJ a playlist of songs and say "you choose - play any one of them."
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WHAT IS WEST COAST SWING?
In very short: West Coast Swing (WCS) is Swing and Lindy Hop moves done to R&B and contemporary Pop music.
Here is a really good introductory video — a compilation of short clips of various top Champions each dancing to a different genre of music, put together by a fellow in Barcelona.
Here is a really good introductory video — a compilation of short clips of various top Champions each dancing to a different genre of music, put together by a fellow in Barcelona.
More thoroughly: West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance, a smoother and highly sophisticated form of Jitterbug or Lindy Hop-style Swing dance. It spun off from Lindy Hop in California during the post-WW II decades when Lindy Hop itself went dead or dormant for 50 years. It has continued evolving dramatically even today, adapting to new music and new dancers. Over the years, it has "borrowed" (stolen and adapted) almost every cool move, turn, dip, and styling from Lindy Hop, Salsa, Hip Hop, Country, and booty-shakin', and even some Ballroom, Zouk, Tango and Blues. West Coast Swing has one of the biggest vocabularies of moves and combinations of any partner dance — and the widest range of music styles. At the same time, WCS Followers have more freedom for improvisation than in any other partner dance. WCS is the easiest of the Swing dances to learn (if you have the right teachers — that's us!), while remaining one of the most fun and challenging to fully master. Come get in on the fun!
FAQ: World's best WCS group classes?
Are these NEW YORK CITY'S best WCS group classes?
Yes. We teach completely differently, focusing on the simple core *partnered* movement elements that we mix & match to create 95% of WCS's moves & patterns. Because this is how good WCS is actually danced. WCS is so much simpler than the standard way of teaching makes it. Our students are out dancing with joy and confidence all night immediately.
Are these the WORLD'S best WCS group classes?
Quite possibly.