And now for a little practical philosophy.Ask yourself: What do you really want in West Coast Swing? Take a moment before answering: your readily available answer might be keeping you from being honest with yourself, which might be sabotaging your ability to have your needs met. Many dancers approach us seeking advice, from all corners of […]
Steal dancing is when you are dancing with your partner and a 3rd person amicably “cuts in” for fun. This game is different than a typical social dance: it becomes less about patterns and musicality and more about flow and transitions. But it should not be entered into blindly. Like in any game, you should have […]
Do you live in a community where there’s not a lot of dance resources? (dancers/dance parties/instructors) Are you afraid of losing your improvement momentum because of it? Are you starving for feedback to know that you are on the right track? You don’t need to wait for the next big convention, or think that you […]
Mirror & memorization method works brilliantly for some dances like ballroom because in ballroom there are set techniques for every movement that are precise and predictable so as to compare dancer to dancer. There is agreement in the ballroom world on what a “proper” pattern should look like. And the closer you can get to […]
Before you get all scared, let me clarify: I’m referring to a diet of dance, not a diet of nutrition. This sadly misrepresented word is technically supposed to refer to a regular balance of fuel, not a short-term restriction of it. So, using the original intention of the word, ask yourself how your “dance diet” […]
Yep, you have fallen in love with West Coast Swing, but she’s an expensive addiction, isn’t she? I laugh when people ask if I ski…I say, “No, I dance”. West Coast Swing, like skiing/snowboarding, is one of those recreation addictions that compels even the most cash-strapped of us to find and allocate any and all […]
You get lots of people in the door for their first class. Yay! But getting them to come back? That’s another story…You managed to attract people to come to your intro class, or maybe even sign up for a Beginner series. But the enthusiasm of the first class died out quickly, as students started to […]
Even the best teachers with the best intentions have moments of unintentional subliminal teaching: when their teaching habits or advice accidentally deliver a completely different, counterproductive, undesirable lesson. Check your habits here! In this article, I’m going to talk about why certain advice backfires. Then I outline 14 typical teaching habits or advice that tend to […]
I love that while our dance evolves as fast as technology, we use technology to evolve our dance. YouTube is a great source of inspiration, but for the most part, a horrible teacher: YouTube doesn’t know what you need to improve You have to force yourself filter out the entertainment aspect It doesn’t provide […]
Do your students pester you with questions? Do you you wish they would ask more questions?Do you wish you could always find the right answer to give them?Do they distract each other and then ask about something you just said?How a teacher handles students’ questions proves their credibility, their maturity, their empathy, and their trustworthiness. All […]
