PROGRAM WORKSHOPS AND COURSES AUTUMN 2024
We have many courses and workshops this autumn. Some of them require that you sign up using or course portal and those are marked with “*”.
The other activities in the table below are free for our members. If you are not a member, then you can apply for membership using our course portal, it costs 100 SEK / year.
| Activity | Date | Time | Place |
| Beginner Course * Time for practice Open Workshop | Tuesday the 22 October | 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Free tryout Time for practice Open Workshop | Tuesday the 29 October | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * | Tuesday the 5 November | 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 12 November | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Lazlo Weekend * | Saturday the 16 November – Sunday the 17 november | 10:00-15:45 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 19 November | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 26 November | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 3 December | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 10 December | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
| Beginner Course * Step 2 * Time for practice Step 3 * Personal Training * | Tuesday the 17 December | 18:00-19:00 18:00-19:00 19:00-20:00 20:15-21:15 20:15-21:15 | Umeå Folkets Hus |
Are you looking for our free tryouts and socials? If so, then please visit our page for tryouts and socials.
ATTENTION! See the course descriptions below for help choosing a course based on your experiences.
OUR LEVELS
Step 1 – Beginner Course
The course has no prerequisites! We go over the basics of West Coast Swing. The focus is on the four basic moves: Left side pass, Under arm, Sugar Push and Whip. We also go through Starter Step and, if there is time, different styling variants on the basic tours.
Repetition is included in the course and the goal is for you to feel confident using the basic moves at a social dance.
| To proceed to step 2, the participant must be able to perform and demonstrate understanding of the following tours and concepts. Patterns: Left side pass, Under arm, Sugar push, Whip, Starter step, Sugar tuck, Extend 6-count patterns to 8-count, Individual styling. Concept: Posture, Frame, Compression, Stretch, Keep momentum. |
Step 2 – Continuation – Course description
Suitable for those who feel comfortable using the basic patterns and want to vary them. You repeatedly go to social dance evenings and want new material.
During this course we go through new tours and individual styling. If you have only been to “try on” classes, we recommend that you take the beginner’s course first to get a proper technical foundation.
The course content changes for each round of the course with the idea that you should be able to take this course many times and still learn something new.
| To progress to Step 3, the participant must be able to perform and demonstrate understanding of the rides and concepts described during the beginner’s course. The participant must be able to flexibly vary between patterns and be able to use the concepts at a more advanced level. In addition to this, the participant must also be able to perform and demonstrate understanding of the following patterns and concepts. Patterns: Whip variations (reverse, basket, outside turn, forearm turn), Passing tuck, Turns (inside, freespin, outside), Roll in roll out, Showgirl, Slingshot, Shadow position, Roll in to closed, Rock and go, Hipcatch, Individual styling, Different hand grips, Variations on the starter step (basic, tap step-triple, hitch-and-go). Concept: Timing (down beat/up beat), Post, Anchor step vs traveling anchor, Weight transfers (preparation, transfer, release + push the floor), Resisted release, Basic tours in closed position. See also which patterns and concepts are included under the Beginner’s course. |
Step 3 – Continuation – Course description
You should feel safe using basic rides but also rides such as Roll in roll out, Showgirl, Slingshot and Hip catch. You are no stranger to using your own styling and have full control of expressions such as Timing, Stretch, Compression, Weighttransfer and Resisted release.
Note that it is not enough to have heard what these things stand for, you must also be able to apply them in practice on a more developed level.
During this course we immerse ourselves in techniques and work with music adaptation. We also go through new tours and individual styling.
The course content changes for each round of the course with the idea that you should be able to take this course many times and still learn something new.
| In order to progress to the Technique group, the participant must be able to perform and demonstrate understanding of the moves and concepts described during the beginner course and Stage 2. The participant must be able to flexibly vary between these patterns, use the concepts at a more developed level and be able to adapt the dance’s level of difficulty to their partner and type of music they are dancing to. In addition to this, the participant must also be able to perform and demonstrate understanding of the following patterns and concepts. Patterns: Sweet heart, Telemark, Fly by, Dips, Ducks, Rides, One-foot spins. Concept: Phrase changes, Leverage, Critical timing, Acceleration and deceleration, Connection strength (bone, muscle, air) and contact improvisation, Dance to different tempos, Dance to different music styles, Active/passive lead, Weight transfers (partial, full, delayed). If you have questions about whether the technology course is the right level for you, contact one of your course leaders. An audition is required for your application to the technology group to be approved. |
Personal training
The focus of this course is individual training. You will choose your own goal to work towards, for example to become a better social dancer, perform better in competition, improve your timing or work on connection.
Based on your goals, our instructors will help you create a training plan and suggest exercises to work toward your goals. You will take responsibility for your own training and need to be willing to train both by yourself and with a partner. During the course, you will document your training in a training log and our instructors will follow up with feedback.
| The course is open to everyone, but we recommend that you have taken step 2 at least twice and that you have a clear goal with your training. |
The Technique group
This course assumes that you have a solid dance habit by having regularly participated in courses, workshops and events in Sweden and preferably abroad. The interaction between driver and follower must be implemented in your dance. You should feel safe doing even more advanced tours such as telemark, rides and ducks.
During the course, we mainly focus on technique and honing the knowledge you have. Each course session will have a specific theme and there will be a lot of time to practice and grind rather than getting a lot of new input. You must be open to discussing and analyzing your dance and willing to practice certain moments independently, without a partner. The goal of the course is to deepen your dance technique and find tools to develop your own dance style.
If you have questions about whether this is the right level for you, contact one of our course leaders that you have had before. An audition is required so we can decide whether this is the right level for you.
Refresher
Have you danced WCS before? Attended a beginner or continuation course, but then took a break that became too long. Now you have the chance to make a quick come-back! We offer you a refresher, where we go through all the basics. Try different hand grips and some variations on what we normally teach on a beginner’s course.
Note: We expect you’ve done this before, we won’t be going through the turns from scratch but rehearsing them and grinding to what got a little cloudy during the break period. The goal is for you to be able to jump into a continuation course after this weekend and feel more confident on the social dance floor!
HOW TO REGISTER
Registration for courses & events
- Click on REGISTER
- A new page will open (https://yggdrasil.wcsumea.se)
- Click on “Sign Up” and enter your First Name, Last Name, Email Adress, password och select if you want a news letter.
- Once the account is created, you must activate the account via a link sent to your specified email. You can now log in for course registration.
You must first register for “membership 2022” (SEK 100/calendar year), then you can register for the course. - Click on the course you want to attend & register
- Three options will appear:
– Single registration – if you are going to register without a partner.
– Start Couple Registration – if you want to register with a partner but where the partner has not yet registered.
– Complete Couple Registration – must be used if your partner has already registered and received a REF NR which you must state here.
This is an automatic system that sends out confirmation emails directly as we can offer places at courses.
We manually register all payments so it may take a week or so before you see that your payment has been registered.
When payment is registered, you can log in yourself and print your receipt via the registration page.
Student discount
We have a student discount on the weekly courses but not on membership, socials or other events.
Membership
To attend weekly courses and participate during the training evenings on Tuesdays, you must be a member of the association. Costs SEK 100/calendar year.
Rules regarding payment of course
When you register for a course or an event organized by West Coast Swing Umeå, the following applies: payment must be made no later than 10 days after you have been accepted to the course, otherwise we have the right to remove your registration. However, removal does not happen automatically and therefore, if you plan not to attend the course, you must contact us and deregister. If you have been accepted to the course (this does not apply if you are waiting in line) but are prevented from participating, you must report this at least 5 days before the start of the course/event. You can then get a part of the course fee paid back (however, SEK 150 is always taken out as an administrative fee). You can also choose to keep the money if you planned to take another course within a year, then no administrative fee will be deducted. If you cancel less than 5 days before the start of the course, you can get a part of the course fee refunded in the event of illness.