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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 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 and focus on what you really want.
Here's a quick menu to choose from! Or maybe these will spark new ideas. Don't fall into the trap of saying, "All of them!". Read more below...
Take a moment before answering: your first answer might be keeping you from being honest with yourself, which might be sabotaging your ability to have your needs met.
Many dancers approach us seeking advice, from all corners of the WCS scene: students, teachers, competitors, non-dancing spectators, social dancers, event directors. Our responses as coaches vary, depending not only on who’s asking, but on what their purpose is.
A common mistake dancers make is following advice intended for someone who has different needs/goals/reasons for dancing WCS.
They are likely different from when you started. They're also likely different than this time last year.
Either way, if you have goals and/or needs that are not being satisfied, it’s time for an audit. Time to reassess and make some course-corrections if necessary.
These are the kind of articles you want to read slowly and think. Read and consider all of these goals/needs – you may discover some less obvious ones that you can relate to. Or maybe this will spark some ideas that aren't listed.
All of these reasons/desires are valid: I’m not going to convince you to change any of them: But your (honest) reasons should dictate the path you choose and the decisions you make.
Said another way,
So here's the LAST instalment in this series discussing the most common reasons people are attracted to WCS in the first place. At the end I also describe a few pitfalls to avoid...
You might want all of these, but consider which ones are MOST important to you. Some of them might seem similar or redundant, but think deeper in order to clarify exactly which aspects of community are most important to you.
If you have a small community, your priority might be on growth and exposure. Even if your role in your community is a volunteer, you're going to have to do a little leg work. Take some tips from business marketing, and start treating your Westie community as a product to be marketed.
Here is a short list of marketing tools you can use to get more exposure for WCS in your area to attract more people to the community:
If any of these don't seem to work for you, it just means you need to learn more about the tool to use it better. So don't give up on it - choose another tools that have a shallower learning curve for you while you study how to use the more complex ones.
Communication & Marketing WCS is a course within the Swing Literacy Teacher Development Program.
When you dance in public, the goal is to pique the curiosity of public spectators to inspire them to ask you about how they can learn the dance.
Wearing your studio's shirt is not always the best idea because it can seem intimidating or exclusive to onlookers.
By wearing this shirt, potential dancers immediately can label the dance you're doing and are prompted to ask you about it. The shirt creates the conversation, then simply hand them your promo card!
Wish your community had more than one social dance per week? Take the initiative and create more!
Think about it: on a scale of 1-10, how important is it to your happiness to have more opportunities to dance?
If your answer is over a 3 or 4, it's time to take the initiative to create your own happiness by taking leadership! Chances are, there are many more people in your community who feel the same way and are willing to help.
Be sure to check out the bonus articles below for more guidance on taking leadership.
Hey, there’s no shame in needing income. There are a few aspects of WCS that can make you money, but none of them will make you wealthy, so be sure to manage your expectations:
Whatever avenue you choose, do your homework first.
*While winning prize money technically counts as income from dance, it is too inconsistent to be able to count on, so be sure to treat prize winnings as a bonus, not as a reliable revenue vehicle.
Some people enjoy helping others to the point that they crave it. If you are in a position to help, why not, right? No problem, as long as you know your help will be appreciated. For example:
The easiest and most reliable way to satisfy this need? Volunteer at events and socials. You will always be appreciated and feel a sense that you made a difference.
Teaching does provide this sense of helping people, but it requires professional training first in order to be effective and accountable – it's a job that you should do to serve others' needs, not a job you should only volunteer for just to satisfy your own needs. This training is not time-intensive, but it does make a significant difference in your effectiveness as a teacher, which impacts the quality of your community's skills, attitude, culture, etc.
So if you want to teach to serve your community and feel needed, make sure you are getting trained so you can deliver what they need. That's the perfect reason to start the Swing Literacy Teacher Development Program.
Do you know that your community needs you to step into a teaching role but you are feeling reluctant to teach?
I know the feeling! When I first started WCS, I was already a teacher and coach, so it would have been easy, but at the time I was searching for a selfish hobby I could save just for me. But inevitably, I surpassed the local teachers and knew that if I wanted more people to dance with, I was going to have to take the initiative. (See #2). So I didn't start teaching to feel needed, I started teaching because I was needed. If you can relate to this, this is a sign to step up and teach, because you might be the only thing standing in the way of having the community you crave.
Let's imagine you are chatting with a new friend who asks about your dancing.
You’ve gotten so much joy from WCS, you just want others to feel the same! So you start gushing about WCS...
But in order to be effective in your mission, it is essential to consider the perspective of your audience.
Figuratively rushing in and getting up in their face about how they should try this dance is only going to intimidate – they’re either going to think that WCS is only for crazed fanatics or that the dance has turned you into one.
Instead, when you are speaking about West Coast Swing, be sure to regulate your enthusiasm, and tailor it to the particular audience you are targeting.
On another note, if you are interested in taking community or global initiatives, great; but do your research and make sure your idea doesn’t exist already and either infringe on or compete with someone else who’s already done it.
Also consider the big picture: your initiative might serve the needs of a small group, but will it be counterproductive in the progress of the larger community? These are questions you need to ask for help and mentorship on.
Got an idea you would like a mentor or sounding board for? Feel free to contact me to discuss and I will be happy to point you in the right direction: support@swingliteracy.com
Over the past few years there has been a movement to shine a light on dark areas of our dance that are dysfunctional, such as racism, gender/role equality, and exclusion.
If you recognize social issues like these in your community and want to see change, great! Change starts with YOU. Not only changing your own behaviour, but taking the initiative to inspire others.
These changes can be as small as changing signage, or as big as creating a new comp division at an event. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your ideas are too small or insignificant.
You don't need to be in a leadership position to instigate the conversation. In fact, your community leaders likely have enough on their plate and would appreciate others taking up the torch.
You also don't need to do it alone. Reach out in your local WCS social media groups to post a poll, start a discussion, or announce a brainstorm session. Be sure to connect with local teachers and organizers so you can get support and unify the community around common goals.
We are proud to support Swing Diversity, a non-profit organization that serves to raise awareness, educate, and provide opportunities to make Swing dance more accessible to marginalized populations.
This is one great example of dancers taking initiative on a grand scale to initiate change in our global WCS community.
Now, let's address some pitfalls you might encounter as you strive for these goals/needs:
Remember you are not just a consumer - you are part of a community. This means you co-create it with others in order to make it sustainable. Don't just sit back and eat - get in the kitchen and have a turn at cooking, or at least help with the dishes. Because if everyone eats and nobody helps, the kitchen closes. Helping can be as simple as sharing an event on social media, or asking a newcomer to dance, or volunteering to set up chairs, or it could be a little more commitment but with a bigger return on your investment, such as offering to host an out-of-town dancer, or coordinating a movie night, or sponsoring a teacher training.
Just complaining with no solutions? Keep it to yourself. The negativity isn't helping anyone. If you don't like it, help improve it. This means speaking up, but not just to complain - be prepared to offer solutions or at least have an open mind to discuss others' ideas.
Every little bit helps. You have no way of estimating how big of an impact a small thing might have. So speak your mind and make that suggestion. There are often others who will be glad you did because they couldn't.
Once you have identified what your most important goals/needs are in the "community" department, you can use this to help guide some decisions you make about:
Then use some of the tips mentioned here as a starting point to take action to get more of what you really want.
Below are a few articles that provide more detail.
Do you live in a community where there’s not a lot of dance resources? (dancers/dance parties/instructors) Do you have a bunch of keen dancers that want to practice outside of class but aren’t sure where to start? Are you starving for feedback to know that you are on the right track? You don’t need to wait for the
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 the hunt for a new dance
Dance feedback is like hugs. Everybody can benefit from them, but no one will admit to it, and it can get awkward to ask.An no one likes an unwanted hug.This article is your go-to source on how to gracefully GET and GIVE feedback. Read on to discover:The 3 conditions required for feedback to be appropriate:
Ever had a mentor? I’m not talking just about somebody you admire and look up to. Let’s be specific: ever had someone who took you under their wing for free and made your goals their goals? Who stuck with you and guided you through rough waters? The rich development experience of a mentorship is one
Etiquette is a part of the culture of social dancing that is often taken for granted. We all assume that since we feel like we are doing fine, that others will perceive us the same. Everyone assumes the advice applies to everyone but themselves. …but are you SURE? You may have heard some of these tips before, but
And now for a little practical philosophy.
