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Spin dryer
16th-June-2007, 07:59 PM
Which WCS teacher(s) do you rate?

Positive comments only please. Thanks.

Gus
17th-June-2007, 01:14 AM
Chris Taylor - N West based. Dry sense of humour, deep expereince from many yaers on the line dnacing scene. Originally trained by Cat. On a one man mission to spread the word of WCS in the N West ... and a thouroughly nice chap. :)

Twirlie Bird
17th-June-2007, 04:54 PM
Is this who teaches at Congleton? If so, :yeah: .

That guy has patience! :eek:

robd
17th-June-2007, 08:38 PM
Paul Warden

Like Amir, he puts in sufficient material to stretch the more experienced dancers without alienating those newer to the scene. Good sense of humour too - his classes that I have attended have been fun.

johnah
17th-June-2007, 11:35 PM
Which WCS teacher(s) do you rate?

Positive comments only please. Thanks.

Assuming you are referring to UK teachers and based upon personal experience, I would say the following [not in any particular order] are the UK's finest teachers of WCS:

Paul Warden
Catriona Wiles
Lee Easton
Graham Fox
Chris Taylor

All have a comprehensive understanding of the dance and a high standard of teaching ability.

johnah
17th-June-2007, 11:39 PM
Is this who teaches at Congleton? If so, :yeah: .

That guy has patience! :eek:

:yeah:

Chris Taylor

jive_me
18th-June-2007, 05:11 PM
I'm afraid I'm just going to give another vote for Chris Taylor. For me he has been an excellent teacher (you'd definitely need some patience to teach me WCS) and he promotes a great, relaxed learning environment. Personally I also loved how he joined in with the class, it was nice to get some personal pointers.

xXx:flower:

Minnie M
18th-June-2007, 06:04 PM
Assuming you are referring to UK teachers and based upon personal experience, I would say the following [not in any particular order] are the UK's finest teachers of WCS: (see below)
All have a comprehensive understanding of the dance and a high standard of teaching ability.

Paul Warden
Catriona Wiles
Lee Easton
Graham Fox
Chris Taylor
Plus
Paul Harris
Paul F
Ralf Schiller :respect: - London based (been teaching WCS for 10 years and fab)
Anna Nayler - in Surrey (has had classes for near 10 years and still going strong)
Roi Forbes - in Scotland (not sure where)

ducasi
18th-June-2007, 06:24 PM
...
Roi Forbes - in Scotland (not sure where)
I believe Roi Forbes is teaching in or around Ayr.

Another fine WCS teacher, inexplicably missing from this thread so-far, and also based in Scotland is Lindsay Brown.

Minnie M
18th-June-2007, 06:56 PM
I believe Roi Forbes is teaching in or around Ayr.

Another fine WCS teacher, inexplicably missing from this thread so-far, and also based in Scotland is Lindsay Brown.

:respect:

Minnie M
18th-June-2007, 10:23 PM
Paul Warden
Catriona Wiles
Lee Easton
Graham Fox
Chris Taylor
Plus
Paul Harris
Paul F
Ralf Schiller :respect: - London based (been teaching WCS for 10 years and fab)
Anna Nayler - in Surrey (has had classes for near 10 years and still going strong)
Roi Forbes - in Scotland (not sure where)

Just re-read my post and it is a little confusing - I have ADDED my choices to Johnah's post because I was too lazy to re-write them again :blush:

StokeBloke
18th-June-2007, 11:42 PM
Chris Taylor is a WCS teaching god! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy:


I may make his eyes water, but he is so enthusiastic and patient! I need to go to Congleton on a Tuesday AND Knutsford on a Wednesday for a couple of months to really take full advantage of having such a top class teacher on my doorstep!!!

Lucy Locket
19th-June-2007, 09:26 AM
Graham Fox for me.

Paul Harris starts his wcs classes in Northampton tomorrow, so looking forward to that, if he's as good at teaching wcs as he is at mj, then he'll be ace.

Bluey
19th-June-2007, 12:40 PM
Graham Fox & Mel
Brady & Susan

Cruella
19th-June-2007, 01:53 PM
Brady & Susan

Alas no longer in the UK. :tears:

Cruella
19th-June-2007, 01:58 PM
Paul Harris starts his wcs classes in Northampton tomorrow, so looking forward to that, if he's as good at teaching wcs as he is at mj, then he'll be ace.

I'll be there! :clap: He's been teaching WCS workshops for a while now and has managed to get a few of the midlanders up to a decent standard in those months so i've every confidence in him.

HelenB
19th-June-2007, 06:11 PM
Paul Harris starts his wcs classes in Northampton tomorrow, so looking forward to that


I'll be there! :clap:

Me too :D - I need all the help with my WCS that I can get

Northants Girly
19th-June-2007, 06:30 PM
Me too :D - I need all the help with my WCS that I can get:yeah:

I'll be there :D

Minnie M
19th-June-2007, 07:23 PM
We have so few WCS teachers - we need to support them all. Some may be better than others, but most of that is down to experience.

The more you teach, the better you get as you learn not only from the feedback from your students, but also you are learning more yourself.

If you had YouTube videos our current great UK WCS teachers teaching, now to what they were when they first started you would be surprised at their progress.

Also, there is a lot of mileage in MJ teachers, teaching WCS, they know the pain of the 'change-over' and will be able to give you tips of the problem areas they found themselves.

BTW have we all forgotten David & Lily Barker :confused: without their help at the beginning of this 'new' interest of WCS and keeping it alive, their would not be any Cat or Paul teaching now :yeah:

Good luck to ALL our UK WCS teachers :respect: and I look forward to the time the wonderful Brady & Susan come back to the UK (Holiday etc) so we can get the benifit of their experience :worthy: :clap: :respect:

Franck
21st-June-2007, 01:27 PM
Which WCS teacher(s) do you rate?Having learnt from a wide selection of wcs teachers in the last couple of years, I would put Paul Farrell at the top, his background in Latin Ballroom, MJ and WCS give him a technical understanding of each dance and a very thorough approach to teaching. His use of props and notes is very professional and his presentation is entertaining without losing the content.

He is also one of the few teachers who focus on technique over choreographed patterns! :worthy:

frodo
21st-June-2007, 01:56 PM
He is also one of the few teachers who focus on technique over choreographed patterns! :worthy:

I had the impression a technique focus was common in WCS.

johnah
21st-June-2007, 02:07 PM
I had the impression a technique focus was common in WCS.

:yeah:

It should be, and whilst there are some good teachers in the UK and amongst the visitors from the USA, each has a different approach. I have seen quite a few of the UK teachers and the majority, if not all, of the USA Pro's to visit here in the past 3/4 years. IMHO at the very top of the scale as teachers are Robert & Nicola Royston .

Franck
21st-June-2007, 02:11 PM
I had the impression a technique focus was common in WCS.Only if you mean more common than at MJ classes or Salsa classes, but my experience is that many teachers succumb to the temptation of rapidly pleasing their class by teaching flash patterns taken from youtube videos of top US WCS dancers, or simply to hide their own lack of actual understanding of the underlying techniques.

This is off thread however, so if this discussion continues, we'll split the thread.

frodo
21st-June-2007, 07:38 PM
...I would put Paul Farrell at the top, .... very thorough approach to teaching. His use of props and notes is very professional and his presentation is entertaining without losing the content.

He is also one of the few teachers who focus on technique over choreographed patterns! :worthy:
Possibly, one area in particular Paul Farrell excels is in how well sugars the technique, and the effort/care taken to do so. Sheer enthusiasm might be another.


This is off thread however, so if this discussion continues, we'll split the thread.The question is something I'm interested in, so I've created a new thread (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/land-1000-dances/13070-wcs-where-can-you-find-moves-focus.html
) asking the specific question - where you can find a focus on moves.

johnah
21st-June-2007, 09:58 PM
Good luck to ALL our UK WCS teachers :respect: and I look forward to the time the wonderful Brady & Susan come back to the UK (Holiday etc) so we can get the benifit of their experience :worthy: :clap: :respect:

:yeah:

Had an email from Brady earlier today, they're having lots of fun and enjoying lots of WCS dancing. He says they've been spending quite a bit of time with Arjay Centeno & Melissa Rutz who won the recent US Grand Nationals WCS Showcase Division. :respect: :respect: :respect: So they're certainly getting some good experience to pass on when they come back next April.

Dorothy
4th-August-2007, 05:41 PM
Lindsay Brown from Edinburgh is a v good teacher. Am missing Edinburgh WCS, stopped for summer :-( Roll on Sept.

:-) !!

Dot x

johnnyman
7th-August-2007, 02:57 PM
Cat and Lee who do wonderful classes every week at my regular WCS venue of Twickenham.

Heidi Groskreutz is a must for everyone when she and Benji Schwimmer come in Feb 2008 to Southport. Her recent guest appearances at Twickenham and workshop in West London were great.

Deborah Szekely was brilliant to learn from when I had a private lesson with her back in 2004 and she and Robert Cordoba are always worth their weight in gold at weekend events.

Also top of my list in terms of weekend teachers

Jordan and Tatiana.
Kyle and Sarah
Robert and Nicola
Parker and Jessica

best
johnnyman:nice:

Keith J
8th-August-2007, 11:30 AM
Jordan & Tatiana - wow
John Lindo teaches a real fun class.
Robert & Nicole Royston - inspiring
Jessica Cox - absolutely brilliant and positive
Paul Warden - superb styling and musicality
Cat Wiles - ab fab

angelique
8th-August-2007, 12:14 PM
Already said but gonna say it again


Paul Harris
Graham Fox

:respect:

Geordieed
9th-August-2007, 02:24 PM
For me the combination of Cat, Paul Warden and Lee have made dream of Swing come alive. Plus I have been fortunate enough to visit America and social dance with the Americans. Without those three guys this would not be possible and I am in dept to them.


Within my passions for the dance I have been told so many amazing things about a guy called Mario Robau Jr. Words such as 'genius' were used to describe him. I did manage to take a workshop with him late last year and it is true. He made a very difficult class sound easy and not only that made it easy for those in the class. He started off with little and built and built on it making end up with something quite complex.

Truely amazing! It is one of those times you have to experience it for yourself. Has anyone else taken tuition from him.


He is top of my wish list to have a private one to one with...

Slider
12th-August-2007, 05:43 PM
For me (in Scotland) I have had classes from James McLauchlan in Glasgow, and from Lindsay Brown in Edinburgh, and would rate them both highly. I am yet to experience the American champs, look forward to that, might even have a private lesson in S'port :what: . Yikes! Where would they start I wonder.........

Billy Cullen
12th-August-2007, 10:14 PM
For me it's got to be Jordan & Tatiana. They are the 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 &*2006 *US Open Champions, 4-Time NASDE Champions, Multi-Grand National Champions, and have*won every Classic Swing*event in since 12/2003.**At 2004 UCWDC World's event they were given the Star Award for the Couple with the Most Impact on Swing, and they have won Swing Couple of the Year for 2003 and 2004,*In 2007 -*Jordan was awarded the Star Award for*"Best Swing Choreographer"
*
Jordan & Tatiana*were the grand prize winners ($25,000) of*Fox TV's "30 Seconds to Fame."* They appeared twice on CBS TV's "Star Search."* They were motion capture models for the movie "The*Polar Express", and were on ABC TV's "Good Morning America" where they won the "Greatest Couple's Dancer in America Challenge."

Not bad for a 24 year old.

Minnie M
13th-August-2007, 01:15 AM
For me it's got to be Jordan & Tatiana. They are the 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005 &*2006 *US Open Champions, 4-Time NASDE Champions, Multi-Grand National Champions, and have*won every Classic Swing*event in since 12/2003.**At 2004 UCWDC World's event they were given the Star Award for the Couple with the Most Impact on Swing, and they have won Swing Couple of the Year for 2003 and 2004,*In 2007 -*Jordan was awarded the Star Award for*"Best Swing Choreographer"
*
Jordan & Tatiana*were the grand prize winners ($25,000) of*Fox TV's "30 Seconds to Fame."* They appeared twice on CBS TV's "Star Search."* They were motion capture models for the movie "The*Polar Express", and were on ABC TV's "Good Morning America" where they won the "Greatest Couple's Dancer in America Challenge."

Not bad for a 24 year old.
:respect: without doubt J & T are the best dancers - but I personally rate Kyle & Sarah as the best teachers.

Kyle has a laid back approach to teaching and always makes the classes different but easy to follow, and Sarah makes sure that the ladies get their share of help.

Whereas, Robert Cordoba is still the best in getting newbies in first gear. :respect: He has been coming to England for so many years he knows all about Modern Jive and the pitfalls in MJ dancers learnng WCS.

Billy Cullen
13th-August-2007, 01:22 AM
I have never taken a Kyle Red class but if I had the chance I would, although I've watched a lot of his stuff on Youtube.
Robert Cordoba is still very good, but a bit less sharp in some moves, I have some old videos of him when he was younger and he was just as good if not better as Jordan, what age is Robert now, late 30's, he was impressive as Southport a few years back.

graham fox
13th-August-2007, 08:51 AM
My favourite is Kyle Redd and Sarah Van Drake. Simply because they make it look effortless. They are so laid back and smooth...As much as I like all the top wcs dancers now..Have you ever wondered where these guys learned all their dancing. One of the big influences for kyle was Sonny Watson..who was just amazing. Also Barry Jones and Kellese Keys. Im starting to show my age now, but when I started swing these guys were inspirational.:nice:

Billy Cullen
13th-August-2007, 09:23 AM
Im starting to show my age now, but when I started swing these guys were inspirational.:nice:

Graham when you started dancing the two biggest names were "Fred & Ginger"

David Bailey
13th-August-2007, 09:30 AM
:respect: without doubt J & T are the best dancers - but I personally rate Kyle & Sarah as the best teachers.
Good distinction :clap:

This thread is about teaching, not dancing.

Almost an Angel
13th-August-2007, 10:18 AM
:respect: without doubt J & T are the best dancers - but I personally rate Kyle & Sarah as the best teachers.

Kyle has a laid back approach to teaching and always makes the classes different but easy to follow, and Sarah makes sure that the ladies get their share of help.

Whereas, Robert Cordoba is still the best in getting newbies in first gear. :respect: He has been coming to England for so many years he knows all about Modern Jive and the pitfalls in MJ dancers learnng WCS.

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

Sorry all but I agree with Minnie, Kyle and Sarah are personally my favourite teachers.

J&T are amazing dancers and I love to watch them dance and perform, same as Minnie and they are the best, and a true inspiration.

But teaching wise I prefer Kyle & Sarah.

Angel xx