Progressive West Coast Swing training in Vancouver
Enrolment now open for Fall 2023
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Become more than a “tinkerer” -
let’s actually build your dance and see what’s possible.
Is your West Coast Swing craving...
More structure + more practice + more feedback = more fun, retention, & progress
More technical details, more styling & musicality, and more social dance survival skills
Training with dancers who want to get nerdy together and elevate their dance to have more fun
It all starts now.
Westie Academy consists of a combination of online and in-studio training for freshman, sophomore, and junior dancers with Champions and master teachers, Tessa Cunningham Munroe and Myles Munroe.
This levelled 12-week class series using Swing Literacy method in-studio will offer progressive content in a powerful, strategic structure that has been proven worldwide to accelerate dancers’ progress and help them access more fun, freedom, and creativity in their dance.
These will be taught by a combination of Myles & Tessa plus high-level Swing Literacy trained teachers who will focus on hands-on feedback, practice drills, practical applications, and the details you’ve been craving.
Sundays 6pm at DVS starting September 10.
Backed by a powerful learning system
What makes these classes more impactful is that they include and are built on the core content of the Swing Literacy Dancer Development Program digital course, which provides the whole story of all aspects of West Coast Swing: The mental game, solo movement, connection skills, musicality, patterns & styling, the culture & history of the dance, and social dance survival skills.
The DDP is an invaluable resource essential for every Westies’ toolbox, because it fills in the gaps you may be missing, and is a “force multiplier” to help you get more out of every other class and workshop you take.
In Westie Acedemy, dancers complete this fun and enlightening multi-media course concurrently with their weekly classes, so they have like-minded peers to practice with who are equally motivated to improve their WCS, and guidance on exactly how to practice.
This hybrid system has been proven to be extremely effective with over thousands of dancers worldwide.
The musicality breakthroughs you've been waiting for
In the future, classes will be split up by skill levels. But first, we’re going to get everyone on the same page by aligning the first semester of Westie Academy on the Musicality Matrix Bootcamp.
This is 8 weeks of online group coaching starting mid-September with Myles & Tessa with a few hundred dancers from around the world, who are also working their way through the DDP.
This Bootcamp is focused on Musicality and the Personal Movement Skills you need to access more of it. We're going to show you inside the matrix of ALL the musicality topics in West Coast Swing!
This is how you can follow up with the Musicality workshops and the Challenge that you got a taste of this summer!
This also means that while everyone else is the world is going through the Bootcamp, you’ll get the additional advantage of getting LIVE hands-on coaching every week and beyond!
FYI the Bootcamp deadline is Sept 1st for the rest of the world, but for Vancouver dancers, we are extending it to Sept 10.
What you get:
12 Sundays of in-studio group coaching in Fall 2023, to support you as you work through the Dancer Development Program.
- Session teachers will alternate between Myles, Tessa, and high level Swing Literacy teachers
- Topics & dance homework in alignment with the Musicality Matrix Bootcamp
- Westie Conditioning: guided drills for footwork, bodywork, and refinement
- Connection coaching to be more musical in partnering
- Hands-on feedback from coaches & guidance for peer feedback
- Access to exclusive private lessons
- Skills assessment to determine your next Westie Academy level
$299CAD/$220USD for the semester (Sept 10-Dec 10 ish)
Co-requisite:
Westie Academy is for dancers who are currently registered in or alumni of the Swing Literacy Dancer Development Program (Bootcamp part is included free but is optional)
How to enrol in Westie Academy
Register for the DDP which includes the online Musicality Matrix Bootcamp (deadline extended until Sept 10 for Vancouver)
After registering for the DDP, email info@swingliteracy.com to request the link to enrol for Westie Academy
We'll email you immediate access to the DDP so you can start it ASAP!
Then meet us at DVS on Sundays 6pm starting Sept 10.
FAQ's
Can I enrol in Westie Academy without the DDP?
No. Westie Academy is exclusive to current Swing Literacy students or alumni (those who are currently taking or who have completed the DDP)
Can I start late?
Yes, we will accept enrolment until the Bootcamp starts mid-September.
Do I have to participate in the online Bootcamp?
No, it’s optional. You can just participate in the in-studio sessions.
Do you offer tuition assistance?
Yes, contact us for details: info@swingliteracy.com
It's not a good time for me. Will you offer this again?
The next enrolment for Westie Academy will be in January, but there will not be a Bootcamp included.
What will happen with Essential Patterns? How does this compare?
Essential Patterns is a drop-in class that will continue at the same time, as usual.
Westie Academy is for dancers who want to get more out of their dance with more thorough training & hands-on feedback.
If you want to keep taking Essential Patterns, go ahead and register through SwingSoul Sundays.
Do I have to be a certain level to do the DDP?
It works best for dancers who have taken at least a few months of WCS. Dancers of all levels have taken the DDP, from Newcomers to Champions.
Dancers who have been dancing for years are shocked to discover how much they never got a chance to learn before.
The DDP is also the core content for the Swing Literacy Teacher Track.
More about Myles & Tessa
Partners for 20 years, Myles & Tessa have dominated the Showcase division and compete at the highest level in improvised competition. They also teach workshops, train teachers, judge and perform on the global circuit.
Tessa has been professionally practicing physical education, movement analysis, and pedagogy for the past 30 years, in the context of multiple sports and dance styles, with degrees in both Kinesiology and Education.
Myles has a lifetime of dance background, including classical solo dance training, Ballroom, Salsa, Theatre Arts, and 6 UCWDC World Championship titles. along with being classically trained and studying the inner workings of over 20 different dances.
They are creators of a teaching methodology called Swing Literacy which uses the science of learning to help dancers learn WCS faster and train smarter. They specialize in training dance teachers to do use it too, and tour globally delivering this system.