On a personal level, Tessa and Myles have both personally helped me move beyond my limits.  They are encouraging as teachers, their collective knowledge of movement and dance, and sheer experience shines through in their interaction.  Their private lessons are effective, but be prepared to work: their analysis and attention to details leave no stone unturned.  They move beyond the monkey-see-monkey-do by presenting the concepts behind the ideas, reinforcing the foundations beneath the help you want.  Be prepared to walk away from these guys a better dancer!  -Ian M., New Zealand

I absolutely love Myles and Tessa’s approach to teaching. In just the first hour I spent with them, so many light bulbs were set off that I had to stop so I could start trying to keep track. They have a sincerity about them that I really appreciate. They’re really intent on helping me not just become a better dancer, but to understand what makes me a better dancer. It’s some of the best stuff you could hope to get from a teacher.  -Stryder C., Seattle

Having had private lessons from both Myles and Tessa, I found the combination of the teachings from these two to be a very inspiring experience. From fundamental technique to very specific movements unique to myself, these two worked together to provide a combination of lessons that have been invaluable. They were able to set me on a path with many tools to work with, tailored to my needs. – Deb Zokol, Kelowna

Myles and Tessa have a wealth of experience and understanding of human kinetics to draw from, and it’s really apparent in their teaching. Working with Myles made me aware of presentation and finishing in a way I’d never really considered before. Tessa is able to take concepts that other teachers might only describe vaguely or by feel, and break them down into discrete, specific pieces that pinpoint trouble spots – and, more importantly, how to fix them. I leave knowing exactly what needs to be worked on and how, and that’s incredibly empowering. – Amy S, Vancouver

I worked with Myles as my “at home” coach for a routine I was doing with a partner from out of town. His years of experience and extensive training in dance made all the difference to how I approached working on the routine. Myles can do so much more than just show you how to do something, he can explain the technique needed and give you the tools to practice correctly. Myles is also able to “read” his students. He has the ability to know when to keep pushing and when to take a break. All of my lessons with him involved great “aha” moment and also a lot of laughter. His critiques are followed up with encouragement and there is always acknowledgement when you are doing something well. -Heather C, Vancouver

Thanks so much for the privates and workshops that have accelerated my dance progress. Your ability to interpret my learning style and body mechanics, imparted foundations and skills that allow me to feel I can understand what can improve many situations even on-the-fly while dancing. A work in progress, but I’m now more aware when I can improve a move, figure out what is missing, and how to adjust. The bonus is that I can also better follow other instructors in workshops and fill in the blanks if necessary. Looking forward to continued development and enjoyment of musicality, partner communication, boing, and kissing, that turn a good dance into a great experience. – Mike M., Vancouver

I’m grateful to have had Myles and Tessa as teachers.  Their ability to identify crucial moments in dance, then explain them in a clear concise manner makes every minute of their private lessons indispensable.  I admire the way they target their teaching to give me exactly what I need to grow as a dancer without overwhelming me. – Doug R., Saskatchewan

Life before Myles and Tessa was frustrating!!!  I loved going to dance events, however I was doing poorly in competition, and was not exactly the most popular dancer on the social floor.  After a 2-year streak of rarely making finals in novice, I started taking regular private lessons with Myles & Tessa.  I jumped from Novice to Advanced in just 1 year (6 events)!! M&T have taken years to analyze this dance and have figured out how to simplify some very complex ideas.  Their kiss-boing vocabulary is brilliant.  I can see many more “Tessons” and “Mylestones” in my future. – Jen M., Vancouver

M&T are not just teachers; they are, in every sense of the word: mentors.  They have coached me on every angle of my dance-growth, from partnership skills, solo movement skills, and music interpretation, to fashion choices, competition strategy, and community leadership. The most important thing they have given me is a genuine love of social dancing with ALL levels of dancers.  I have self defense skills for when I need them, and the freedom to enhance any partnership with play, no matter who I’m dancing with.  Life before this skill was very lonely! -Jen M., Vancouver

Since the beginning of my WCS adventure many things simply didn’t make sense.  I’d taken classes in my local area and been to group lessons in convention upon convention.  Very often, I came away with an idea of what I was supposed to do, but not always able to translate what I saw into actions that could produce the right results.  As a long time dancer, I found it frustrating to never get to the bottom of issues that are certainties to the rest of the dance world, to never get answers that fit and made sense.
The SDLM course for me was like a eureka moment, finally understanding what I had been missing.  As a WCS dancer, so many long-time outstanding questions were immediately satisfied.  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: in the hope that future dancers find their feet more strongly, more rapidly, avoiding much of the uncertainty as a beginning dancer.  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.  For me, after a long time being in a plateau, it gave a new sense of satisfaction, and paved the way to a better more enriching dance experience. -Ian M., New Zealand

I have taken lessons and workshops with both Myles and Tessa and have been impressed with their professional approach to teaching. Having come from a long history of “other” dance forms it was refreshing to be welcomed and encouraged to explore the script of West Coast Swing and then to be enthusiastically encouraged to incorporate my knowledge from my previous career in ballet, tap, contemporary, flamenco, jazz..SOOOO much fun! Their honesty and support in growing up in WCS is valuable to all and certainly appreciated by me. -Ruth N, Vancouver

When we watch Myles and Tessa dance we are inspired!  We see movement and expression in their dancing that is exciting, musical, interpretative and emotionally moving. The technique and dance skills a student learns is exactly what they use themselves.  We see things we want to emulate and through their privates and intensive workshops they help students to do so in their own way and by using proper body mechanics to make it work for the student.  They instil great technique, offer great advice, and explain dance movement theory that seems to make sense to our bodies. – Claudia H, Vancouver

What I love about lessons with Tessa is her really interesting way of teaching. She never says: “Stop thinking, just do this shape like that because I told you to”.  Instead, she takes the time to ask you the right questions to guide you to think for YOURSELF about your dance.  This self-analysis makes me understand my own body mechanics, and learn even faster! Now every time I leave the ballroom, it’s always with a big smile because I had a lot of fun and also because I discovered something new about my way of dancing. It’s always like a revelation. -Cecile T, Vancouver