Fairfield Dance Connection – West Coast Swing

Friday, Sept 12 | 8:00 PM
Dance to a fun mix of blues, pop, R&B and funk music.
Blow off some steam… It’s Friday!
Morning Star Studio
51 1/2 S. Court St
$5 at the door

Get started social dancing with a free introductory class in West Coast Swing this Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1:30 pm. West Coast Swing is a smooth form of swing that is danced to blues, R & B and contemporary music. Taught by Terry Baker, this class has been designed for the absolute beginner!
As a partner dance, West Coast Swing is highly engaging and has developed a large following in Fairfield. It can be a slow, medium or fast dance and it allows for a large range of freedom of expression, making it a great dance for a variety of social occasions. Best of all, West Coast Swing can adopt many movements and styles from other dances such as Hustle, Tango, and Salsa.
No partner or previous dance experience is necessary and students will be given the opportunity to continue with classes starting Sept 18.
Class is held at Morning Star Studio, 51 ½ S. Court St. For more information, contact Terry at 641-919-5778.

Saturday, July 26 | 8:00 PM
Midsummer calls for celebration and we can think of no better way to celebrate than to get on the floor and dance!
Whether you are a swing dancer or a free-styler, join us at our popular, monthly dance party. We’re promising great music in a variety of styles and a fun crowd of people.
Located at Morning Star Studio, where Fairfield Dances! 51 1/2 S. Court St.
Hosted by Fairfield Dance Connection West Coast Swing community

Join us for some great pop, blues and R&B music and dancing, of course!
Saturday, Nov 10
8:00 pm
Elks Lodge ( on the east side of the square)
Fairfield IA
Only $5
Cash bar will be available

West Coast Swing comes to Fairfield Iowa…we are pleased to host Amy Castro and Kyle Patel on Nov 10 & 11 for a weekend of workshops and private lessons. These seasoned pros bring a whole range of dance training to the table.
Workshops start at 11 on Saturday and we’ve even planned a fun line dance class for Sunday.

Are you brand new to WCS? We have a fundamentals class at 1pm which will put you on the right path to looking great on the dance floor.

11 am; Mastery class
1 pm; Fundamentals of WCS
2 pm; Spins (he goes, she goes moves)
3pm; Musicality

Sunday special: 12:30 pm; Cadillac Ride Line dance $5
All classes at Morning Star Studio. Workshops are 412 each or all 4 for $40

Private lessons are also available

I am very excited to announce that Kyle Patel and Amy Castro will be coming to Fairfield for 2 days to give group and private instruction.

I know many of you are very familiar with Amy who has been here several times, bringing along her years of Ballroom and swing experience.

Let me tell you a little bit about Kyle:
Previously a ballroom dance instructor, Kyle discovered West Coast Swing when he
moved to Kansas City. Since then he has traveled the country dancing with people from Boston to San Francisco and learning with some of the top competitors in the world. As a competitor Kyle dances at the All-star level.

Here’s the schedule for the weekend:
Saturday, April 21
10 am; Mastery class;
Tips and tricks for Social Dancing and Jack &Jill’s (Wanna be a better partner or feel more comfortable on the dance floor? Then this class is for you!)

11 am; Whips, pass throughs and Extensions
Take your whips to a whole new level of interest!

Noon: Lunch break

1pm: Accelerate your Whips
Take your whips to a whole new level of speed!

2pm: Mastering Spins;
Lead, follow, execution, spin patterns… the whole enchilada!

Each class is $12; take all 4 for only $40!

All Classes will be held at Morningstar Studio, 50 1/2 S. Court St in Fairfield (East side of the Fairfield Square)

7:30 pm: Beginner Basics Class $5 (includes entry to the dance)

8:15 pm: DANCE!!!
Only $5 gets you in to dance to the latest pop and blues tunes… with a few oldies thrown in! Everyone welcome. Kyle and Amy will do a demo at about 8:15… don’t miss it!

Private lessons are available at 9 am and after 3 pm on Saturday. Private lessons are also available all day Sunday. Privates lessons are $70 for a 50 minute lesson. To schedule a private lesson, call Terry at 641-919-5778

Kyle Patel on youtube

4 week Series begins Wed Nov 16th
8:00 pm
Morningstar Studio
New to West Coast Swing or want a good review of the basics? This class is designed to provide a foundation for the dance.
Learn the basic push break, the passes, the whip, partnering techniques and more. No partner necessary
$20 for the 4 week series or $7 per class

Fairfield Dance Connection presents;

Amy Castro & Gil Maldonado

West Coast Swing Classes

Friday June 17;

8:00 pm; Dance; Morningstar Studio

$5 per person

Saturday, June 18;

Morning Star Studio

12:30 pm; Ready, set go; Master the starter step and learn some cool exit variations

1:30 pm; Whip variations & styling; This class is about taking your whip to a new level!

2:30 pm; So many songs and only one dance; Using footwork & styling, discover how  to adapt your dance to the large variety of music being played today.

Classes are $12 each or $10 if you take 2 or more

Questions? Call Terry at 641-919-5778 or check out www.fairfielddanceconnection.com

Private lessons are also available; contact Terry to schedule with either Amy or Gil.

We were lucky enough to get Amy Castro and Gil Maldonado, two top-notch dance instructors teaching out of Kansas City, to come up to Fairfield once again for a Friday night class and dance on the 20th of May, followed by a day of workshops on the 21st. We were very fortunate to have them, and it showed in the marked improvement everyone had in their dancing after the weekend.

The first class covered the whip in a manner that was different from the basis that many of us in the area were familiar with, but that made the pattern distinct by emphasizing a shift of direction to the side. Amy and Gil were able to convey the basics of the pattern clearly and concisely to the group, freeing up much of the class time to focus upon repetition and correction of the pattern.

Making my footwork clear was a huge task for me, and the next event was a great place to work on this. We all gathered over at one of the local dance spaces, Morning Star Studio, for our Friday evening social dance. This is where my resolve to keep my basics clean and footwork clear would be tested. Despite the fun atmosphere, charming partners, smooth tracks, and a few missteps, I was able to prevail. It won’t get the public acclaim and attention that a bold new move would garner, so please excuse one moment of quiet satisfaction and personal glory here.

Amy and Gil were both very gracious (and graceful) dancers who danced with everyone willing to take the plunge. I can relate to feelings of anxiety and inferiority at the thought of dancing with them (because hey, I’m human too), I only hope to convey what we experienced: It was awesome to see them dance, awesome to dance with them, and awesome to realize that whatever your level, they WILL make you look good! Since that night, I have found myself wishing that more of my friends would have been there to experience that, and will be on them to attend (*shameless plug*) next month when Amy and Gil return.

The bulk of instruction was yet to come however, as three workshops awaited us the next day. First up was the ‘Bottoms Up’ workshop focusing on footwork. In my excitement to dance, I had developed several variations of the basic footwork, but instead of supplementing my footwork with the variations, they had replaced the basics. This workshop was useful for someone like me who needed to clear out some bad habits, while also being valuable for beginners to smooth out their steps.

After completing the footwork class, it was time to ‘Make a Pass’. We worked on lead/follow body position throughout the basic passes, leading & following fundamentals for passes, and little things that both partners can do to improve the connection and ‘feel’ of the pass. Since passes make up a big part of the patterns being led in WCS, an improvement here is very worthwhile to our overall development as dancers.

Finally, it was time for the last workshop of the day, where we were urged to ‘Keep it Clean’. When we learn to dance, it can tempting to throw all kinds of wild footwork, crazy patterns, and outrageous styling into our dancing. Dance is a conversation, however, and contrary to what you might expect, the goal is not to surprise your follower or hijack the lead. It is important that as a lead you communicate clearly what you are trying to make happen, and that as a follow, you take that guidance and express within the bounds of the pattern. When either the lead or follow goes ‘wild’, the other is left out of their part in the conversation, and ultimately, out of enjoyment of the dance.

To be clear, there is a place for creativity and interaction between partners in this dance. In fact, it is only when the lead is able to clearly signal and shape the dance, and the follower is able to gracefully interpret and express, that the magic of WCS happens. Crucial to this is an understanding of how to communicate the timing of the dance, signal one’s intentions, and respond to their partner’s signals. Keeping it clean is what separates the wildly entertaining from just the wild, and was a valuable thing for all of us to work on in the workshop.

We had a lot of fun and learned a bunch of subtle things which, given suitable practice, will take our dance to the next level. Our brains had soaked in all we could retain at once, and it was time for Amy and Gil to head for home (but they will return in June!), and for the rest of us to saunter out into the evening, with the dancing ideal we hold for ourselves approaching ever closer.