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.