WEST COAST SWING
Intensive Classes & Workshops
New York City
"The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" — Harvard Univ. students' comments 6 years in a row, for Ken's on-campus dance classes (while working on a PhD there). Scroll down for bio & videos.
Join us Thursday nights! Scroll down for full details & registration
Started Mar 10, 6:30 pm: WCS Brilliantly Onward! - Level 201+301 (5 wks) – 6:30-7:45 pm
Started Mar 10, 8:00 pm: Super WCS - Level 101+201 (5 weeks) – 8:00-9:20 pm
NOTE: Level 201+301 folks are welcome to stay for Level 101+201 for free!
LOCATION:
March 10, 17, and 24:
STUDIOS 353
353 West 48th St - 2nd Floor - Studio 3 (between 8th & 9th Ave)
Manhattan NY
Note: There is a stairs to the 2nd floor just inside the building's front door. Much faster than the elevator!
March 31 & April 7 – literally around the corner on 8th Ave:
STUDIOS 797 (same owner as STUDIOS 353)
797 8th Ave - 4th Floor - Studio 1 (betw 48th & 49th St)
Started Mar 10, 6:30 pm: WCS Brilliantly Onward! - Level 201+301 (5 wks) – 6:30-7:45 pm
Started Mar 10, 8:00 pm: Super WCS - Level 101+201 (5 weeks) – 8:00-9:20 pm
NOTE: Level 201+301 folks are welcome to stay for Level 101+201 for free!
LOCATION:
March 10, 17, and 24:
STUDIOS 353
353 West 48th St - 2nd Floor - Studio 3 (between 8th & 9th Ave)
Manhattan NY
Note: There is a stairs to the 2nd floor just inside the building's front door. Much faster than the elevator!
March 31 & April 7 – literally around the corner on 8th Ave:
STUDIOS 797 (same owner as STUDIOS 353)
797 8th Ave - 4th Floor - Studio 1 (betw 48th & 49th St)
Super WCS - Level 101+201
5 weeks
Thur, Mar 10 thru April 7, 2022 • 5 weeks • 8:00-9:20 pm
An accelerated class for Beginners thru Intermediate+
NOTE #1: Each class is 1 hr 20 mins, which gives us a huge advantage over any 55 minute class!
NOTE #2: It is nearly impossible to start late at Week #2. Please come to the first lesson — we cover everything there, then fill in the gaps in the remaining weeks.
Become really good really fast! WCS is really simple and easy when taught the modern way — so that is how we teach! Ignore anyone who tells you WCS is difficult! (And send them to us!)
Sure, WCS has zillions of cool moves and patterns. But here's the secret: All of them — from Basic to Insanely Advanced — are built by mixing and matching just 5 "building blocks." So that is what we teach first. These are simple PARTNERED-movement building blocks: how to move and be moved by a partner, in a teamwork way, for WCS (and Lindy Hop, as it happens). Those building blocks are ALWAYS done, hiding in plain sight under all the fancy embellishments you see on youtube. Once we master them — which is easy but does require attention — you will be dancing 10+ WCS moves/patterns just by effortless mixing and matching. You will be able to dance WCS all night long with everyone from Beginners to Advanced. And you will learn new patterns, variations and stylings much faster, becoming insanely good WCS dancers super fast. This is learning WCS from the "inside, out." It is much faster, happier, and more satisfying than spending years memorizing dozens of stand-alone patterns that never quite work.
Our class: All the most important and useful WCS connection skills & fundamentals & moves & patterns in 5 gently intensive weeks. You will be ready to go social dancing with confidence and skill, feeling comfortable and feeling that you fit in, even the first time you go WCS social dancing! And solidly ready to learn all the rest of WCS 5X faster. We will learn about 20 standard WCS moves ("patterns"), but in a great way that makes you an adaptive master of improvising, embellishing, styling, and being supremely musical — which is what WCS is all about.
All our workshops and classes are geared toward getting you to go dancing absolutely as soon as possible! Each week we add more layers of skill, so you just keep getting better and better!
The class is intensively progressive and cumulative, to let us become really good really fast! Every lesson builds on the prior lessons. Therefore, no one-time drop-ins in the middle of the series, sorry. (But if you miss one week, you are very much welcome to keep coming! Most folks have to skip a week at some point. It's pretty standard. We handle it!)
[Hot tip: If you are a Lindy Hop dancer, this will also radically improve your understanding and smoothness for Swingouts, Pass-by's, Turns, and Sugar Pushes.]
Prerequisite: Ability to count to 8. No prior dance experience or partner needed. If you have prior experience, we will use it to maximize your learning.
Location: Near Times Square (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address)
Price: $120 for 5 weeks - 1.33hrs/week - 6.66hrs total. (Students or Age 21 and under: $80)
Class size strictly limited to 16. Pre-registration required.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: Maximum protection will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
NOTE: Prorata refund available if you test positive or show any symptoms before class of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
An accelerated class for Beginners thru Intermediate+
NOTE #1: Each class is 1 hr 20 mins, which gives us a huge advantage over any 55 minute class!
NOTE #2: It is nearly impossible to start late at Week #2. Please come to the first lesson — we cover everything there, then fill in the gaps in the remaining weeks.
Become really good really fast! WCS is really simple and easy when taught the modern way — so that is how we teach! Ignore anyone who tells you WCS is difficult! (And send them to us!)
Sure, WCS has zillions of cool moves and patterns. But here's the secret: All of them — from Basic to Insanely Advanced — are built by mixing and matching just 5 "building blocks." So that is what we teach first. These are simple PARTNERED-movement building blocks: how to move and be moved by a partner, in a teamwork way, for WCS (and Lindy Hop, as it happens). Those building blocks are ALWAYS done, hiding in plain sight under all the fancy embellishments you see on youtube. Once we master them — which is easy but does require attention — you will be dancing 10+ WCS moves/patterns just by effortless mixing and matching. You will be able to dance WCS all night long with everyone from Beginners to Advanced. And you will learn new patterns, variations and stylings much faster, becoming insanely good WCS dancers super fast. This is learning WCS from the "inside, out." It is much faster, happier, and more satisfying than spending years memorizing dozens of stand-alone patterns that never quite work.
Our class: All the most important and useful WCS connection skills & fundamentals & moves & patterns in 5 gently intensive weeks. You will be ready to go social dancing with confidence and skill, feeling comfortable and feeling that you fit in, even the first time you go WCS social dancing! And solidly ready to learn all the rest of WCS 5X faster. We will learn about 20 standard WCS moves ("patterns"), but in a great way that makes you an adaptive master of improvising, embellishing, styling, and being supremely musical — which is what WCS is all about.
All our workshops and classes are geared toward getting you to go dancing absolutely as soon as possible! Each week we add more layers of skill, so you just keep getting better and better!
The class is intensively progressive and cumulative, to let us become really good really fast! Every lesson builds on the prior lessons. Therefore, no one-time drop-ins in the middle of the series, sorry. (But if you miss one week, you are very much welcome to keep coming! Most folks have to skip a week at some point. It's pretty standard. We handle it!)
[Hot tip: If you are a Lindy Hop dancer, this will also radically improve your understanding and smoothness for Swingouts, Pass-by's, Turns, and Sugar Pushes.]
Prerequisite: Ability to count to 8. No prior dance experience or partner needed. If you have prior experience, we will use it to maximize your learning.
Location: Near Times Square (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address)
Price: $120 for 5 weeks - 1.33hrs/week - 6.66hrs total. (Students or Age 21 and under: $80)
Class size strictly limited to 16. Pre-registration required.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: Maximum protection will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
NOTE: Prorata refund available if you test positive or show any symptoms before class of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
Brilliantly Onward & Upward! - Level 201+301
5 weeks
Thur, Mar 10 thru April 7, 2022 • 5 weeks • 6:30-7:45 pm
We will continue directly from Ken's Fundamentals Intensive, after a brief review! Upward, onward, becoming even more brilliant!
The class is intensively progressive and cumulative, so we become really good really fast! Every lesson builds on the prior lessons. [Per several requests: We WILL be offering a "drop-in" option for folks with insane work schedules — prior permission of instructor required.]
NOTE: Folks in 201+301 are welcome to stay for 101+201 for free! (You'll be on "standby" if you don't mind. Space & balance permitting.)
Prerequisite: One of Ken's recent WCS FUNDAMENTALS INTENSIVE/WORKSHOPs, or prior Paula & Ken classes. No exceptions, sorry.
Location: Near Times Square (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address)
Price: $120 for 5 weeks - 1.25hrs/week - 6.25hrs total. (Age 21 and under: $80). Sorry, no refunds.
Drop-in Price: Must have prior permission of instructor. $30/class.
Class size strictly limited to 16. Pre-registration required.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: Maximum protection will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
NOTE: Prorata refund available if you show any symptoms before class – ANY symptoms of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
We will continue directly from Ken's Fundamentals Intensive, after a brief review! Upward, onward, becoming even more brilliant!
The class is intensively progressive and cumulative, so we become really good really fast! Every lesson builds on the prior lessons. [Per several requests: We WILL be offering a "drop-in" option for folks with insane work schedules — prior permission of instructor required.]
NOTE: Folks in 201+301 are welcome to stay for 101+201 for free! (You'll be on "standby" if you don't mind. Space & balance permitting.)
Prerequisite: One of Ken's recent WCS FUNDAMENTALS INTENSIVE/WORKSHOPs, or prior Paula & Ken classes. No exceptions, sorry.
Location: Near Times Square (see your emailed Registration receipt for exact address)
Price: $120 for 5 weeks - 1.25hrs/week - 6.25hrs total. (Age 21 and under: $80). Sorry, no refunds.
Drop-in Price: Must have prior permission of instructor. $30/class.
Class size strictly limited to 16. Pre-registration required.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE: scroll down
COVID: Maximum protection will be required – TBD as situation evolves.
NOTE: Prorata refund available if you show any symptoms before class – ANY symptoms of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
CLOTHING & SHOES & HYGIENE
• Wear clothing. Preferably comfortable.
• 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 requiring MAXIMUM precautions from everyone, consistent with whatever the COVID situation is in early March.
NOTE: Prorata 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 requiring MAXIMUM precautions from everyone, consistent with whatever the COVID situation is in early March.
NOTE: Prorata refund available if you test positive or show any symptoms before class of cold, flu, allergies, COVID.
Every Month: Private Lessons
We are available for Private Lessons.
Ken's NYC rates: $90/hr + floor fees. All others: $75-800/hr negotiable. (Ken used to be an attorney. And recognizes the extreme disparities in wealth in NYC, where some folks easily afford $400+/hr for tutoring for their kids.)
Ken's rates outside NYC: in line with local private lesson rates.
We are also available for semi-private and small-group lessons, as well as corporate and private events.
Contact us here.
Ken's NYC rates: $90/hr + floor fees. All others: $75-800/hr negotiable. (Ken used to be an attorney. And recognizes the extreme disparities in wealth in NYC, where some folks easily afford $400+/hr for tutoring for their kids.)
Ken's rates outside NYC: in line with local private lesson rates.
We are also available for semi-private and small-group lessons, as well as corporate and private events.
Contact us here.
YOUR TEACHERS
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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 psychology, education policy, and law, 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 in March-April 2022 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.
ANECDOTE: Some years ago, a woman had taken several Level 1 classes with other teachers, and wanted to visit our Level 2 class "to see if it would be good enough" for her. (That's literally how she phrased it.) Of course, we said yes. She came to visit during our 4th week, but accidentally arrived before our Level 1 class was finished, was welcomed in, and sat and watched. After 10 minutes, I announced, "OK! Level 1 class, we're done! Level 2 people, come on out and let's begin!" The woman rushed over and said, "Wait – I came to visit Level 2, not Level 1." I replied, "Yes, sorry, you caught the last 10 minutes of our Level 1 class. But Level 2 is about to begin, so please stay." She looked upset and replied almost angrily, "Are you sure? That was Level 1 I was watching? Not Level 2?" I assured it was Level 1, and apologized again. She said, "But … but … but they were so GOOD!"
She enrolled in our next Level 1 class.
Some videos of us. These are pure lead-follow dancing — we are making it up as we go along. Not choreographed. Typically for a demo like this, we hand the DJ 5 or 6 songs and say "you pick - play any one of them."
Paula Wilson [not teaching in March-April 2022 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.
ANECDOTE: Some years ago, a woman had taken several Level 1 classes with other teachers, and wanted to visit our Level 2 class "to see if it would be good enough" for her. (That's literally how she phrased it.) Of course, we said yes. She came to visit during our 4th week, but accidentally arrived before our Level 1 class was finished, was welcomed in, and sat and watched. After 10 minutes, I announced, "OK! Level 1 class, we're done! Level 2 people, come on out and let's begin!" The woman rushed over and said, "Wait – I came to visit Level 2, not Level 1." I replied, "Yes, sorry, you caught the last 10 minutes of our Level 1 class. But Level 2 is about to begin, so please stay." She looked upset and replied almost angrily, "Are you sure? That was Level 1 I was watching? Not Level 2?" I assured it was Level 1, and apologized again. She said, "But … but … but they were so GOOD!"
She enrolled in our next Level 1 class.
Some videos of us. These are pure lead-follow dancing — we are making it up as we go along. Not choreographed. Typically for a demo like this, we hand the DJ 5 or 6 songs and say "you pick - 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 nice introductory video with various top Champions (apart from odd ideas in the subtitles about the names of music genres).
Here is a nice introductory video with various top Champions (apart from odd ideas in the subtitles about the names of music genres).
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 Rock-Step vanished in the early-1990s so the followers always start forward-forward.
And editorially, I'll add that current WCS is *much* more of a true lead-follow dance, and is much more innovative and creative. Lindy Hop has stalled into stasis. I hope that changes. A few top Lindy Hoppers are trying to bring back the innovative and experimental spirit of the original Lindy Hoppers — emphasizing the importance of DANCING to the music rather than faking one's way through rigid ballroom-studio step patterns — but they are not mainstream yet.
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 Rock-Step vanished in the early-1990s so the followers always start forward-forward.
And editorially, I'll add that current WCS is *much* more of a true lead-follow dance, and is much more innovative and creative. Lindy Hop has stalled into stasis. I hope that changes. A few top Lindy Hoppers are trying to bring back the innovative and experimental spirit of the original Lindy Hoppers — emphasizing the importance of DANCING to the music rather than faking one's way through rigid ballroom-studio step patterns — but they are not mainstream yet.
FAQ: World's best WCS group classes? Drop-ins? Late registrations? Can I start in level 2?
ARE THESE NEW YORK CITY'S BEST WEST COAST SWING GROUP CLASSES?
Yes.
ARE THESE THE WORLD'S BEST WEST COAST SWING GROUP CLASSES?
Yes.
DROP-INS PERMITTED? Yes for our one-day workshops. But for our multi-week classes ... sorry, no. Our multi-week classes are cumulative — each lesson builds intensively on all previous lessons. NOTE #1: For our higher level classes, exceptions can be made with prior permission of instructor. Talk to Ken. NOTE #2: Most folks have to miss a class during the series; that's OK. You just have to be brilliantly attentive when you return! NOTE #3: "Drop-in" means paying for a single class in the middle of the series. It's common for classical conservatory classes such as ballet, modern, etc.
LATE REGISTRATIONS AFTER THE FIRST WEEK? (For multi-week classes.)
We are extremely reluctant. We have never had anyone catch up after missing the first week of our Level 1 classes. We want you (and all your partners in class) to be happy! Not frustrated! Our class is intensively cumulative. In our Level 101 classes, we lay all the groundwork and cover everything in the first class. And then we build on it over the remaining weeks. Please come to the first lesson! Thanks for understanding.
• If you absolutely cannot attend Level 101's first lesson, contact us to schedule a private lesson before the second lesson. Please note that — just like when going to the movies — there's no discount for starting late.
• Start at 2nd lesson? I have taken previous WCS classes, so I should be OK, right?
Sorry, but no. We want you to be happy and successful, not frustrated! Our teaching method is completely different from the antiquated "steps & patterns" teaching method that you almost certainly experienced. That old teaching method from the 1890s was for a totally different kind of dancing called "Sequence Dance," and does not work well for WCS. We have no idea why nearly all WCS teachers still use it. We use a completely different and better teaching method that reduces your WCS learning curve to weeks instead of years — with almost all of the important teaching differences right at the beginning. Everything you already know will return in a much easier-to-use form later in our class — so don't discard your skills! — but it will not help you at all at the beginning of our class.
• Start at 3rd lesson? No, sorry. No exceptions. We cover so much ground in the first two lessons, that we have never had anyone successfully start during lesson 3. We ask you to wait until our next class series starts. Thanks!
CAN I START IN LEVEL 2 or 3 (aka 201 or 301)? I HAVE PRIOR (PARTNER) DANCE EXPERIENCE.
No, sorry. We ask everyone to start in our Level 101. Reasons:
• First, just like you, a majority who enroll in WCS classes have prior dance experience, so our Level 101+201 class already takes that into account! (But it's also perfect for folks with zero prior dance experience.)
• Second, our teaching approach is completely different, especially at the beginning, which is how our students become so good in weeks while other teachers' students take years to reach the same level. There is not any satisfactory way to skip it.