Private Matters
I think that there are essentially three ways to arrange your one on one coaching for west coast swing.
First is to go to a number of different instructors, but each for a specific purpose. You might simply enjoy watching this aspect of their dance; or you could really like how they teach it. The latter experience can be gained by going to their workshops or by dummying their lesson for a friend before jumping in yourself. If you like someone's footwork, you'd go to them just to work on footwork and its associated actions (e.g. leg articulation, syncopated rhythms, possibly weight shifts, and so forth). You might go to another to work on your 'connection'--frame, handhold, distance control, and other communication skills.
The great thing about this method is that you can work on your own individual attributes one at a time and really focus. You can also go to several different experts in various 'fields' of the dance rather and get a broader worldview of the range of different teachings there are. Possible downsides: you might get very conflicting information from your instructors, since there will always be some spillover from one wcs topic to the next. Also, choosing for yourself what to focus on in this way without a real 'coach' to organize your training will most likely result in you building up the attributes you either favor the most in yourself, or that come the most easily to you, resulting in a dancer with very obvious weaknesses.
The second way to train is to have a single coach, or possibly a small group that works together and knows each other. This could be a couple with a professional partnership or a group of pros who share similar views of the dance and teach together. You can watch for this in workshop weekends or intensives. The advantage here is obvious; a single coherent view of the dance and of your progress and hopefully a closer working relationship. The downsides? Complete trust must be placed in the coaches' opinion of your dance and what to do with it, and perhaps lack of broader experience and access to multiple varying opinions.
The third way is, I'd argue, how not to do it. And yet it seems to be really common among westies who do take a lot of lessons. That is, haphazardly going and taking lessons from just about anyone, all the time, without a particular rhyme or reason. Not only are not all instructors created equal but you're probably going to be confused by constantly jumping around between methods. Even high tier dancers can rapidly stall out their progress by trying to 'listen to everybody'. If you listen equally to everyone, then you're listening to no one.
Regarding the 'inequality' of instructors, I'd argue that the cream has risen to the top. Those who understand the dance the most, those whose experimentation and attitudes and opinions and whose dancing changes the wcs world, are those whose names you probably recognize. They're the ones who practically own seats in the champions division even at the largest and most competitive wcs events. Go to them, or when you can't; to their students, as often as possible to gain the best understanding and perspective. Preferably you will eventually expose yourself directly to what seem to be differing viewpoints from the top level and understand how different methods and opinions can coexist.
Personally: in novice and intermediate I took lessons from everybody. I thought I was using the first method above, but in reality it was more of the third. I spent much of my time in intermediate very, very confused as a result! However, I worked with Larisa Tingle, Sean Mckeever and Malia San Nicolas enough to lend some coherence to my struggling.
In advanced, things changed a lot. Over the course of a really relaxed and enjoyable two years in the division, I started working with my current 'team' of coaches and had my dance hugely impacted by my girlfriend Fae Ashley. (Hit her up for a lesson or a video critique, her understanding of and eye for the dance are exceptional even among the many teachers I've had.) My current coaches are who I've settled on for the foreseeable future, I learn from each of them as often as I can. They don't work together though--not quite 'method one' or 'method two'.
Wee Tze Yi--'Zee' is simply a world class teacher and thus far has been able to break down what I need into something mentally digestible better than anyone else. His eye for what I need has thus far been spot on with my more famous coaches, and he makes it make sense every time. It's extremely unfortunate that he lives a world away. I'd ask him questions 24/7 if I could! His flexibility is also astounding, I've seen him help novices and allstars both with equal comfort and effectiveness.
Alyssa Glanville--from the first time I led her Alyssa was my favorite champion follow to dance with. I literally had no idea that west coast swing could feel that good. The fact that she can explain things in really accurate physical terms (probably because she keeps herself in excellent shape and is an aspiring personal trainer herself) really helps me. I still have things I need to find time to work on from our first lesson! I've tended to go to her to work on my connection and playing with power and support, but she's definitely helped me with more than that.
Robert Royston--I don't think he needs any introduction. His incredible knowledge base and rock solid methodology aside, I love how every time I work with him feels like a coaching session, just like I'd get with strength training, track, or martial arts. I would describe him as that, a performance coach, more than a teacher if that makes sense, 'teaching' feels so very incomplete for what he can do. My structure of and performance in a dance has been a continual weak point for me and Robert is a wizard at correcting those issues.
Jordan Frisbee--should also need... no introduction. He's the reason I started west coast swing, so there's an undeniable inspiration factor that no one else carries. Though analogies and imagery often don't work for me, Jordan's generally do. When he says "well, here's how I picture it" I know that something is about to click into place. I also feel that with Jordan I have an artists' eye on me really helping me create something. If a lesson with Robert is a coaching session, a lesson with Jordan is a master class. Moreso than anyone else he's shaping what my dance is going to be which is very exciting.
As you can see, I've chosen people who I love working with, who are very helpful to me, and who I greatly look up to. When I do get conflicting information from them, I immediately seek out more detail in terms of each methodology so I can make a moderately long-term choice as to my focus. In the end, I believe that for more advanced students this is the path to take, if you can, if you desire a balanced and knowledgeable view of the dance.
Hopefully, no matter who you work with and in what manner, you can get the help you need to build something unique, special, very functional and very much your own in your west coast swing.
First is to go to a number of different instructors, but each for a specific purpose. You might simply enjoy watching this aspect of their dance; or you could really like how they teach it. The latter experience can be gained by going to their workshops or by dummying their lesson for a friend before jumping in yourself. If you like someone's footwork, you'd go to them just to work on footwork and its associated actions (e.g. leg articulation, syncopated rhythms, possibly weight shifts, and so forth). You might go to another to work on your 'connection'--frame, handhold, distance control, and other communication skills.
The great thing about this method is that you can work on your own individual attributes one at a time and really focus. You can also go to several different experts in various 'fields' of the dance rather and get a broader worldview of the range of different teachings there are. Possible downsides: you might get very conflicting information from your instructors, since there will always be some spillover from one wcs topic to the next. Also, choosing for yourself what to focus on in this way without a real 'coach' to organize your training will most likely result in you building up the attributes you either favor the most in yourself, or that come the most easily to you, resulting in a dancer with very obvious weaknesses.
The second way to train is to have a single coach, or possibly a small group that works together and knows each other. This could be a couple with a professional partnership or a group of pros who share similar views of the dance and teach together. You can watch for this in workshop weekends or intensives. The advantage here is obvious; a single coherent view of the dance and of your progress and hopefully a closer working relationship. The downsides? Complete trust must be placed in the coaches' opinion of your dance and what to do with it, and perhaps lack of broader experience and access to multiple varying opinions.
The third way is, I'd argue, how not to do it. And yet it seems to be really common among westies who do take a lot of lessons. That is, haphazardly going and taking lessons from just about anyone, all the time, without a particular rhyme or reason. Not only are not all instructors created equal but you're probably going to be confused by constantly jumping around between methods. Even high tier dancers can rapidly stall out their progress by trying to 'listen to everybody'. If you listen equally to everyone, then you're listening to no one.
Regarding the 'inequality' of instructors, I'd argue that the cream has risen to the top. Those who understand the dance the most, those whose experimentation and attitudes and opinions and whose dancing changes the wcs world, are those whose names you probably recognize. They're the ones who practically own seats in the champions division even at the largest and most competitive wcs events. Go to them, or when you can't; to their students, as often as possible to gain the best understanding and perspective. Preferably you will eventually expose yourself directly to what seem to be differing viewpoints from the top level and understand how different methods and opinions can coexist.
Personally: in novice and intermediate I took lessons from everybody. I thought I was using the first method above, but in reality it was more of the third. I spent much of my time in intermediate very, very confused as a result! However, I worked with Larisa Tingle, Sean Mckeever and Malia San Nicolas enough to lend some coherence to my struggling.
In advanced, things changed a lot. Over the course of a really relaxed and enjoyable two years in the division, I started working with my current 'team' of coaches and had my dance hugely impacted by my girlfriend Fae Ashley. (Hit her up for a lesson or a video critique, her understanding of and eye for the dance are exceptional even among the many teachers I've had.) My current coaches are who I've settled on for the foreseeable future, I learn from each of them as often as I can. They don't work together though--not quite 'method one' or 'method two'.
Wee Tze Yi--'Zee' is simply a world class teacher and thus far has been able to break down what I need into something mentally digestible better than anyone else. His eye for what I need has thus far been spot on with my more famous coaches, and he makes it make sense every time. It's extremely unfortunate that he lives a world away. I'd ask him questions 24/7 if I could! His flexibility is also astounding, I've seen him help novices and allstars both with equal comfort and effectiveness.
Alyssa Glanville--from the first time I led her Alyssa was my favorite champion follow to dance with. I literally had no idea that west coast swing could feel that good. The fact that she can explain things in really accurate physical terms (probably because she keeps herself in excellent shape and is an aspiring personal trainer herself) really helps me. I still have things I need to find time to work on from our first lesson! I've tended to go to her to work on my connection and playing with power and support, but she's definitely helped me with more than that.
Robert Royston--I don't think he needs any introduction. His incredible knowledge base and rock solid methodology aside, I love how every time I work with him feels like a coaching session, just like I'd get with strength training, track, or martial arts. I would describe him as that, a performance coach, more than a teacher if that makes sense, 'teaching' feels so very incomplete for what he can do. My structure of and performance in a dance has been a continual weak point for me and Robert is a wizard at correcting those issues.
Jordan Frisbee--should also need... no introduction. He's the reason I started west coast swing, so there's an undeniable inspiration factor that no one else carries. Though analogies and imagery often don't work for me, Jordan's generally do. When he says "well, here's how I picture it" I know that something is about to click into place. I also feel that with Jordan I have an artists' eye on me really helping me create something. If a lesson with Robert is a coaching session, a lesson with Jordan is a master class. Moreso than anyone else he's shaping what my dance is going to be which is very exciting.
As you can see, I've chosen people who I love working with, who are very helpful to me, and who I greatly look up to. When I do get conflicting information from them, I immediately seek out more detail in terms of each methodology so I can make a moderately long-term choice as to my focus. In the end, I believe that for more advanced students this is the path to take, if you can, if you desire a balanced and knowledgeable view of the dance.
Hopefully, no matter who you work with and in what manner, you can get the help you need to build something unique, special, very functional and very much your own in your west coast swing.
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