Hi, Tessa here. Since 2002, I've been writing advice articles for West Coast Swing from my perspective as a WCS Champion and 30 years as a professional teacher and coach. My mission is to help dancers #trainWCSsmarter and teachers #teachWCSsmarter, which we do thoroughly in our Swing Literacy training programs.
These articles are my way of contributing some free, bite-sized education to the community to help inspire and motivate with practical, actionable advice for your dancing & teaching.
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I highly encourage everyone to leverage these free resources by sharing them in your community groups and with friends you know who could use them. Enjoy!
Since there is no universal criteria for judging West Coast Swing competitions, if you’re like most competitors, you’re in the dark about what actual skills the judges are judging in Jack & Jills.Musicality as an art is subjective, but as a skill it’s quite easily defined. The question we get asked about it most often
In Day 1 of the Elasticity Challenge, we included the “I Dream of Jeannie” drill. (Now would be a good time to go watch it if you have not gotten caught up yet). Here’s a way to extend this potent drill to a memorable and bonding group game:One of the foreign concepts that students need
Oooh… I have to pick just three? 😉Normally, I would need to first mention the mistake of “teaching patterns and footwork before fundamental movement skills”, but today I’ll stay focused on the first few drills from the Elasticity Challenge. They might seem obvious at first, but let’s explore them in the context of this week.1.
Fashion, just as West Coast Swing itself, evolves as trends change and new technology becomes available. Let’s discuss WCS shoe fashion!
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” is
Whether you are a starving student or just fund-conscious, here are some practical tips for making your moolah stretch as much as your connection should… (LOL see what I did there? )
This is the last article in a 4-part series. If you have read Part 1: Social, Part 2: Skills, and Part 3: Competition, skip down to the Part 3: COMMUNITY section by clicking here. Otherwise, keep reading. It’s the new year – typically a popular time to reassess and take stock, but this year we’re a little wiser…Have you actually taken
This is Part 3 in a 4-part series. If you have read Part 1: Social, and Part 2: Skills, skip down to the Part 3: Competition section by clicking here. Otherwise, keep reading. It’s the new year – typically a popular time to reassess and take stock, but this year we’re a lot wiser than we have ever been.Have you actually
This is Part 2 in a 4-part series. If you have already read Part 1: Social, skip to the Part 2 section by clicking here.It’s the new year – typically a popular time to reassess and take stock, but this year we’re a little wiser…Since the pandemic, we’ve all learned a lot about what really hasn’t
It’s the new year – Have you taken stock of what you really want out of your West Coast Swing lately? Because now’s a REALLY good time to do that!Consider this your opportunity to do a philosophical audit of your WCS, and “clean your closet” so you can dump some dead weight in your dance
Did you have an amazing time at the event this weekend? Feeling blissfully “swungover” and basking in the afterglow of soul-filling social dancing, thrilling shows & contests, and brain-nourishing workshops?It is inevitable that this afterglow will wear off after a while, just as any vacation effect wears off after coming back home.But wouldn’t it be
So you’ve decided it’s time to try competing and you are getting ready to to compete for the first time? The advice you will often hear is “just have fun!”. But while encouraging, this is not actually that helpful. You don’t need to try to have fun – you will have fun organically if you
