Please Pre-Register
 We need to have an indication of how many people will be attending,
...and it saves money!!

Make a difference in your dancing...
That will last forever!

In Sunday, Nov 18 "Spins, Turns & Technique" workshops, we will be utilizing a very specific set of movements to improve your strength, balance and alignment for every dance.  These concepts will then be applied directly to partner dancing in the third workshop.

The first 2 workshops are for all dancers, all levels and for any dance.

Spins, Turns & Technique
for Partner Dancing
(W.C.Swing will be used as the example dance)
 

Many of the top dancers in the West Coast Swing and Hustle communities are trained in more than one form of dance.  These workshops will provide an opportunity for the social dancer to experience the technique that is required to learn how to spin & turn and partner like the professionals.

Great dancing consists of many parts...I think of them simply as movement-patterns, musicality and technique.  This day will focus on the technical aspect....which will be the foundation to better lead-follow understanding, balance, transfer of weight, turns and spins. 

It's your time to become a better spinner, turner and technical dancer!!!

Requirements: Consciousness of your own physical limitations.

Dress:  Comfortable clothes to move in.  Sweat pants would be perfect but jeans or regular pants will work.  Dresses and skirts should not be worn.

Footwear: Ideally, participants should wear cotton socks or something similar.  This will enable a better feel of the floor and understanding of the subtle weight placements.

Requirements: Consciousness of your own physical limitations.

Dress:  Comfortable clothes to move in.  Sweat pants would be perfect but jeans or regular pants will work.  Dresses and skirts should not be worn.

Footwear: Ideally, participants should wear cotton socks or something similar.  This will enable a better feel of the floor and understanding of the subtle weight placements.

*We will only order food based upon persons who have pre-registered.

Requirements: Basic knowledge of basic W.C.Swing (steps and terminology).  This class is not for day-one beginner WCS dancers.  You must know the basics.

Dress:  Regular clothes for partner dancing.  Jeans, dance shoes (please no high pointy heels), dance sneakers are ok.

Footwear:   *Please do NOT wear high heels (or shoes) that might cut/tear into the professional floors of the dance studio.  Dance Sneakers are allowed but suede or leather bottom shoes would be best.

 

 All workshops are at the discretion of the instructor.
 

All workshops are at the discretion of the instructor.
 

This package is not suitable for people to just take the WCS Placement workshop since we will be using terminology and concepts from the prior ballet classes.   Includes Pizza Party.

All workshops are at the discretion of the instructor.

Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Anna Brady combines the discipline of classical ballet with the creativity of partner dancing.

She trained and performed in both classical and modern styles with Minnesota Dance Theatre & School and Minnetonka Dance Theatre. She also competed in ballroom/latin dance while at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In 2004, Anna choreographed and performed with the University of Chicago Ballet Company and attended the Alvin Ailey summer training program.  Since moving to New York in 2005, Anna has performed with Bernier Dance Company, the Little Orchestra Society and the Tyler Dunn Foundation.

Anna has recently performed with Erik Novoa in contemporary ballet pieces "Ordinary Day" (Choreographed by Erik) and "The Player" (Choreographed by Anna).  She is known throughout the northeast for her "Spins, Turns & Technique" classes for partner dancing.

Those who have seen Anna dance know that she is probably one of the few people that can actually out-turn Erik.
 

Erik Novoa has been competing in West Coast Swing since 1998. In that time, he has risen to compete in the Invitational division. He has placed top-10 at the US Open in the Classic Division three  times and has excelled in Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill competitions at numerous national events.

Erik has also been competing in Hustle since 2000 and immediately stole the show by becoming a 2 time national champion in 2001 & 2002.  He later became a finalist on ABC Family's revival of Dance Fever, becoming the only Hustle act on the premier series which aired in July 2003.

Erik's former training in ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater enables him to teach in a style which is knowledgeable, clear and concise.  He is a featured instructor for many regional and national events because of his ability to get people dancing quickly using his humor, personality, style, rapport with students, and his solid knowledge of dance fundamentals and technique.  Students complete each workshop with a better understanding of the specific dance, overall dance technique and musicality.

Q: Should I take this class again if I've already taken it.

A: If you feel that going jogging once makes you an Olympic athlete, then yes.  Otherwise, see you in class.  Honestly, I've been dancing for 20 years and I still take technique classes.  The classes that I take currently are similar to the ones that will be taught.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't use my technique when I dance.  It preserves my body and enables me to do things that make my dancing look creative and feel "professional"....and since I am a professional, it's important.

Q:  I have balance problems and I have trouble turning!  What can I do?

A: Most problems with balance have more to do with strength than with actual balance.  These workshops will identify and strengthen hard-to-find muscles that are crucial for balance during cool moves and turns!  Don't think that turns are only for followers.  Every great leader I know is able to use male-turns to show his virtuosity. 

Q: What do I do with my arms?

A:  At the workshop we will be teaching movement which coordinates arm and leg movement.  With a little practice, you won't have to think about where your arms go very often!  I find that if a dancer knows where to put their arms the body falls into place.  This is because the arms act like stabilizers to counter-act weight transfers.  Don't be fooled, arm placement isn't just follower's arm styling, it's also just as important for the leaders (ever see a leader with dead-arm)

Q: How does he move so fast? How is she such a smooth dancer?

A:  There are many simple movements that isolate muscles to increase foot/leg speed as well as improving fluidity of movement.  West Coast Swing is both a smooth and a rhythmic dance.  It goes from very slow to very fast.  Sad fact #1: most civilian dancers dance from 90 beats per minutes (bpm) to 120bmp with a comfort zone around 110bmp.   Dancers with training are able to explore tempos from 60-140bmp.  Perhaps you should skip the next song while I dance with your friend.

Q: Will one day really help my West Coast Swing or Hustle (or Salsa)?

A:  Simple answer: yes.  Becoming aware of your body and how  your body works enables you to make small changes that will have dramatic effects.  Just simply learning how to use your arms can make you go from no turns to 2 turns in just 30 days.  Bring a notebook and pen for all the tips and secrets you start to unlock.