Weekly Thursday Night Dance Lessons:

What We Do:

Come join us every Thursday night at the Wightman Community Building for our weekly west coast swing classes. Our classes provide opportunities for everyone from the first timer to the seasoned west coast swing dancer to learn in an environment that is tailored to their skill level. We currently offer two series of instruction, a beginner/intermediate class and an advanced class that run from 8:45 pm to 10:00 pm and are followed by social dancing until midnight. Unsure of which class you should take? Review the class descriptions below or contact us to determine which class best suits your skill level.

* Please Note! We highly recommend you start with the beginner/intermediate class. It will equip you with the subtle intricacies needed for the in-depth instruction provided in the advanced class.

Beginner/Intermediate Class:

The beginner/intermediate class is designed to give all dancers, regardless of their current skill level, the ability to confidently lead/follow any level west coast swing dancer in a social dance setting.

This class offers the following:

• For the beginning dancer: This class will break down the foundational patterns of west coast swing.
• For our beginner to intermediate dancers: This class will expand on the foundations and focus on element of basic pattern manipulation such as hand changes, open/closed position variations, etc...
• For the truly intermediate dancer: This class will focus on the techniques that will hone and polish your dancing before graduating to the advanced class, including an in-depth look at extension, compression, elasticity, smoothness, and rhythm.

Advanced Class:

The advanced class will move at an accelerated pace. The aim of this class is to build upon the foundation and subtleties taught in the beginner/intermediate class. It will delve into in-depth topics such as musical interpretation and phrasing, principles and physics of pattern creation, and tools for styling.

Advanced Class Prerequisites:

• Ability to demonstrate foundational patterns of west coast swing (whips, sugar pushes, side passes, etc...) and use them confidently in your dancing
• An intimate understanding of west coast swing principles including extension, compression, elasticity, and rhythm as they apply to patterns and pattern creation (fumbling through patterns will not suffice for this class).
• A basic comfort level with styling tools including hand changes, open and closed position variations, and other techniques for pattern manipulation.