Swingmasters WCS event - Blackpool 15 - 17 Aug 08

[DS87]

Granted this was not in any way a MJ event I though that it deserved a review as there were several Forumites there and more that thought about going and might think about attending next year. So in traditional format here goes:

The Good

Michael Kielbassa and Jennifer DeLuca! They were amazing in all aspects of the weekend. Luckily we arrived just in time to see their Classic routine on Friday Night and it really was a joy to watch. During the social dancing they really worked the room not only dancing with everyone who asked but also moving around and asking people who were sitting down. Their classes were excellent and they catered very well for the diverse standard of dancing in the room. I particularly liked their class on Sunday when they did a Q & A session and then a workshop on dancing to different styles of music.

John Lindo: An excellent DJ who produced an excellent stream of songs on Friday night and then again later on Saturday evening. We got to the event just as he was doing a freestyle dance with Rachel McEaney and although I only saw half of it he really does know how to convey the fun side of dancing.

The temporary dance floor: They extended the dance floor in the Swing room with by far the best temporary flooring that I have seen in this country. Almost if not actually as good as the stuff they use in the States for the Swing events.

Music: The music was great all weekend and the only downside being that I wanted to dance to pretty much every track. Unfortunately the mind was willing but the body was weak!

WCS Dancers : What a great event, everyone was so friendly and inclusive. It was good to see a few faces that I haven't seen for a while like Jennifer, Lory, Cruella and Chelsea. Unfortunately I just didn't get as many dances as I would have liked but there is always next time. There were also quite a few unfamiliar faces which was great as it was nice to see new people adventuring out into a different event. It was also nice to see all the Line Dancers that hide away and then suddenly come out of the woodwork dancing WCS.

The Bad

There is definitely room for improvement for the weekend.

I think that Timetabling was the biggest problem. Having the pros teach for two hour slots and then have the two sets of teachers back to back made it very hard to rest, absorb what had been taken in and obviously eat and drink. This would not take anything at all to remedy and hopefully it will be for next year.

The Jack & Jill also fell foul of timetable problems with things changing at the last minute meaning that many people decided not to enter.

The dance floor was also too small for the number of people hence it was a bit cramped in the first lessons and in the evenings. I am sure that they did not expect to have quite so many people wanting to do WCS and the organisers have already said that they will have a bigger next year.

Trying to find a good place to eat for dinner was a bit of a challenge to say the least.

The Ugly

The one O’clock finish! That should say it all there just wasn't enough social dancing time especially with the Jack & Jill on the Saturday night.

Sumary

Overall I had a good time and I enjoyed myself immensely. The event was a great idea and it has much potential if a few small problems can be ironed out. I think that a lot of linedancers were drawn into the Swing room during the evenings due to the great social vibe that was coming from the place and I can only hope that this encourages them to take up the dance.

I am glad that I went and if improvements are made then I will definitely try and get to the event next year.

[Cruella]

The temporary dance floor: They extended the dance floor in the Swing room with by far the best temporary flooring that I have seen in this country.

It was the best floor I have ever danced on, temporary or otherwise.

Michael Kielbassa and Jennifer DeLuca! They were amazing in all aspects of the weekend.

They were very friendly and socialised with all. John Lindo didn't seem to dance very much, but he was behind the decks for a lot of the freestyle, he was chatty and social though.
I was surprised at the numbers of people doing WCS, I expected far less, although this meant the floor was very busy at times it made for a great atmosphere.
I really enjoyed going through to the main ballroom and watching some of the line dancing competitions, especially the more experienced competitors. The dresses were beautiful but they wear cowboy boots with them! It was hurting my eyes to see such a faux pas to dress sense!
It did seem very strange to walk into the ballroom, that I have jived in a few times, to see all the people dancing and doing the same thing.
The funniest part of the weekend was seeing Lee in tears with laughter after Freya's speed-walking attempt. I'd stick to the dancing if I were you Freya.
The Saturday night's lack of freestyle, due to the cabaret and J&J was a big disappointment. The cabaret was great to watch, with some awesome dancers, but it was very long. It would be interesting to do a questionnaire to see how many of the Westies would prefer for the J&J to run and how many would prefer for it to be replaced with more freestyle.
All in all I'm glad I made the last minute decision to go, especially to catch up with those I haven't seen for a while.
I feel that Lee will be open to sorting out some of the niggles if enough people feed back to him.
I may travel up with someone with a more reliable car next time though.
As traveling home in a recovery truck wasn't quite in the plans. The 'very nice man' wasn't so nice, he told me if I didn't stop laughing he was going to dump me at the next services!

[Moondancer]

WCS Dancers What a great event, everyone was so friendly and inclusive.

...snip...

I think that a lot of linedancers were drawn into the Swing room during the evenings due to the great social vibe that was coming from the place and I can only hope that this encourages them to take up the dance.

Well, I’m a linedancer, recently taken up MJ, now trying wcs, so I planned to divide my time between the line rooms and the swing room.

Fantastic professionals – I loved the workshops, but I agree that the back to back-ness made it difficult. Also, I prefer to dance til at least 4am, preferably 5am, as I would at my favourite newline events, so it seemed an incredibly early finish.

It was great to see so many good wcs dancers, what an education for me. Also very interesting to find out that some of the guys must have been born that experienced or been good for so long that they have forgotten what it is like to be a beginner.

Particularly helpful for my confidence (and therefore also my dancing ability) were the guys who twigged straight away that I was a beginner and therefore not worth dancing with, so when I got them on rotation during the workshops they made no eye contact whatsoever, didn’t say hello or smile, especially the second and subsequent times round, or rolled their eyes when I didn’t get my following right. Mmm, my heros, and isn’t it amazing how much easier it becomes to follow when there is no eye contact whatsoever? I had previously assumed that the reputation of wcs dancers of being a long way up their own *rses must be a myth, but I can now see where it comes from.

I think the thing that completely shot it for me and ensured that I spent Sunday night exclusively in the line room was the second time in the same 2 hour w/shop slot that a (different) guy excused himself on the half practice track because he “needed a break” but then joined the rotation at the other end of the dance floor. I’m pleased to say that I kept the tears at bay until I left the room never to return – perhaps I was just not getting the hint when that had happened during Friday and Saturday. Previously, guys had simply “taken a break”, or must have been far more subtle about when they rejoined the floor, so sweet of them to be so considerate.

Yes, I know I’m rubbish. I haven’t been doing it that long. But I’m not actually going to get any better if I don’t dance with people. It isn’t especially fun to know that you are the worst person in the room, but silly me, I’d assumed that guys might have known that feeling at some point in their lives and could take the time taken by half a track of music to support one of the few newbies in the room.

Surprisingly, I did have a few dances with people which worked ok (perhaps they were extra good leaders?) Also, there were some nice kind blokes, one of whom took the trouble to walk through the lesson with me afterwards, a (very) few who asked me to dance even though they knew I was a beginner, and some who at least had the manners to smile rather than sigh when I got it wrong. I really really appreciated those guys, so if you are reading this, thank you very much.

[NPR]

Moondancer - sorry you had that experience. I can assure you that not all WCSers avoid beginners, so don't let your experience this weekend put you off. Give WCS a chance with some weekly lessons over a month or two and you will soon find that most WCSers are really welcoming and fun.

Also, it seems that some of the best WCSers were line dancers first, so you probably have a big advantage.

[Limpy Tink]

... The dresses were beautiful but they wear cowboy boots with them! It was hurting my eyes to see such a faux pas to dress sense!

I love that look - in fact... I might try that one out at Utopia (after midnight at the oasis obviously!!), as I have now already sported my "Utopian cheerleading outfit"

[johnnyman]

Nice to see Michael and Jennifer over here. Although I wasn't there, it is pleasing that more of the US pros are taking time to come over.

Moondancer, if we ever meet up at a WCS event, you are welcome to have a dance with me anytime. You may turn out to be one of the future champions, so go for it and don't worry about those who made you uncomfortable.

best
johnnyman

[Cruella]

I love that look - in fact... I might try that one out at Utopia (after midnight at the oasis obviously!!), as I have now already sported my "Utopian cheerleading outfit"

I'm sure you will take suitable revenge on me.

Give me a U, give me a T, .............ra ra ra!!

[fletch]

I love that look - in fact... I might try that one out at Utopia (after midnight at the oasis obviously!!), as I have now already sported my "Utopian cheerleading outfit"

Shivv, James Mc dance partner was telling me they are made to measure and cost £500

most WCSers are really welcoming and fun.

.

[Limpy Tink]

I'm sure you will take suitable revenge on me.

Give me a U, give me a T, .............ra ra ra!!

Would I...

[Limpy Tink]

Shivv, James Mc dance partner was telling me they are made to measure and cost £500

Heavy sigh... Gone are the days boots were made for walkin over someone The lengths we girls will go to - in the name of dance hey

[fletch]

Would I...

I have

Heavy sigh... Gone are the days boots were made for walkin over someone The lengths we girls will go to - in the name of dance hey

I have a few pairs I have a few pairs suitable, just need to fine a find a male volunteer

[Moondancer]

Thank you for the kind comments and PMs I’ve had following my post. It seems I wasn’t the only one who had a less than positive experience and was made to feel unwelcome in the swing room. I can see why people would give up wcs if they encounter such negative attitudes when they are beginners.

Although the workshops were really good, I struggled to remember what I had learned because I wasn’t getting much opportunity to put it into practice, since the refusals I got outnumbered the social dances I had, and it got to the point when I just gave up asking. I could see that people were really enjoying themselves, but sitting on the sidelines with no hope of getting a dance isn’t much fun.

The small wcs class I go to is ‘young’ in that most people have not been wcs-ing for very long, but it is friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, there aren’t many opportunities to dance with more experienced dancers in my area. Blackpool was the first time I had seen a wcs ‘community’ (as opposed to seeing a few wcs-ers doing their thing at a jive event). I thought it would help me to improve if I danced with more experienced leaders. Also, I have been struggling to improve my following skills when I mostly only dance with people who learn the same moves in the same class as me. Blackpool should have been the ideal opportunity to expand my horizons, get some experience, and hopefully begin to fledge, and I was disappointed that it didn’t turn out that way. Instead, my dancing definitely got worse and my confidence vanished.

It certainly isn’t my style to get upset in the way that I did, but I’m a sentient vertebrate not a complete wuss, so after a short break I marched back in and booked Jennifer for a private lesson, which I enjoyed immensely.

After my private lesson, I went back to the line room, which I did find to be welcoming and friendly, and where I chose to dance what was left of the night away. No refusals, no put-downs, no need to depend on anyone else to enjoy myself, a combination of easy, medium, hard, familiar and unfamiliar dances, all in the company of friends old and new. I can recommend it - there is a wide range of abilities sharing the floor and no-one is mean to you if you aren't perfect.

…I noticed when I re-read my first post on this thread that I was back to defining myself as a linedancer again. Hmmmm.

[frodo]

Particularly helpful for my confidence (and therefore also my dancing ability) were the guys who twigged straight away that I was a beginner and therefore not worth dancing with, so when I got them on rotation during the workshops they made no eye contact whatsoever, didn’t say hello or smile, especially the second and subsequent times round, or rolled their eyes when I didn’t get my following right. ...

I think the thing that completely shot it for me and ensured that I spent Sunday night exclusively in the line room was the second time in the same 2 hour w/shop slot that a (different) guy excused himself on the half practice track because he “needed a break” but then joined the rotation at the other end of the dance floor. ...

I've been slightly suspicious on some of the rotating shenanigans.

On the other hand they were rotating, and the quality of the rotation is much higher than you'll see at a modern jive event.

I don't think it would apply to you, as you've had some WCS swing lessons, but it can be rather irritating when a lady follows the same path as she might effectively have used in modern jive, and tries to pick it up primarily in freestyle before having a minimal level of basics.

All the followers want to dance with the most experienced / best leads.

It isn't much fun for followers to dance with the least experienced leads, who are finding their feet, and don't have the basics.

The benefit/cost ratio for experienced leaders dancing with beginners at a weekender is much lower in WCS than modern jive, so it could be this rather than anything inherent in the people that is responsible some of the reputation.

[Moondancer]

I've been slightly suspicious on some of the rotating shenanigans.

On the other hand they were rotating, and the quality of the rotation is much higher than you'll see at a modern jive event.

I don't think it would apply to you, as you've had some WCS swing lessons, but it can be rather irritating when a lady follows the same path as she might effectively have used in modern jive, and tries to pick it up primarily in freestyle before having a minimal level of basics.

All the followers want to dance with the most experienced / best leads.

It isn't much fun for followers to dance with the least experienced leads, who are finding their feet, and don't have the basics.

The benefit/cost ratio for experienced leaders dancing with beginners at a weekender is much lower in WCS than modern jive, so it could be this rather than anything inherent in the people that is responsible some of the reputation.

I can understand that it would be irritating for the leads to be trying to dance with followers who have absolutely no idea what they are doing, but my fundamentals are there (I’m not saying they’re brilliant, but they are there). I was mostly ok during the workshops and doing the individual patterns (and I don’t think I was the worst or slowest to get things) but of course my inexperience would be blindingly obvious.

There was a much higher quality of dancers generally than I have seen turning up at jive events, and as with jive, I found that some of the better men were able to lead me into unfamiliar patterns because their lead was clear and well-cued etc etc.

Having said that, IMHO the snottiest men were not necessarily the best dancers. Shoot me down in flames now, because this can’t be an objective opinion - I admit that I don’t have the experience to really know. Also, obviously my perception is highly coloured by my background because in linedancing without lead and follow, each individual’s dance ability is what is being looked at. So to me, even when I look at MJ or wcs, a ‘good’ dancer is someone who dances well in addition to being a good lead or follow, as opposed to someone who is a good lead or follow but might have a lot of ‘faults’. I’m not a competition linedancer myself but I’m familiar with watching that level of performance, so I’m afraid if I see a bloke dancing with flat feet, pigeon toes, baggy knees, collapsed core etc. then to me that bloke isn’t one of the best dancers, no matter if his lead is lovely. And if his lead isn't half as good as the last man I danced with, who managed to smile and be pleasant..

.. Not that I have any problem with non-perfection, or I think that I am perfect myself, but when it’s coupled with an unfriendly attitude then it puts my back up – I feel it’s a case of “don’t put other people down for not being good when you aren’t perfect yourself”. (Well, actually, I just don’t like people who put other people down, full stop )

The snotty men should take the real dance gods as models for their behaviour – you don’t see or hear of them refusing to dance with someone unless they have reached a certain standard. At least if someone is on the rotation and really can’t stand the thought that they might have to dance with someone like me for half a track (2 minutes of their life?) then they should take the trouble to think up a graceful way of rejection.