Lessons at the Tucson Swing Dance Club
Every Thursday!
Beginning
7:00 - 7:50 pm
This is where it all begins. You will
learn the fundamentals and build your
foundation of West Coast Swing.
Anyone of any skill level is welcome to
class and we encourage everyone,
regardless of skill level, to participate.
This is the perfect environment for
learning something new to you and
improving your skills.
No partner required. There are plenty
of people to dance with and we rotate
parters often. The syllabus repeats
every month so start any time you can.
Repeat as often as you want and refine
your skills in a safe environment.
Each month we cover the following
patterns.
• Week 1: Right Side Pass and
Push Break
• Week 2: Left Side Pass and
Tuck
• Week 3: Starter Step with
Send out and Push Break
• Week 4: Whip and Right Side
Pass if time permits
• Week 5, if there is one: Mini
workshops, Instructor's choice.
In each lesson you will learn and
practice:
• the basic structure of the
dance
• the lead/follow relationship
through the connection
• the elastic feel that is
characteristic of WCS
• timing and footwork
Everything in West Coast Swing is based
upon the material taught in this class.
The movements, the patterns, the feel
of the dance, everything. No, really.
Please Note:
Since West Coast Swing is all about "feel", our beginners benefit from dancing with more experienced dancers. We encourage everyone to participate in the beginner's class.
Open Practice
7:50-8:00 pm
Usually about two songs, sometimes
three, the floor is open to pratice what
you just learned or get warmed up for
the Intermediate class. Often times
Instructors are avaible to answer
questions or help you with your dance.
Take advantage of this time while you
can. The more practice you can get,
the better. Don't be shy. It's a nice,
safe environment to practice your
moves, ask questions, or get your
groove on before we turn the floor over
to the DJ that night.
We do expect that developing dancers are comfortable with the basic patterns taught in the Beginning class before participating in the Intermediate class.
Intermediate
8:00 - 8:30pm
This is the class where we tie it all
together. You will be using your skills
and fundamentals and building your
dance up even more.
Each week will be loosely based upon
the material that was taught in the
Beginner lesson. You can expect more
variety, complex movements, timing
changes, longer patterns, rotation, etc.
Each week will be different.
Everything will be built off of basic
patterns using the fundamentals of West
Coast Swing. Therefore, we do expect
you to be comfortable with the basic
patterns taught in the Beginning class.
The stronger your foundation, the
quicker and more complex we can go.
Not ready for the Intermediate class
yet? No worries. Here's what we
recommend. Stick around and watch.
Seriously. Grab some water and a front
row seat and pay attention. When you
don't have to worry about moving your
body you can absorb a lot of
information. You'd be surprised at what
you can learn by watching and listening
to what the Instructor is saying. Then,
come join in for the social dancing at
8:30. It will help you tremendously!
Moving up to the next class level
To let everyone make the best progress, we encourage everyone to follow these guidelines.
Everything Builds
All of our concepts build on previous concepts. For instance, if you don't have basic rhythms deeply ingrained, more complex concepts are out of reach.
You affect your partner
If your partner is not doing their part, it decreases your ability to learn and grow. Always be mindful of what kind of partner you are.
Habits Matter
We all come to dance with habits. Some of these affect our dance positively. Others can undermine our dance significantly. Our goal is to build the habits which enhance our performance, and eliminate habits which don't serve us.
Ask a Teacher
If in doubt about whether you are ready to move up to the next class, ask a teacher! We will make time each night to assess your progress. We can offer our opinion about whether you're ready to move up and make suggestions of where you can improve.