Jodi Miri and Ryan Iovacci got the ball rolling with regular swing dances in January of ’23. Many thanks to them! At some point last spring we counted at least 60 people in one of the lessons!

What happens over time, though, is some people tire of beginner lessons. They think to themselves “I’ve already taken that class”. And yet we observed many people leaving immediately after the lesson last time around (before we broke for the summer). Some comments were made that they didn’t know enough to dance confidently.

So the question becomes: which is it? Are you too inexperienced to dance or too experienced to take the lesson 2, 3 or more times?

I want to encourage everyone, regardless of your experience level, to commit yourself to learning and re-learning the basics. I took “the basic lesson” at every dance for many years. I would sometimes attend 2-3 dances per week at that time living in a large city! Over and over and over I learned the triple step, inside and outside turns. My wife & I have continued taking basic lessons throughout our many years of experience, even though we have taught, performed and competed. You’ll see us in lessons helping others in rotation or filling in the holes (when the leads and follows are unevenly distributed).

Oftentimes people who think they are ready for the next step are not and, instead, need to hone their basic skills. A few moves, executed well, are much more enjoyable than an arsenal of poorly executed ones. Your partner will thank you for paying attention to him/her and being able to relax. Yes, relax, because you now know those 3 moves like the back of your hand and can joke and play a bit.

Never be afraid of looking “foolish” because you don’t know enough. These things, like anything worthwhile, take time. In the meantime, you CAN have fun just listening to the music, dancing without expectations, observing others, conversing, etc.

We plan to mix up the lessons alternating between West Coast Swing and East Coast Swing every month. We may even add in other lessons over time. It’s going to depend on the community. If people return, then we will be encouraged to spice it up a little bit.

So please be patient and engage in the process. It is worth it! This is a supremely enjoyable activity once you get over the initial hump (which varies for everyone).