CONNECTION SKILLS & WEST COAST SWING
Simple to Advanced Connection Skills
For Lisboa Lindy Hop Dancers
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OCT 2025 – 10 hours "Intensive" class
3 Oct 19:00-21:00 + 4 Oct 15:00-18:00 + 10 Oct 19:00-21:00 + 11 Oct 15:00-18:00 Lisboa Ginásio Clube, Anjos (map) + Social-Prática-Party! 11 Oct 19:30-?? Mixed WCS + Lindy Hop (location TBD) 3 GOALS: (1) Develop amazing Connection skills. (2) Become good at WCS. (3) Create new moves, the way WCS does. • EMPHASIS is on Connection Skills, Simple to Advanced, and the amazing things we can do with them. • WORKSHOPS are "progressive," each workshop builds on all previous workshops. part 1: WCS & Lindy Hop: A "constructivist" approach, using the 5 "building blocks" (like Legos) that all top WCS dancers use. Lindy Hop too? part 2: Connection skills & technique. Master these, and everything becomes easy. part 3: More moves & variations, using connection skills & Lego blocks to create them. part 4: Can we 'invent' a new move or two? Using our skills and building blocks? YES! Part 5: What happens if we bring some of these connection skills into our Lindy Hop? Part 6: Prática! Social! Party! |
PREREQUISITE:
(1) You know triple steps. You are familiar with basic 6-count structure. If you know that, you will be great! If you know more, we will use that to accelerate your learning.
(2) You agree to change into shoes with clean soles (or your socks) to protect the studio floor!
INSTRUCTORS: Ken Kreshtool with Joana Lemos (Swing n' Smile) & Marta Cruz
LOCATION:
Lisboa Ginásio Clube, Anjos (map)
CLASS SIZE LIMITED
Please register so we can keep count and preserve balance!
NOTE: Alumni of any previous Ken or Paula workshop: 5 € discount!
PRICE for all 10 hours:
• Early Bird (before 30 Sept 23h59): €50, or €45 if you register with a partner (one leader, one follower)
• 60 €, or 55 € if you register with a partner (one leader, one follower)
• Same day & at door: 65 €
A LA CARTE PRICES (as so many asked!):
Friday Oct 3 only (2 hours): 25 €
Oct 3 + 4 (5 hours): 45 €
Oct 3 + 10 + 11 (7 hours): 55 €
Oct 10 + 11 only (5 hours, Ken/Paula alumni ONLY!): 45 € (sorry, no alumni discount here)
PAYMENT: MBway to Paula +351 913 541 750 - please add description "for Ken's WCS class" and your name(s)!
... or cash in class is good
(1) You know triple steps. You are familiar with basic 6-count structure. If you know that, you will be great! If you know more, we will use that to accelerate your learning.
(2) You agree to change into shoes with clean soles (or your socks) to protect the studio floor!
INSTRUCTORS: Ken Kreshtool with Joana Lemos (Swing n' Smile) & Marta Cruz
LOCATION:
Lisboa Ginásio Clube, Anjos (map)
CLASS SIZE LIMITED
Please register so we can keep count and preserve balance!
NOTE: Alumni of any previous Ken or Paula workshop: 5 € discount!
PRICE for all 10 hours:
• Early Bird (before 30 Sept 23h59): €50, or €45 if you register with a partner (one leader, one follower)
• 60 €, or 55 € if you register with a partner (one leader, one follower)
• Same day & at door: 65 €
A LA CARTE PRICES (as so many asked!):
Friday Oct 3 only (2 hours): 25 €
Oct 3 + 4 (5 hours): 45 €
Oct 3 + 10 + 11 (7 hours): 55 €
Oct 10 + 11 only (5 hours, Ken/Paula alumni ONLY!): 45 € (sorry, no alumni discount here)
PAYMENT: MBway to Paula +351 913 541 750 - please add description "for Ken's WCS class" and your name(s)!
... or cash in class is good
WHAT IS WCS? In relation to Lindy Hop?
WCS is a direct descendant of 1940s Lindy Hop, specifically Lindy Hop in the Los Angeles California area. After Swing Jazz music stopped being America's favorite Pop music in the mid-1940s, Lindy Hop faded ... but in many cities, small numbers of enthusiastic people continued.
In the Los Angeles area, the dancers continuously adapted their Lindy Hop to new Pop music with a smoother, more relaxed California style. They mostly danced to swung R&B (Rhythm-&-Blues), but also some straight-time Pop. Recently (post-pandemic), the music is mostly straight-time Pop.
Over the decades, WCS simplified Lindy Hop to the core partnered moves ... and then slowly expanded and "complex-ified" itself outward from that simplified core.
WCS is simple to understand because everything is very "dance logical." We build every move "on the fly" from a few basic interchangeable parts like Legos — all connected smoothly together through sweet continuous connection skills. No need to memorize anything! But of course, people do memorize their favorite moves. When we understand WCS properly, WCS has a lot of room for individual expression and "conversational" dancing, where both partners influence each other. WCS can also serve as a "library" of advanced Lindy Hop moves and ideas, just waiting for Lindy Hoppers with the original generation's spirit of innovation to start playing with!
Fun historical note: There is some historical overlap. On youtube, you can see Dean Collins dancing to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" in 1982, Anaheim California. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUVGX_N1NQ)
WCS is a direct descendant of 1940s Lindy Hop, specifically Lindy Hop in the Los Angeles California area. After Swing Jazz music stopped being America's favorite Pop music in the mid-1940s, Lindy Hop faded ... but in many cities, small numbers of enthusiastic people continued.
In the Los Angeles area, the dancers continuously adapted their Lindy Hop to new Pop music with a smoother, more relaxed California style. They mostly danced to swung R&B (Rhythm-&-Blues), but also some straight-time Pop. Recently (post-pandemic), the music is mostly straight-time Pop.
Over the decades, WCS simplified Lindy Hop to the core partnered moves ... and then slowly expanded and "complex-ified" itself outward from that simplified core.
WCS is simple to understand because everything is very "dance logical." We build every move "on the fly" from a few basic interchangeable parts like Legos — all connected smoothly together through sweet continuous connection skills. No need to memorize anything! But of course, people do memorize their favorite moves. When we understand WCS properly, WCS has a lot of room for individual expression and "conversational" dancing, where both partners influence each other. WCS can also serve as a "library" of advanced Lindy Hop moves and ideas, just waiting for Lindy Hoppers with the original generation's spirit of innovation to start playing with!
Fun historical note: There is some historical overlap. On youtube, you can see Dean Collins dancing to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" in 1982, Anaheim California. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUVGX_N1NQ)
Videos of Ken & Paula. These are 100% improvisational. We handed the DJ a long list of songs and said, "please pick any one."
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Thank you! We look forward to seeing you!