WEST COAST SWING
Intensive Classes & Workshops
"You guys are the gold standard for partner dance teaching. Wow."
"The best partner dance class I've ever had, of any kind, ever!"
"The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" — Harvard University students' comments,
6 years in a row, for Ken's on-campus dance classes (while working on a PhD there).
"The best partner dance class I've ever had, of any kind, ever!"
"The best instructor I've ever had in ANYTHING!" — Harvard University students' comments,
6 years in a row, for Ken's on-campus dance classes (while working on a PhD there).
2020
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson
Hiatus: We are not teaching any group classes at the moment – too busy at our day jobs, actually. We are available for teaching workshops and private lessons.
In the meantime, you are welcome to read our previous course descriptions below. Please do take classes!
And please join us every Wednesday for WESTIE CAFE, New York City's biggest and best weekday West Coast Swing social dancing! We – Paula and Ken – are your hosts at the door. Very informal, very friendly, all ages, all skill levels from Absolute Beginner to Absolutely Amazing, no cliques, everyone dances with everyone. Free snacks and water, great sound system and floor, decent A/C. 9:07-1/2 pm to about 12:15 am. Admission $14 (cash only), Age 21 & under $10.
Location of WESTIE CAFE, the Wednesday WCS social dancing: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
Hiatus: We are not teaching any group classes at the moment – too busy at our day jobs, actually. We are available for teaching workshops and private lessons.
In the meantime, you are welcome to read our previous course descriptions below. Please do take classes!
And please join us every Wednesday for WESTIE CAFE, New York City's biggest and best weekday West Coast Swing social dancing! We – Paula and Ken – are your hosts at the door. Very informal, very friendly, all ages, all skill levels from Absolute Beginner to Absolutely Amazing, no cliques, everyone dances with everyone. Free snacks and water, great sound system and floor, decent A/C. 9:07-1/2 pm to about 12:15 am. Admission $14 (cash only), Age 21 & under $10.
Location of WESTIE CAFE, the Wednesday WCS social dancing: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
APRIL - MAY - JUNE - JULY 2019
WEST COAST SWING - BEGINNER (Part 1)
"Intensively Amazing! For Absolute Beginner Through Intermediate(+) Dancers."
FINISHED! Thank you, all our wonderful students!
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
"Intensively Amazing! For Absolute Beginner Through Intermediate(+) Dancers."
FINISHED! Thank you, all our wonderful students!
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
An unusually thorough and entertaining Beginners course. You will learn all the fundamental moves and skills of West Coast Swing in just 8 weeks (Parts 1 + 2), plus expert technique tips. No prior dance experience or partner needed, but if you have some, we will use it to maximize your learning.
This 4 week class is Part 1 — the first half — of what is really a continuous 8-week course. Part 2 is optional, but we hope you’ll want to continue!
In this class (Parts 1 & 2), we will learn and rapidly improve our WCS by focusing on the 6 primary building blocks of WCS. Snap these together in different ways, and you can magically dance about 80% of all WCS moves! By the end of class, you'll know about 20 moves — but far more importantly, you'll be good at smoothly LEADING and/or FOLLOWING all of them … with any partner anywhere … and ready to pick up new moves and variations really fast. This is the best WCS "Foundations" class anywhere. Paula and Ken also always include individual, hands-on coaching to accelerate your becoming a good WCS dancer fast.
For Absolute Beginner through Intermediate(+). Also recommended for:
• You have other dance experience and want to learn WCS fast, without having to plow through a standard WCS Beginner class. We'll use what you already know, and adjust the differences.
• You have already taken some WCS classes that were mostly pattern-based (with a bit of "technique" added on), and now you want to understand WCS "technique" and "connection" and "flow" much better. You want to dance how the top dancers actually dance.
This 4 week class is Part 1 — the first half — of what is really a continuous 8-week course. Part 2 is optional, but we hope you’ll want to continue!
In this class (Parts 1 & 2), we will learn and rapidly improve our WCS by focusing on the 6 primary building blocks of WCS. Snap these together in different ways, and you can magically dance about 80% of all WCS moves! By the end of class, you'll know about 20 moves — but far more importantly, you'll be good at smoothly LEADING and/or FOLLOWING all of them … with any partner anywhere … and ready to pick up new moves and variations really fast. This is the best WCS "Foundations" class anywhere. Paula and Ken also always include individual, hands-on coaching to accelerate your becoming a good WCS dancer fast.
For Absolute Beginner through Intermediate(+). Also recommended for:
• You have other dance experience and want to learn WCS fast, without having to plow through a standard WCS Beginner class. We'll use what you already know, and adjust the differences.
• You have already taken some WCS classes that were mostly pattern-based (with a bit of "technique" added on), and now you want to understand WCS "technique" and "connection" and "flow" much better. You want to dance how the top dancers actually dance.
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.
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station).
Clothing and Shoes: Scroll down to the "CLASS DETAILS" section below. Thanks.
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station).
WEST COAST SWING - BEGINNER (Part 2)
"Intensively Amazing! For Absolute Beginner Through Intermediate(+) Dancers."
FINISHED! Thank you, all our wonderful students! Please continue with Ricardo Torres! He's great! And he teaches using the same approach that we do.
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
"Intensively Amazing! For Absolute Beginner Through Intermediate(+) Dancers."
FINISHED! Thank you, all our wonderful students! Please continue with Ricardo Torres! He's great! And he teaches using the same approach that we do.
Instructors: Ken Kreshtool & Paula Wilson
Location: You Should Be Dancing...! Studio, 412 8th Ave, 4th Floor (betw 30th & 31st St, 1/2 block south of Penn Station)
4-week group course. This is the continuation and dramatic conclusion of our two-part Beginner course—which is really one continuous 8-week course. Having finished our Part 1 is REQUIRED for admission, no exceptions.
Every Month: Private Lessons
We are available for Private Lessons ($90/hr for one instructor, $170/hr for both instructors, + room rental fees, typically about $20-30/hr). We are also available for semi-private and small-group lessons, as well as corporate and private events. Contact us here.
WHY OUR INTENSIVE CLASSES?
Why our Intensive Classes? It's all about our teaching! Our unique "building blocks" teaching approach—combined with hands-on individual attention—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!
"Every great advance replaces traditional complexities by a new simplicity."—L.L. Whyte, Scottish philosopher, theoretical physicist, historian of science, and financier. Our "building blocks" approach will have you understanding all of WCS almost immediately — WCS is almost ridiculously simple when looked at the right way — but of course you'll still need practice to fit the blocks together fluently and beautifully. And our guidance will help with that.
"The best partner dance class I've ever had, of any kind, ever!" —a very experienced dancer in many dance forms
"You guys are the gold standard for partner dance teaching. Wow." —another experienced dancer at a recent class
"Every great advance replaces traditional complexities by a new simplicity."—L.L. Whyte, Scottish philosopher, theoretical physicist, historian of science, and financier. Our "building blocks" approach will have you understanding all of WCS almost immediately — WCS is almost ridiculously simple when looked at the right way — but of course you'll still need practice to fit the blocks together fluently and beautifully. And our guidance will help with that.
"The best partner dance class I've ever had, of any kind, ever!" —a very experienced dancer in many dance forms
"You guys are the gold standard for partner dance teaching. Wow." —another experienced dancer at a recent class
YOUR TEACHERS
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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). Also B.A., M.A., A.M., J.D., and formerly taught ballroom, salsa, swing.
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 B.A., M.A., A.M., J.D., and formerly taught ballroom, salsa, swing.
WHAT IS WEST COAST SWING?
In very short: West Coast Swing (WCS) is Swing and Lindy Hop moves done to contemporary R&B and Pop music.
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 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 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!
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 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 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!
FAQ: World's best WCS group classes? Drop-ins? Late registrations? Can I start in level 2?
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 one-day workshops. But for our multi-week classes ... sorry, no. Our multi-week classes on Monday nights are cumulative — each lesson builds on all previous lessons.
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. 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, but ask us. 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. We ask you to wait until our next class series starts. Thanks!
CAN I START IN LEVEL 2 or 3? I HAVE PRIOR DANCE EXPERIENCE.
No, sorry. We ask everyone to start in our Level 1. Reasons:
- First, just like you, nearly everyone who enrolls in WCS classes has prior dance experience, so our Level 1+2 class already takes that into account! (But it's also perfect for folks with zero prior dance experience.)
- Second, good WCS is 99% based on mastering a small number of partnered-movement skills (lead-follow skills), and understanding how they flow and fit together. This is what we actually DO to create every pattern and move in WCS on the fly on the dance floor. This is the key to becoming a truly good WCS dancer. This should be taught at the beginning of every Beginner class ... but it is usually held back as 6th-year Advanced Technique Class material, which is just dumb. We teach all this in our Level 1 class — but you are welcome to think of this as a Level 6 class in which the fundamental technique mysteries of WCS are finally unveiled and revealed.