WEST COAST SWING
Intensive Classes & Workshops
JUNE 2017
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WCS LEVEL 101+201 INTENSIVE CLASS
"Intensively Amazing! For Absolute Beginner Through Intermediate(+) Dancers." 4 weeks • Mondays 8:05-9:35pm • June 5 – June 26 Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson. • Registration is now CLOSED. See very complete 101+201 description below – scroll down! WCS LEVEL 201+301 INTENSIVE CLASS
"Intensively Onward & Upward! For Intermediate And Pre-Advanced Dancers." 4 weeks • Mondays 7:00-8:00pm • June 5 – June 26 Instructors: Paula Wilson & Ken Kreshtool Location: midtown Manhattan (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address) A special 4-week offering for our upper-level Alumni. $100. We'll continue upward and onward with advanced Building Blocks (partnered-movement skills & techniques), and the many terrific patterns and stylings that they let us create effortlessly. Er, almost effortlessly. This class will include aesthetics and musicality skills for both Followers and Leaders, along with other new material that is different from our April-May class.
• Prerequisite: For Ken & Paula's 101 alumni only. (Alumni from our previous higher level classes will individually be given special even-higher level material to work on.) • Students in this class may stay for Level 101+201 for FREE! • Registration is now CLOSED. Sunday, June 18 only! • 3:00-4:00pm
FREE! INTRODUCTION TO WEST COAST SWING (WCS) - DANCE WEEK SPECIAL! Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson A special free class just for NYC Dance Week!
In this gently intensive 1-hour introduction to West Coast Swing (WCS) and to our magical teaching, we'll show you the easy way to become good at WCS. We will focus on the 5 primary partnered movement building blocks of WCS, and the very cool moves that they instantly create. Snap these together, and you can magically dance with all Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced WCS dancers. You will actually be dancing good WCS. We won't be great at it, of course, but we'll be well on our way! We'll get as far as our hour allows. • Prerequisites: Ability to count to 6. No partner or dance experience needed. Really. We'll show you everything you need to know. Class size strictly limited. • Clothing & shoes: CLOTHING: Wear anything that is comfortable. Jeans, slacks, t-shirts are fine. • GENDER NOTE: Our classes are non-gender biased. Dance whatever role(s) you like. We'll probably all try both roles at a few points, as part of learning faster and better. |
- SOLD OUT! -
Thank you for the terrific response!
Thank you for the terrific response!
JULY - AUGUST 2017
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Sunday, July 23 only! (tentative: please let us know ASAP if you are interested!)
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson • Workshop Part 1: 2:00-4:00pm TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, PLUS SOME TECHNIQUE This is that deep go-through and polishing that several folks have asked for. If you are new to our teaching — WELCOME! — this is all of the "technique" stuff that makes all of WCS's coolest patterns work on the actual dance floor with every partner, and makes you twice as advanced. And all presented in a way that makes it pleasant, sensible, and easy to master and remember. Open to all with WCS experience. • Workshop Part 2: 4:05-6:00pm WICKED FANCY STUFF, BASED ON TECHNIQUE Prerequisite: Workshop Part 1 or Ken & Paula's 201+301 class. No exceptions. Thanks. We'll tackle some wicked fancy moves, showing how applying simple easy technique skills and principles from Workshop Part 1 makes all of WCS easy. Well, easier. We'll also explore two major ways of dealing with nearly everything. And we'll note where WCS's historical roots pull us away from WCS's "dance logic" and what to do about that. In both workshops, there will be hands-on coaching and dance practice time, not just skimming and forgetting. Price: $48 per workshop per person. $85 for both workshops. AFTER JULY 23, we are on break for the rest of July & August.
Stay in touch! You will be the first to know as soon as the Fall schedule is finalized! |
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER 2017
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER 2017
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Our FALL sessions of classes will begin Monday, September 11.
Stay in touch! You will be the first to know as soon as the schedule is finalized! |
Every Month: Private Lessons
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We are available for Private Lessons ($75/hr for one instructor, $130/hr for both instructors, + room/space rental fees, typically about $15-45/hr). Contact us here.
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VERY COMPLETE CLASS DESCRIPTION
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WCS LEVEL 101+201 INTENSIVE CLASS:
"INTENSIVELY AMAZING! FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNER THROUGH INTERMEDIATE+ DANCERS." Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson Location: midtown Manhattan (see your emailed Registration follow-up for exact address—not the paypal auto-receipt, but the one that we'll email you a day or two later) Special 4-week class • 6 hrs total, $125. (June 2017) Special 6-week class • 9 hrs total, $180. (Most months, but not June 2017) For Absolute Beginner through Intermediate(+). Also recommended for people who have other partner-dance experience and want to learn WCS really fast, without having to plow through a standard WCS Beginner class. We will learn and rapidly improve our WCS by focusing on how really good WCS dancers actually dance. Is there a secret that makes WCS easy, and makes WCS's huge vocabulary of amazing moves and patterns easy to learn? Yes! We will focus on the 6 primary and 4 secondary partnered-movement building blocks of WCS. Snap these together, and we can magically dance all Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced WCS moves & patterns with the same ease as Advanced dancers. • Everyone in class receives focused individual attention and hands-on tips. • At the end of the course, we will all take a "field trip" together to a local WCS dance (optional). You will be amazed at how good you are, and how happy everyone will be to dance with you! Our teaching is quite different from conventional WCS feet- and pattern-based classes, and therefore offers an excellent acceleration for all WCS dancers. Prerequisite: Ability to count to 6. We'll teach you the rest. No partner or prior experience needed. (If you have any prior dance experience, we will use it to maximize your learning.)
Clothing and Shoes: Scroll down to the "CLASS DETAILS" section below. Thanks
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. 100% refund available any time before the 2nd lesson, no questions asked. So you can be sure our teaching style suits your learning style. Risk free!
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BIOS, CLASS DETAILS, FAQ
Why our Intensive Classes? It's all about the teaching! Our unique "building blocks" teaching approach will get you out on the dance floor fast - having a great time dancing - meeting new people - while continually getting better! Our classes themselves are friendly, entertaining, highly social, and packed with dancing! If you want to understand WCS fast — or if you want to supplement your other WCS classes to boost your skills and technique — come join us!
"That was the best partner-dance class I've ever had of any kind, ever!" —an experienced dancer at a recent WCS class
"You guys are the gold standard for partner dance teaching. Wow." —another experienced dancer at a recent class
"That was the best partner-dance class I've ever had of any kind, ever!" —an experienced dancer at a recent WCS class
"You guys are the gold standard for partner dance teaching. Wow." —another experienced dancer at a recent class
YOUR TEACHERS
Paula Wilson: 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.
Ken Kreshtool: Internationally ranked West Coast Swing competition dancer. "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).
Ken Kreshtool: Internationally ranked West Coast Swing competition dancer. "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).
WHAT IS WEST COAST SWING?
West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance, a smoother and highly sophisticated form of Jitterbug or Lindy Hop-style Swing dance. It kept evolving in California during the post-WW II decades when Jitterbug itself (aka Lindy Hop) 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) 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, and both partners have more freedom for musical expression, 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!), but perhaps the most challenging to fully master. It's hugely popular on the West Coast and in Europe and South America. Come get in on the fun as it sweeps the East Coast!
CLASS DETAILS
WHERE: midtown Manhattan, near 34th & Lexington (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address)
CLOTHING: Wear anything that is comfortable. Jeans or slacks, t-shirts are fine. Bring an extra shirt.
SHOES:
Good footwear: Any clean dance footwear that lets you spin comfortably is fine — dance shoes, dance sneakers, Toms, even socks. Clean suede soles are best. Pulling large, thin socks/footies over your shoes or sneakers works surprisingly well. Low heels or flats are best for WCS.
Bad footwear: Grippy rubber soles are bad — your knees will die. NO SPIKES OR HIGH HEELS, PLEASE! Salsa heels, Tango heels, even character shoes, do NOT work well for WCS.
NOTE: Please change into your clean dance footwear in the lobby area after arriving, to preserve the nice wood floor. If it rains or snows, definitely change into clean, dry footwear after arriving. Thanks.
WHAT ELSE TO BRING: (a) All you friends! (b) Water. Maybe a snack. (c) An extra shirt. (d) Carry your dance footwear and change into it/them after you arrive. (e) Gum. Toothbrush. Deodorant. Please. (f) A smile!
GENDER NOTE: Our classes are non-gender biased. Dance whatever role(s) you like. We'll probably all try both roles at some point, as part of learning faster and better.
CLOTHING: Wear anything that is comfortable. Jeans or slacks, t-shirts are fine. Bring an extra shirt.
SHOES:
Good footwear: Any clean dance footwear that lets you spin comfortably is fine — dance shoes, dance sneakers, Toms, even socks. Clean suede soles are best. Pulling large, thin socks/footies over your shoes or sneakers works surprisingly well. Low heels or flats are best for WCS.
Bad footwear: Grippy rubber soles are bad — your knees will die. NO SPIKES OR HIGH HEELS, PLEASE! Salsa heels, Tango heels, even character shoes, do NOT work well for WCS.
NOTE: Please change into your clean dance footwear in the lobby area after arriving, to preserve the nice wood floor. If it rains or snows, definitely change into clean, dry footwear after arriving. Thanks.
WHAT ELSE TO BRING: (a) All you friends! (b) Water. Maybe a snack. (c) An extra shirt. (d) Carry your dance footwear and change into it/them after you arrive. (e) Gum. Toothbrush. Deodorant. Please. (f) A smile!
GENDER NOTE: Our classes are non-gender biased. Dance whatever role(s) you like. We'll probably all try both roles at some point, as part of learning faster and better.
Registration
FAQ: World's best WCS group classes? Drop-ins? Late registrations?
ARE THESE THE WORLD'S BEST WEST COAST SWING GROUP CLASSES?
ARE THESE NEW YORK CITY'S BEST WEST COAST SWING GROUP CLASSES?
Yes.
DROP-INS PERMITTED? Yes for our Sunday workshops. But for our Monday classes ... no. Our multi-week Level 101, 201, 301, and 401 classes on Monday nights are cumulative — each lesson builds on all previous lessons.
• However, if you are visiting from out of town and want to attend one lesson, to see what the World's Best WCS (West Coast Swing) Classes look like <insert modest cough here>, please contact us and we will almost always say yes. We may ask you to sit on the side if we think that day's topics require preparation that you don't have yet, but we will refund you if we do that.
LATE REGISTRATIONS AFTER THE FIRST WEEK? (For multi-week classes.)
We are extremely reluctant. We want you (and all your partners in class) to be happy! Not frustrated! Our class is intensively cumulative, which is how we learn so much so quickly and easily. We lay nearly all the groundwork in the first class. Please come to the first lesson! Thanks for understanding.
• Start at 2nd lesson? Probably not. If you absolutely cannot attend the 1st lesson, contact us about starting at the 2nd lesson. However, note that — just like when going to the movies — there's no discount for starting late. Also note that we cover so much fundamental stuff in the first lesson, which we build on in all subsequent lessons, that we have never had anyone catch up after missing the first lesson. If you absolutely must miss the 1st lesson, and absolutely cannot wait until our next full session, you are welcome to schedule a private lesson with one of us before the second lesson.
• Start at 3rd lesson? No, sorry. We cover so much ground in the first two lessons, that we have never had anyone successfully start during lesson 3. So we ask you to wait until our next class series starts.