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View Full Version : Latest WCS news from the proverbial horses mouth.



NZ Monkey
10th-February-2009, 10:07 PM
My colleagues have just arrived back from a week with J&T in Australia and they have some interesting news I thought some of you would like to hear. Please bear in mind this is second-hand information, but the people who passed it onto me are generally very reliable.

It seems that the swing dance council have created an official definitive set of 14 basic patterns. I don’t have the list yet myself, but they include at least a couple whose only purpose seem to be to train good habits that will be more useful at later stages. Examples include:

The fake whip – reminds the women to move all the way to the end of a slot if the guy doesn’t redirect them in a whip.
Triple rhythm break (aka sailor shuffle) – taught so beginners have a tool they can use to help phrase themselves.

Additionally, there will be a new category of competition (WCS 101 I think it will be called) which is strictly for people with no competition points, which awards points at a novice level. The only patterns allowed in this category will be those 14 foundation patterns. It sounds like a version of Ceroc X or Back-to-Basics, except that it’s only open to real competition novices. The intention is to help avoid the situation where genuine beginners are competing against people who have been social dancing for years (and are actually pretty good) in the Novice division.

Finally, they got to see J&T new competition routine up close and personal. It is, apparently, enthralling. So enthralling that none of them could remember the name of the track. Apparently it’s contemporary though. I guess the rest of us will have to wait until it hits Youtube :sad:

David Franklin
10th-February-2009, 10:34 PM
I don't know if I'm been reading too many Onion articles, but I read your post keeping expecting to see a punch line that would make me think "Oh, it's a joke", and not doing so...

[Not that I actually know or care enough about global WCS to say whether what you post is actually a good or bad thing. My gut feeling is that it's not particularly good, however].

NZ Monkey
10th-February-2009, 10:54 PM
I don't know if I'm been reading too many Onion articles, but I read your post keeping expecting to see a punch line that would make me think "Oh, it's a joke", and not doing so...Now that you've pointed that out I'm doing the same when I re-read it. Nuts.


[Not that I actually know or care enough about global WCS to say whether what you post is actually a good or bad thing. My gut feeling is that it's not particularly good, however].To be honest, I don't think the council consider the global situation at all. It's all in response to what they're seeing in the USA and the rest of us just have to deal with whatever ramifications come our way.

In practical terms, I don't think those ramifications for the rest of us will be significant :wink:

On a side note, it was encouraging for us in Auckland to hear about this official beginner syllabus, as we've spent the last few months formulating our own teaching syllabus for the year. Apparently the two are very similar, as is the reasoning for putting them there. It's nice to get some sort of confirmation that someone who knows what they're doing is thinking along the same lines as us. Either that, or we manage to match the collective stupidity of an entire committee. Time will tell. :na:

Yliander
10th-February-2009, 10:56 PM
Finally, they got to see J&T new competition routine up close and personal. It is, apparently, enthralling. So enthralling that none of them could remember the name of the track. Apparently it’s contemporary though. I guess the rest of us will have to wait until it hits Youtube :sad:it's a Coldplay track - viva la vida apparently

Caro
10th-February-2009, 11:24 PM
it's a Coldplay track - viva la vida apparently

are you sure that's not Foxyfunkster spreading stupid rumors ? :rolleyes:

Caro
10th-February-2009, 11:29 PM
Additionally, there will be a new category of competition (WCS 101 I think it will be called) which is strictly for people with no competition points, which awards points at a novice level.

Sounds like an interesting development... will have to see the details of this when over in the states...



Finally, they got to see J&T new competition routine up close and personal. It is, apparently, enthralling. So enthralling that none of them could remember the name of the track. Apparently it’s contemporary though. I guess the rest of us will have to wait until it hits Youtube :sad:

Come on now !!!! You gotta give us a bit more here !!! Is it fast or slow ? How many times did it make them go oooooh and aaaaaah ? Did it make them cry ? laugh ? jump up and down in joy (or is that excitement?) ? How many incredible things did they come up with ? Does Tat dances on her hands ? What colour are they wearing ???? Did Jordan shave his chin thing ??? Argh so many questions, so little answers.... :tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tant rum:

NZ Monkey
10th-February-2009, 11:35 PM
Come on now !!!! You gotta give us a bit more here !!! Is it fast or slow ? How many times did it make them go oooooh and aaaaaah ? Did it make them cry ? laugh ? jump up and down in joy (or is that excitement?) ? How many incredible things did they come up with ? Does Tat dances on her hands ? What colour are they wearing ???? Did Jordan shave his chin thing ??? Argh so many questions, so little answers.... :tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tantrum::tant rum:
Please bear in mind this is second-hand information, but the people who passed it onto me are generally very reliable.I said they were reliable, not that they had photographic memories and an unhealthy level of obsession :na:

Their level of obsession is well within healthy parameters. This is easy, considering it is impossible for any obsession related to WCS to be unhealthy. NZ Monkey has spoken. :whited out wink smiley:

David Franklin
10th-February-2009, 11:41 PM
To be honest, I don't think the council consider the global situation at all. It's all in response to what they're seeing in the USA and the rest of us just have to deal with whatever ramifications come our way.Poor use of words on my part. By 'global' I meant "overall development of WCS, wherever it may be (but >90% in the US in practice)".

Or to be more specific and less worried about treading on toes: It feels to me like this is an attempt by the 'old guard' to control the development of the dance, and to move it towards a more formal definition that can be centrally controlled. Which may be good for the people who want to be serious competitors, but is probably bad for the dance as a whole. (c.f. the demise of ballroom as a popular activity once it got over codified).

But then I've never liked people trying to define what is or isn't dancing.

Caro
10th-February-2009, 11:46 PM
I said they were reliable, not that they had photographic memories and an unhealthy level of obsession :na:

Their level of obsession is well within healthy parameters. This is easy, considering it is impossible for any obsession related to WCS to be unhealthy. NZ Monkey has spoken. :whited out wink smiley:

ok you you're lucky I got to see that invisible thingy you added as I quoted you. You almost got some of my red button, there ;) :devil:

Still think that if they were really into WCS they would remember those things... :whistle:

lightweights...

Lory
11th-February-2009, 12:54 AM
It seems that the swing dance council have created an official definitive set of 14 basic patterns. I don’t have the list yet myself,

http://www.swingworld.com/wcs.htm :flower:

FoxyFunkster
11th-February-2009, 01:27 AM
are you sure that's not Foxyfunkster spreading stupid rumors ? :rolleyes:

Er no i heard it from the horses mouth too!at the US open in November, They may have changed their minds since then and chosen something else....don`t be upset Caro!

Amir
11th-February-2009, 06:12 AM
but is probably bad for the dance as a whole. (c.f. the demise of ballroom as a popular activity once it got over codified).


Not sure there is much truth in that. I think most popular dance forms die out when the music they are associated with loses popularity. I don't think ballroom councils have that much influence one way or another.

Lindy Hop died as a popular dance because Big Band music died as popular music. Salsa seems to carry on with equal popularity despite its codification.

What codification can result in is a greater divide between people who compete and people who don't. Which to me seems a shame. But people who like to compete probably like codification, since it makes it easier to know what the competition is, and people who don't aren't much affected either way.

This isn't based on rigorous historical research though, so I'm happy to be contradicted.

Anyway, novice level wcs comps are already pretty strict. It's the pros who seems to mostly do what they like. This news doesn't seem to change that at all.


But then I've never liked people trying to define what is or isn't dancing.

Well I'm with you in principle.

Alan Doyle
11th-February-2009, 10:15 AM
It seems that the swing dance council have created an official definitive set of 14 basic patterns. I don’t have the list yet myself, but they include at least a couple whose only purpose seem to be to train good habits that will be more useful at later stages.


Pattern list:
1. Triple Rhythm Breaks & Anchor
2. Left Side Pass
3. Under Arm Turn
4. Under Arm Turn w/ Hand Change
5. Right Side Pass
6. Lady's Right Turn & Pass (Torque Turn) - brand new pattern
7. Turning Basic
8. Throwout (from closed)
9. 4-beat starter step
10. Basic Tuck (from closed)
11. Push Break (Sugar Push)
12. Two Hand Tuck
13. Release Whip (basic whip)
14. Closed Whip

J&T first taught this in France approx 4 weeks ago and is looking at starting a WCS101 competition there next year.

I'm starting to teach this in Dublin in two weeks.

Yliander
11th-February-2009, 10:26 AM
are you sure that's not Foxyfunkster spreading stupid rumors ? :rolleyes:
umm actually was told that by a friend in Aus - who saw the routine

Paul F
11th-February-2009, 11:06 AM
Pattern list:
.
.


This is great news. I have been teaching by the GSDTA syllabus for near on a couple of years now. All that time I have had to explain to people why I call my patterns by different names.
Now many of their patterns are common knowledge I can tell people that I am right and all other teachers are wrong :devil: :rofl:

Seriously though I think its a good idea. It will hopefully remove the barrier that some people face when they think about competing. They say that Novice category is the hardest to get out of. Hopefully this will make it easier for those who think they may struggle.

robd
11th-February-2009, 11:29 AM
So is Jordan now a man called horse? What will the neigghhhbours say :rolleyes:

Alan, still waiting on those video clips you said you would do.

Lory
11th-February-2009, 12:28 PM
Pattern list:

.

Yeah, like I posted in post 10

Alan Doyle
11th-February-2009, 05:08 PM
So is Jordan now a man called horse? What will the neigghhhbours say :rolleyes:

Alan, still waiting on those video clips you said you would do.

Hi Rob,

Yes, I know sorry...I've been very busy in the last few weeks. I hope to get something recorded this weekend.

Alan

NZ Monkey
11th-February-2009, 06:19 PM
Yeah, like I posted in post 10Don't worry Lory, duplication is one of Alan's strong points. It's right up there beside not adding anything new to threads.:rolleyes:

Alan Doyle
11th-February-2009, 09:40 PM
Don't worry Lory, duplication is one of Alan's strong points. It's right up there beside not adding anything new to threads.:rolleyes:

If that's how you feel, I won't bother posting or making video clips...

NZ Monkey
11th-February-2009, 10:10 PM
If that's how you feel, I won't bother posting or making video clips...
Hey, the video clips would at least be new and original so no issues there on my part.

Regardless, it’s Robd who’s been requesting them, not I. You may be shooting the wrong person by sulking because you’re so concerned about my feelings.

Lee Bartholomew
23rd-February-2009, 11:39 AM
it's a Coldplay track - viva la vida apparently

If you have Tatiana on Facebook you can see a picture of them in what I guess is showcase costumes. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=314616&op=2&o=global&view=global&subj=578721665&id=1054347131

The look of their costumes is very similar to the look used by coldplay at the moment.

TA Guy
23rd-February-2009, 12:52 PM
Surely this is just an attempt to make WCS more like MJ ?
Plagiarism is the sincerist form of flattery.

All the top pros have now seen MJ in action and reported back. They have seen the numbers at MJ, the advantages of a set of 'beginner' moves and the introduction of 'WCS X' at comps.

Personally I feel it's good that WCS can learn from the best.

:stirring::stirring::stirring:

mikeyr
24th-February-2009, 01:25 AM
Bless, you really believe that? Really :doh:

Who else on here has actually been to any WCS classes in the US?

The clubs I have visited and the teachers that helped me develop my class cirriculum have done so based on the tried and tested formula their clubs have used for in some cases the last 20 yrs.

A question for you all..... Just how seriously is the WSDC taken.....???:what:


Surely this is just an attempt to make WCS more like MJ ?
Plagiarism is the sincerist form of flattery.

All the top pros have now seen MJ in action and reported back. They have seen the numbers at MJ, the advantages of a set of 'beginner' moves and the introduction of 'WCS X' at comps.

Personally I feel it's good that WCS can learn from the best.

:stirring::stirring::stirring: