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!
Part 1 and Part 2 of this series have garnered a massive response – when I opened up the floor to take suggestions for more tactical questions, people really unloaded! Well, I’m honoured, because that’s exactly what we’re here for. Not just this article series, but ALL the Swing Literacy programs: to fill a need and educate more
When it comes to social dancing, many dancers ask us questions like “How should I handle it when…?” or “What do I do if…?” These are Tactical questions. In Part 1 of this series, I defined the difference between Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies which are important distinctions to read about to help you get context of
“What should you do if…”, “What happens when…”, “How can I handle…”, “How do I deal with…” These are all questions that students of all levels batter their teachers with. They are tactical questions – they ask for circumstantial advice, or recommendations for particular situations that have to do with not just the physical side of
I recently had a set of privates with an older male leader (let’s call him Phil) who was a very nice man and well liked in the community but has received complaints from followers that he hurt them. Many followers would say that they can relate – this is a common issue in many communities –
What does it take to have a WCS dance where both partners contribute to the fun? As a leader, do you wish playful followers would let you lead more? Or wonder why more followers don’t play with you they way they do when they dance with other leaders? As a follower, do you
West Coast Swing offers a unique opportunity for both partners to express themselves and co-create in amazing “dance conversations”. But it wasn’t always balanced or amiable. So how did we get here? This article describes the journey of how the the improvised conversation of West Coast Swing social dancing has evolved dramatically over the
Struggling to find dancers in your area who want to practice? Need to find the words to approach partners and suggest practicing? Here’s a complete guide to who to ask and how to approach them.
Are you winning yet? “Winning” is not only about the final placement. You don’t even have to be competitive to be “winning”. In our WCS competition scene, while many dancers ambitiously chase points, others are kicking their butts in other aspects – winning games that have no trophies or prize money, but are invaluable
Did your community lose a dance venue? Maybe they closed permanently, had to sell the building, or they just no longer are letting you use the space? Or are you outgrowing the venue you’re in or you’re looking to expand into different neighbourhoods? Either way, sounds like it’s time to go on
Many dancers know they should be practicing and want to practice together… But how? This is a format you might not be used to, and the last thing you want to do is waste time and frustrate each other, right? Problem solved! In this article, I’m going to explain how to practice effectively with a small
We invite you to enjoy these rare but super-effective teaching tools from our massive collection: Gamification Trained Feedback pods The Missing W’s Good teachers are collectors, tinkerers, and experimenters. They hunt and gather for nuggets of tips and advice to scuttle home to their students in the hopes that it will entertain them and help
Can’t get your body to do what the teacher expects? You could be dancing in the wrong profile. I’ve got good news for you: It’s not your fault – there’s nothing wrong with you, but you need different tools. You are not alone – most dancers are struggling to conform to an ideal. There