West Coast Swing Wednesdays!!!   With Undefeated 2008 UK & USA Strictly Swing Champs Catriona Wiles & Paul Warden & Team   September Update!   On Wed 3 September, I am pleased to announce that Lee Easton will be taking the Intermediate class at West Coast Swing Wednesdays. Paul is still away on his Summer Hols and it’s my birthday so I will be taking the night off to celebrate! Toward the end of the month, I will be absent again due to surgery but class will run as usual in the capable hands of Paul and the team.   Also, as many of you will know, the summer months have seen West Coast Swing Wednesdays grow exponentially! The venue has been bulging at the seams which is fantastic for the growth of the UK WCS community, but on a practical level very difficult for all to navigate the floor with such little space. So to relieve the pressure, I have managed to secure the second room for the entire night, meaning once freestyle commences, both rooms will be open for dancing. Please feel free to utilize this space for practice and review as the music will be quieter.   I am delighted to announce that my good friends Robert & Nicola Royston will once again be teaching at West Coast Swing Wednesdays on Wed 10 September! They will be teaching an all-important Basic WCS FUNdamentals class suitable for all levels, followed by a WCS Patterns class for Intermediates. Our Repeat Beginners session will run in the second room as usual. Something for everyone so make sure you don’t miss it! Robert has already sold out for private lessons before class. Nicola is still available for a 6pm slot. To book with Nicola, or to be placed on the waiting list, please email cat@westcoastswing.co.uk.   For those of you who do not know of the Roystons, they are professional dancers, teachers and performers nationally (in the States) and internationally. They are multiple competitive winners in WCS and Showcase categories, together and with other partners, and have produced an excellent series of educational WCS DVDs which I urge you to get your hands on! To read more about the Roystons and their credentials, check out www.robertroyston.com. They are both fabulous teachers and dance personalities and I urge you not to miss this opportunity to learn from the very best!   St. Mary’s Church Hall Church Street Twickenham TW1 3NJ   Free parking in opposite York House Car Park Walking distance from Twickenham BR Station   Map   Doors open – 7:45pm Basic WCS FUNdamentals with Robert & Nicola (main hall) – 8-8:50pm Intermediate WCS Patterns with Robert & Nicola (main hall) – 9-9:50pm Repeat Beginners with Ed Smith (2nd room) – 9-9:50pm Still only £7 on door   Brand new to WCS or seasoned veteran, all will be made welcome at this night of tuition from the UK’s very best with plenty of WCS freestyle time, smooth & funky tunes and great wood dance floor. Two years on and going from strength to strength, this is mid-week WCS at its best!    St. Mary’s Church Hall Church Street Twickenham TW1 3NJ     map    Ample Free parking in York House Car Park opposite or on the street Walking distance from Twickenham BR Station   WCS FUNdamentals (main hall) – 8-8:50pm Intermediate Patterns (main hall)– 9-9:50pm New: Repeat Beginners (2nd room) - 9:9-50pm Pure WCS Freestyle – 9:50-11pm   Still only £7 on door   We are always interested in your feedback so please let us know if you feel there is anything we can do to improve your WCS experience with us!
********************************************    About Catriona & Paul   See Cat & Paul's Winning Open Strictly Swing Performance at Swing Diego 2008 Here...     Paul began his dance career at age 19, competing in Line & Country Couples Dance. He was unbeaten in Line Dance, (2000-2004) in the UK, Europe and the USA, ultimately going on to earn two World Championship titles before retiring from this discipline. He discovered WCS whilst competing in the States and immediately developed a passion for it. He has embarked upon tuition from a range of top WCS professionals, the likes of Jordan Frisbee, Robert Royston, Robert Cordoba and ultimately his role model, Kyle Redd. Catriona has studied dance all her life. She began with Ballet aged 3, and moved on to gain experience in a range of partner dances including Salsa, Ballroom, Latin, Modern Jive and most recently, Argentine Tango.  Her involvement in the Country Couples Dance scene led to taking the titles of British Champion (1999), and Pro Am Spotlight World Champion (2000) with a medley of Cha Cha, Nightclub 2-Step and West Coast Swing. She went on to earn qualifications to both Judge and teach dance professionally (ISTD). Catriona discovered WCS whilst living in the USA, winning the Swing Fling Cabaret Division (2002) with 4-time US Open Swing Champ, Robert Royston and wife, Nicola, dancing a swing number called “Trois” from the acclaimed off-Broadway show, “Swango - The Fusion” (Swing and Tango). In 2005, she re-joined in partnership with Lee Easton and went on to become Open 8-Dance Professional Country Dance World Champions (2007). Paul and Catriona are the current “Jive Addiction” UK Strictly Swing Champs (2007/2008). They are also the “Leroc UK” WCS Champs (2007/2008) and Showcase Champs (2008). (Cat also took the WCS title with Lee Easton in 2006). Most recently they have had a string of competitive successes in the USA including Intermediate Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill Winners, Capital Swing Dance Convention (March 2008); Open Strictly Swing Winners and Advanced J&J Finalists, Swing Diego (May 2008); Open J&J Finalists, Grand Nationals (May 2008) and Advanced J&J Finalists (2nd & 4th Places), Phoenix “4th of July” Convention (July 2008). Paul and Cat have taken the UK West Coast Swing scene by storm and are now successfully running multiple weekly classes, courses and monthly workshops in and around London and the UK and appearing at dance events spanning the whole country and Europe. They love the musicality, freedom and intricate footwork which comprise West Coast Swing. Their workshops thoroughly cover all the basics needed to get people onto the social floor, along with dynamic patterns and emphasis on creative style and flair!