WEST COAST SWING
for Advanced Lindy Hop Dancers
2 very specialized crash courses / workshops!
• Sunday, December 18, 2022 •
BOTH WORKSHOPS are SOLD OUT!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Sunday, December 18, 2022
2:00–4:00 WCS for ADV. LINDY HOP DANCERS - CRASH COURSE. Improved repeat of our Aug 7 crash course.
4:10–6:00 NEXT LEVEL - COOL MOVES & TECHNIQUES! (WCS for Adv. Lindy Hoppers Part 2)
Our goal is to become truly good WCS dancers fast — not just hack our way badly through a few memorized WCS moves. In both workshops, we will focus on the skills and "building blocks" that make it all surprisingly easy. Along the way, you will automatically be mastering a lot of WCS moves (aka "patterns"). In one day, you'll be genuinely ready and able to social dance … all night … with everyone at every level. And steal WCS ideas back into your Lindy Hop, if you want to.
CLASS SIZES limited to 14. Pre-registration very strongly recommended. As of Dec 13, 9:15PM: BOTH WORKSHOPS ARE SOLD OUT! (To be wait-listed, click the button below.)
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
• $100 per workshop per person if your household income is $250K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $40 per workshop per person for everyone else, except...
• $15 for Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
• Both workshops (4 hours): 160 / 65 / 25
• Alumni: Repeat the Crash Course workshop for half price!
2:00–4:00 WCS for ADV. LINDY HOP DANCERS - CRASH COURSE. Improved repeat of our Aug 7 crash course.
4:10–6:00 NEXT LEVEL - COOL MOVES & TECHNIQUES! (WCS for Adv. Lindy Hoppers Part 2)
Our goal is to become truly good WCS dancers fast — not just hack our way badly through a few memorized WCS moves. In both workshops, we will focus on the skills and "building blocks" that make it all surprisingly easy. Along the way, you will automatically be mastering a lot of WCS moves (aka "patterns"). In one day, you'll be genuinely ready and able to social dance … all night … with everyone at every level. And steal WCS ideas back into your Lindy Hop, if you want to.
CLASS SIZES limited to 14. Pre-registration very strongly recommended. As of Dec 13, 9:15PM: BOTH WORKSHOPS ARE SOLD OUT! (To be wait-listed, click the button below.)
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
• $100 per workshop per person if your household income is $250K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $40 per workshop per person for everyone else, except...
• $15 for Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
• Both workshops (4 hours): 160 / 65 / 25
• Alumni: Repeat the Crash Course workshop for half price!
Descriptions:
WCS for ADV. LINDY HOP DANCERS - CRASH COURSE
2:00-4:00 pm
We'll start with what you already know, which is a lot! And then focus on the differences. Then we'll tackle WCS from "the inside, out"—WCS's secret, ridiculously simple "master recipe" that covers 85% of everything in WCS. In quick order, you'll be a genuinely good WCS dancer, ready to come WCS dancing with confidence. And ready to steal cool WCS techniques & moves into your Lindy Hop. Scroll down for a very full description.
• Prerequisite: Adv Lindy Hop. Or permission of instructor.
• 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
This is a repeat of our Aug 7 crash course/workshop, but paced a little tighter and with additional / different points — for folks who missed Aug 7, or want to repeat it (half price!), perhaps even dance in the opposite role from last time. NOTE: You are welcome to choose one role OR go back and forth trying both roles. We hope you will be willing to help us maintain a good partnering ratio in the class.
2:00-4:00 pm
We'll start with what you already know, which is a lot! And then focus on the differences. Then we'll tackle WCS from "the inside, out"—WCS's secret, ridiculously simple "master recipe" that covers 85% of everything in WCS. In quick order, you'll be a genuinely good WCS dancer, ready to come WCS dancing with confidence. And ready to steal cool WCS techniques & moves into your Lindy Hop. Scroll down for a very full description.
• Prerequisite: Adv Lindy Hop. Or permission of instructor.
• 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
This is a repeat of our Aug 7 crash course/workshop, but paced a little tighter and with additional / different points — for folks who missed Aug 7, or want to repeat it (half price!), perhaps even dance in the opposite role from last time. NOTE: You are welcome to choose one role OR go back and forth trying both roles. We hope you will be willing to help us maintain a good partnering ratio in the class.
NEXT LEVEL - COOL MOVES & TECHNIQUES! (WCS for Adv.Lindy Hoppers Part 2)
4:10-6:00 pm
Continuing directly onward! First part of the workshop will be cool WCS moves ("patterns" in WCS-speak) that appear rarely or never in Lindy Hop, but could & probably should! And – more importantly – the WCS techniques & skills & ways of thinking that make them easy (OK, easy-ish). We'll give more time to Follower's options. And we'll give more practice time to things that are particularly challenging!
The 2nd part of the workshop (optional): experimenting with using WCS ideas inside Lindy Hop in ways that are true to Lindy Hop. (Historical note: One of the primary values of the original famous Lindy Hoppers of Harlem was, obviously, innovation and experimentation, along with borrowing from other dance sources, as they created and developed Lindy Hop. That's why I feel comfortable respectfully suggesting that we explore.)
• Prerequisite: Aug 7 or Dec 18 Crash Course, or permission of instructor
• Class size limited to 14.
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
4:10-6:00 pm
Continuing directly onward! First part of the workshop will be cool WCS moves ("patterns" in WCS-speak) that appear rarely or never in Lindy Hop, but could & probably should! And – more importantly – the WCS techniques & skills & ways of thinking that make them easy (OK, easy-ish). We'll give more time to Follower's options. And we'll give more practice time to things that are particularly challenging!
The 2nd part of the workshop (optional): experimenting with using WCS ideas inside Lindy Hop in ways that are true to Lindy Hop. (Historical note: One of the primary values of the original famous Lindy Hoppers of Harlem was, obviously, innovation and experimentation, along with borrowing from other dance sources, as they created and developed Lindy Hop. That's why I feel comfortable respectfully suggesting that we explore.)
• Prerequisite: Aug 7 or Dec 18 Crash Course, or permission of instructor
• Class size limited to 14.
• Location: Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
INSTRUCTOR: Ken Kreshtool (for 3 videos of Ken dancing with Paula Wilson, scroll down)
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!"
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!"
LOCATION:
Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
• $100 per workshop per person if your household income is $250K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $40 per workshop per person for everyone else, except...
• $15 for Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
• Both workshops (4 hours): 160 / 65 / 25
• Alumni: Repeat the Crash Course workshop for half price! (Both workshops: 150 / 60 / 22.50)
Studios 353. 353 W 48th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave) - 2nd Floor - Studio #3
PRICE: Based on ability to pay, with our "more ability to pay" participants helping to subsidize:
• $100 per workshop per person if your household income is $250K or higher, or if you are feeling generous.
• $40 per workshop per person for everyone else, except...
• $15 for Lindy Hop, Balboa & WCS teachers, full-time students and pro dancers, or you work full-time in a dance studio.
• Both workshops (4 hours): 160 / 65 / 25
• Alumni: Repeat the Crash Course workshop for half price! (Both workshops: 150 / 60 / 22.50)
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: Maximum protection & safety will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
COVID: Maximum protection & safety will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
EVEN MORE INFO
Why?
- Because WCS has techniques – and very cool moves – that Lindy doesn't. And vice versa. Learn them, dance them, steal them!
- Soul music night at the big Lindy events! WCS to the rescue!
- Lindy Hop + WCS on Wednesday nights in New York City!
- Because WCS & Lindy Hop are surprisingly close cousins. 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.
- 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!
WHAT WE'LL DO IN THE "WCS for ADV.LINDY HOP DANCERS" CRASH COURSE WORKSHOPS
Part 1. Lindy Hop-to-WCS: a quick-n-dirty conversion primer. Change these four things, and it's almost WCS! 2 are simple; 2 take some getting used to.
Plus a few words on the differences from both a historical perspective and a “dance engineering” or “dance logic” perspective.
Part 2. WCS for real, from the inside. See how every WCS move is built from mixing-and-matching just four simple partnered-movement “building blocks”. Or maybe 5, depending on how you count them. This is WCS's "Master Recipe" — learn this and everything else falls into place so fast. So easy, but it takes a bit of practice. Let’s play with this.
Part 3. The FEEL of WCS connection & partnered movement. This is where the magic lives. And more importantly makes all the moves and patterns easy. Some aspects are the same (or almost the same) as in Lindy, but may be deployed differently. Some are different.
Some key concepts/skills we'll choose from: partnering above all; macro vs micro; moving from your lower core; continuous but elastic connection; Follower's Law of Inertia; Leader's Law of Being Adaptive; "Center Point of Connection" (Lindy Hop) vs "Playground Swingset Redirection" (WCS); Leaders: "back-back" or "back-together" on 1-2; balance + gentle counterbalance while traveling; the power of "sidedness" thinking; the actual mechanics of variably elastic connection; 2 or 3 types of "change of direction" connection; patience, patience, patience; go slow enough to let the music talk to you and you to the music, to let your partner and your partner's movement talk to you and yours to to your partner.
Part 4 = Part 2 revisited! With our Part 3 understanding, let's go back and make our moves even more delicious. And add some fancier moves.
Part 5. Styling & musicality & individual expression like a WCS genius while staying WITHIN the lead-follow flow. Here's how.
Part 6. Build-a-bear. Let's take our building blocks and invent some new, perfectly leadable-followable WCS moves. Really.
Experiment #1 (if time allows): Let's apply Parts 2 & 3 skills to our Lindy Hop. Let's see the effect, If any, given that you are already really good. Will it help at slower speeds? Faster speeds? Only one way to find out!
Experiment #2 (if time allows): Westie Hop. Why be dogmatic? Let’s blend ‘em — in the spirit of innovation & experimentation that the original Lindy Hop dancers valued so highly. Once you get used to it, it's wicked cool. And extremely rich for musicality purposes: you suddenly have twice the repertoire and vocabulary to play with.
Part 1. Lindy Hop-to-WCS: a quick-n-dirty conversion primer. Change these four things, and it's almost WCS! 2 are simple; 2 take some getting used to.
Plus a few words on the differences from both a historical perspective and a “dance engineering” or “dance logic” perspective.
Part 2. WCS for real, from the inside. See how every WCS move is built from mixing-and-matching just four simple partnered-movement “building blocks”. Or maybe 5, depending on how you count them. This is WCS's "Master Recipe" — learn this and everything else falls into place so fast. So easy, but it takes a bit of practice. Let’s play with this.
Part 3. The FEEL of WCS connection & partnered movement. This is where the magic lives. And more importantly makes all the moves and patterns easy. Some aspects are the same (or almost the same) as in Lindy, but may be deployed differently. Some are different.
Some key concepts/skills we'll choose from: partnering above all; macro vs micro; moving from your lower core; continuous but elastic connection; Follower's Law of Inertia; Leader's Law of Being Adaptive; "Center Point of Connection" (Lindy Hop) vs "Playground Swingset Redirection" (WCS); Leaders: "back-back" or "back-together" on 1-2; balance + gentle counterbalance while traveling; the power of "sidedness" thinking; the actual mechanics of variably elastic connection; 2 or 3 types of "change of direction" connection; patience, patience, patience; go slow enough to let the music talk to you and you to the music, to let your partner and your partner's movement talk to you and yours to to your partner.
Part 4 = Part 2 revisited! With our Part 3 understanding, let's go back and make our moves even more delicious. And add some fancier moves.
Part 5. Styling & musicality & individual expression like a WCS genius while staying WITHIN the lead-follow flow. Here's how.
Part 6. Build-a-bear. Let's take our building blocks and invent some new, perfectly leadable-followable WCS moves. Really.
Experiment #1 (if time allows): Let's apply Parts 2 & 3 skills to our Lindy Hop. Let's see the effect, If any, given that you are already really good. Will it help at slower speeds? Faster speeds? Only one way to find out!
Experiment #2 (if time allows): Westie Hop. Why be dogmatic? Let’s blend ‘em — in the spirit of innovation & experimentation that the original Lindy Hop dancers valued so highly. Once you get used to it, it's wicked cool. And extremely rich for musicality purposes: you suddenly have twice the repertoire and vocabulary to play with.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE
• Wear clothing. Preferably comfortable. Bring an extra clean shirt and change into it as needed.
• Wear your dance shoes.
• Deodorant & fresh breath required.
• Bring water.
• Please do NOT wear perfume!
• Please do NOT use hand moisturizing lotion immediately before class (ick slippery).
COVID: We will be requiring MAXIMUM precautions from everyone, 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 your dance shoes.
• Deodorant & fresh breath required.
• Bring water.
• Please do NOT wear perfume!
• Please do NOT use hand moisturizing lotion immediately before class (ick slippery).
COVID: We will be requiring MAXIMUM precautions from everyone, 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. "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, education policy, and psychology, 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 5 or 6 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 5 or 6 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!
WCS and Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop and WCS are cousins. They are the same … but different. What's the difference? In addition to the very obvious smooth style & music differences, there are 2 main dance differences:
(1) WCS dancers do zillions of variations in the MIDDLE of moves, and almost no variations at the beginning and ends — while current Lindy Hop is exactly the opposite. (You'd think they'd merge their insights, but it hasn't happened.)
(2) In the mid-1980s, WCS reversed the follower's swivels from "out, in" (contrabody) to "in, out" (unibody) as a result of adapting lots of cool moves from Salsa, especially Salsa's Cross-Body Lead moves. The surprising but natural result is that Turns start one beat earlier or later, and therefore you are on the other foot — which freaks people out until someone points it out. Which we just did. And then you go, "Oh. Feels weird for a few minutes. But no big deal." Once you try both, you realize that both work perfectly fine, and you realize that the dancing itself is infinitely more fun and important than any rigid footwork nonsense — and at that point, you stop worrying and become a much freer, better dancer.
Also, (3) Lindy Hop has both Rock-Step and "Forward-Forward" to start moves, depending on when the leader initiates the follower's forward movement. In WCS, the follower's Rock-Step vanished in the early-1990s so followers always start forward-forward … even though leaders are still typically instructed to do a Rock-Step. But some top WCS Champions now recommend that the Leaders do "back-back" or "back-together" instead of a Rock-Step.
WCS and Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop and WCS are cousins. They are the same … but different. What's the difference? In addition to the very obvious smooth style & music differences, there are 2 main dance differences:
(1) WCS dancers do zillions of variations in the MIDDLE of moves, and almost no variations at the beginning and ends — while current Lindy Hop is exactly the opposite. (You'd think they'd merge their insights, but it hasn't happened.)
(2) In the mid-1980s, WCS reversed the follower's swivels from "out, in" (contrabody) to "in, out" (unibody) as a result of adapting lots of cool moves from Salsa, especially Salsa's Cross-Body Lead moves. The surprising but natural result is that Turns start one beat earlier or later, and therefore you are on the other foot — which freaks people out until someone points it out. Which we just did. And then you go, "Oh. Feels weird for a few minutes. But no big deal." Once you try both, you realize that both work perfectly fine, and you realize that the dancing itself is infinitely more fun and important than any rigid footwork nonsense — and at that point, you stop worrying and become a much freer, better dancer.
Also, (3) Lindy Hop has both Rock-Step and "Forward-Forward" to start moves, depending on when the leader initiates the follower's forward movement. In WCS, the follower's Rock-Step vanished in the early-1990s so followers always start forward-forward … even though leaders are still typically instructed to do a Rock-Step. But some top WCS Champions now recommend that the Leaders do "back-back" or "back-together" instead of a Rock-Step.
FAQ: World's best WCS group classes?
Are these NEW YORK CITY'S best WCS group classes?
Yes.
Are these the WORLD'S best WCS group classes?
Yes.