Why I Love West Coast Swing & How it Has Changed Me
- Aug 5, 2017
- 2 min read
Well, here is my first blog post in the amazing world of dance. Learning west coast swing has changed my life and I would like to share with you lovely people why I love this dance and the changes it has made in me.
For a start, I have learnt so much about my body and how to move it.
Arm Movement
At the moment I am working on arm movement or the “spare arm” as it is often referred as. Something as simple as moving an arm from A to B can look amazing if done well.
Doing simple moves really well in a way that looks great is so much more effective in my opinion than doing lots of patterns with awful technique and style. Do feel free to throw in the big move every now and again!
I try to practice dance most days and even bought a full length mirror for my room to help me see how I look when dancing and moving.
Music & Musicality
I have learnt so much about music and how it is structured. West coast swing has given me an appreciation for the music I hear. “Ah, I see, this phrase is 32 counts” and I am going to position my partner to see if we can work some magic together to hit the 1 of the next phrase – the major 1! “Is she on the same page as me? wow yes and we both worked together to hit that 1!”
Confidence
Seeing yourself move forward in a skill really helps grow your confidence. Watching myself on video from a year ago and seeing the progress – that is satisfying!
Being able to walk up to a girl, even someone you have never met before and asking them for a dance and then pluck up the courage to ask them for a second dance…in a row! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t do this all the time, but compared to when I started, I am so much better!
Body Movement
It is so satisfying to learn how to move your body – from the head, shoulder and ribs down to your hips and feet. One of the things I love the most is using my body as an instrument to mark out the sounds I hear in music.
Be warned though, don’t go overboard marking out all the sounds all time when dancing west coast swing! I would recommend marking out one layer at a time and not for too long, so that when you do it, it creates the desired effect on your audience.
Appreciation for Other Dances
I really appreciate watching and learning other dances, including commercial/street dance! Us dancers will see things in dance performances that non dancers do not see, such as an arm movement continuing through a beat.
These are just some of my thoughts I would like to share. Have a great day!
GREAT, WHAT IF I WOULD LIKE SOME COACHING?
If you are interested in one-to-one sessions with me to work on your west coast swing, street dance or how to dance at parties, contact me below:
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