It's time. Let Swing Literacy help you discover
what's actually possible for your West Coast Swing.
Special COVID Bonus & Discount:
40-hour
Digital Course
Live
Group Coaching
Community
Learning
"I need a project - some kind of structure to keep me accountable so I can make productive use of my isolation"
"I have heard so much random advice, I feel lost and confused by conflicting ideas - I'm not sure what to focus on to improve, "
"I'm going a little crazy and needing something productive to move my WCS forward by myself"
"I feel like a robot, just marching around. I want to be able to express myself more and feel like I'm really dancing."
"I'm now taking a lot of online classes, but I'm feeling overwhelmed and not really sure what to do with all the information,"
"I loved the community learning environment in the SpinAbility Challenge and now I'm craving it"
Introducing the
Way beyond a workshop...way beyond a theory...
A comprehensive program that delivers
a powerful, progressive, and most importantly, proven method to learn WCS
that solves your learning frustrations and
rescues you from your struggling...
When we first started teaching WCS way back when, we followed the model of our own (awesome) teachers, and didn't question if it was the best method - it was just the method we were used to. But something never felt right. Something was missing, and we felt there must be an easier way.
So we started borrowing pedagogical methods from Tessa's training in teaching school and coaching sports. We taught the same West Coast Swing that everyone knows and loves. We just changed HOW we taught it and the order we taught it in.
Several years of research and testing proved that our evolving method was way more effective than the way we were taught, and way more fun for our students. Students in group classes, workshops, and private lessons were improving faster AND having more fun learning! We even used these methods to accelerate our own progress, launching us to Champion level in both improvisation and choreography competition.
We really wanted to share this method so everyone can enjoy the same results and help West Coast Swing grow strong and healthy around the world! We knew it was going to revolutionize the way people learn WCS, so we didn't just create a workshop or an intensive - we produced an entire certification program for teachers, called the Swing Literacy Teacher Development Program. If you are a teacher, check this program out instead.
It has been so successful all around the world, we created a version just for DANCERS!
Sam Jackson
I immediately saw results after taking the SLDM. For the first time in my (substantial) dance experience, I had a coherent and structured approach to learning dance. I had gained knowledge and skills that I feel would have taken many years to develop by any other method. Each new topic in the SLDM felt like a revelation, impacting my classes, as well as my own dancing, significantly.
Jen Malcolm
Life before Swing Literacy was frustrating!!! I was doing poorly in competition and was not exactly the most popular dancer on the social floor. After 2-years of rarely making finals in Novice, I started working with Myles & Tessa. I jumped from Novice to Advanced in just 1 year (6 events)!!
M&T's Swing Literacy system is brilliant. I can see many more “Tessons” and “Mylestones” in my future."
Imagine...
Myles brings a classical dance training background, 6 UCWDC World Championship titles, Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Jiu-Jitsu, golf and motorcycle racing to the table, and considers himself an eternal student of manipulating kinetics for sport and art.
Myles is so passionate about improving his craft, he literally has a tattoo that reads, “Technique prevents the body from limiting the soul’s expression”. His studies in all of these non-dance fields, along with being classically trained and studying the inner workings of over 20 different dances, is a huge part of what made it possible for him and Tessa to create the SLDM.
Tessa’s academic background started with competitive swimming, where she where she received National Coaching Certification, created a Coach Training Program, graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Kinesiology, and started an Olympic-track coaching career, all before returning to school to complete her Bachelor of Education.
Tessa has been professionally practicing physical education, movement analysis, and pedagogy for the past 27 years, and this constant training in “how to teach” was the other huge factor that allowed Myles and Tessa to create such a powerful and effective program (SLDM).
Solve all your technique confusion once and for all so you can decode any instructors’ advice and leverage it to learn more advanced material.
Learn what you should be spending your time and effort to work on first to make the biggest improvement impact on your dance
Improve your ability to learn faster so that you can get more value out of any workshop, video, or lesson.
Solve all your technique confusion once and for all so you can decode any instructors’ advice and leverage it to learn more advanced material.
Learn what you should be spending your time and effort to work on first to make the biggest improvement impact on your dance
Improve your ability to learn faster so that you can get more value out of any workshop, video, or lesson.
Drastically improve your “quality of movement”, so you get more recognition from more experienced partners, peers, and judges.
Finally be able to “feel like you’re dancing”, comfortable, self-expressed, and musical instead of just marching through patterns.
Be able to survive and compensate for any social dance partner, (without sacrificing your own fun) and become one of the most desirable, social dance partners in your region.
Drastically improve your “quality of movement”, so you get more recognition from more experienced partners, peers, and judges.
Finally be able to “feel like you’re dancing”, comfortable, self-expressed, and musical instead of just marching through patterns.
Be able to survive and compensate for any social dance partner, (without sacrificing your own fun) and become one of the most desirable, social dance partners in your region.
Hisaki
Minoda
Swing Literacy Bootcamp was the light that enriched my life the most in Corona time! Nowhere else can you learn WCS in total, and it's a great tool for someone in a small community like me here in Japan who doesn't have the opportunity to get new knowledge and dance every week with coaches. It is a precious place with friends from all over the world. We have a guidebook and community packed with the resources we need. Experience the amazing verbalization of WCS. I recommend it!
Rae Bailine
This Swing Literacy program is 1,000% worth it! I cannot even begin to tell you guys how much value I found out of this Bootcamp. I can't have imagined going through quarantine without it. With WCS, I felt like I just jumped into the middle and have been looking for a breakdown of everything - this gave me the info I needed to understand the root of the movements and get it into my body. My perspective of dancing has changed - I feel like my eyes were only cracked open, and now they are half open and I can start to see more of what's going on.
Jasper LaFortune
Swing Literacy was the missing piece in my dance education. So many blocks in my dance growth I didn't understand until I took this course. I find myself going now back through all my previous lessons and advice and using Swing Literacy to figure out how it all fits together. This experience has also changed my practice habits. Before, I had no idea how to practice. Now I have a social group I practice with and they keep me motivated to keep improving. This was a unique and invaluable service. 100% worth it.
The Theory Module digital course includes:
Plus with the 12-week Bootcamp you get:
Plus SLDM Dancer Certification you can add to your resume and upgrade in the future.
I was blown away by how well M&T were able to teach remotely. By demoing over video and working with the partner I wrangled to assist, they were able to diagnose and correct many (so many!) things in my dance. Surprisingly, I was also able to learn several new skills that I previously assumed required hands on training, and their frequent comp and social dance video reviews confirmed that I was on the right path.
Aaron Abramowitz
Since working with Myles & Tessa in my Fast Track Coaching program, I feel like I have cracked a "glass ceiling" that until now was unavailable to me. I feel much more confident in my ability to follow higher level dancers, I move more gracefully and interpret the music more creatively. I'm enjoying my dancing more than ever and see this enjoyment reflected back to me from my partners on the dance floor.
Ruth Cnaany
"Swing Literacy has changed my entire perspective on how I look at not just West Coast Swing but all Dancing in general. As someone who has spent years practicing and thousands on lessons in both Ballroom and WCS, I can honestly say that this is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to learn how to dance. Thank you so much M&T for all of your dedication to not just dance but to the art of teaching it as well."
Glenn Clark
Is this program just for newer dancers, or would it be relevant to a seasoned competitor?
The Dancer Development program is incredibly relevant to experienced dancers. Regardless of your past education, it is a unique method that requires training to understand and put into practice. Your years of experience might make you quicker at learning it, but they don't exclude you from getting an immense value from the training, because the content is not something you have likely studied before. You would be surprised how much of your dance is simply "surviving" when it could be "thriving".
How does this compare to your Teacher Development Program?
Our original course, the Swing Literacy Teacher Development Program, contained about 50% overlap material.
But now, since both programs are being overhauled in 2020, there will be no overlap. We now require all teachers to start in the DDP and then they will have access to the TDP upon completion.
How long does it take to complete?
It depends on how focused and motivated you are. The Theory Module takes about 40 hours. We highly recommend not doing it in one sitting. There are 6 Units with 4-6 Lessons each. Each lesson might take 20-60 minutes to work through, some with a short quiz at the end.
What kind of assignments and testing will I have to do?
In the Theory Module, all of your coursework is online, inside this website. You will be able to progress at your own pace, and return to re-read material. Each lesson requires you to answer a few multiple choice questions in order to access the next lesson. There is no final exam.
Can't I just download the videos and do it offline?
No: The program is not just a bunch of instructional videos. Theory Module takes advantage of the power of an digital course. It includes mostly written material, supported by videos, images, article links, and interactive quizzes to create a more thorough and balanced learning experience than simply reading a manual.
Can I register with a partner? With a group of teachers from my studio?
There are discounts for the Focus Group when you register with a partner or group, yes. But each person takes their course independently, like a university course.
What happens after the Bootcamp?
First, you receive all 3 credits to complete your Swing Literacy Dancer certification. You will have 3 years access to the Theory Module and the Bootcamp Facebook group. After that, members get ongoing access in Momentum (membership exclusive to alumni).
6 Private Lesson package | | |
|---|---|---|
Developmentally appropriate skill progressions & drills | Limited | |
Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies for all fundamental WCS skills | Limited | |
3 year access to online multimedia course | ||
10 Lessons on how to optimize dance learning | ||
12 lessons on the hard-to-find details of WCS technique | ||
4 Lessons on mastering pattern skills | ||
3 lessons on developing musicality skills | ||
3 lessons on survival tactics for social dancing | ||
7 M&T Instructional Videos | ||
Audit and upgrade of your skills inventory | ||
Audit and upgrade of your patterns & styling inventory | ||
Swing Literacy Dancer Certification | ||
Group Coaching: Zoom or Live | Upon Request: Limited to 6 Hours | |
Purchasing Options |
The Swing Literacy program for me was like a eureka moment, finally understanding what I had been missing. Having a path connecting the common ideas together, often in logical, causal ways, creating real understanding, gives a real level of confidence to build my dance on. I couldn’t recommend this course more highly, to both existing teachers and students alike. The ideas and concepts in the material are so effective and make so much sense, one might wonder why this isn’t the standard for all.
- Ian Manson
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