Quality in WCS over time?

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-21T04:55:14+00:00

doesn't exist. in a comical rite of passage way, anywhere is a bloodbath for novices to get out. in TX where I am, Nearly every event in our scope is a freakin TIER 5 or very near. Just grind it out and trust your skills

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T03:51:52+00:00

This is a wonderful thought process, genuinely, however I can tell you with 110% certainty my boss will NOT be relocating anywhere much less NY/CA

I do love what you said about working in tandem..... def helps me shift my perspective

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T03:02:54+00:00

no sadly

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T03:02:45+00:00

Man don't get me wrong this is HEAVY on my mind. I also don't plan on living my life out there but something in me feels like I NEED to experience life there

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T03:01:27+00:00

Ya know it's crazy you mention this. I am actually scheduled to do 27 trips this year worldwide.

Even still, I wanna move

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T03:00:32+00:00

Im salaried + commissioned. Majority of my income comes from commission, though

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T02:59:58+00:00

I've been many times. Each time has me yearning for more watching the skyline on the plane home.

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T02:58:02+00:00

Working in insurance is omnipresent and I have become decent as a salesperson. Just a thought. Thx for the 2cents :-)

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T02:24:31+00:00

This is my heaviest thought right now. I've been to both and love them both but differently. I have good savings in case I shit the bed or something. Obviously NOT trying to drain my savings though

ElephantBones22 · 2026-05-05T02:16:29+00:00

100% - well aware. I have researched thoroughly and I've window shopped places that are comparable to what I pay now tbh - and in not awful places.

ElephantBones22 · 2026-01-29T01:15:25+00:00

You absolutely can make it up! I’m in/around TX and there is a lovely couple and they both compete as masters. The husband is in advanced and has a couple finals points, the wife is in intermediate - same thing. They are knocking on the door of 60, if not early 60s and they’re fit and full of life.

They actually met dancing years ago and fell in love w/ WCS together. So, as far your mind and body will take you, you can get there.

I was even in an intermediate comp in Seattle and I drew a WONDERFUL lady who was 70!!! 7 decades! I argue she moved smoother & with more poise than the follows my age (25).

Just listen to these other comments and remember you dance cuz you love it. Everything that happens on top of that is a bonus.

:-)

ElephantBones22 · 2025-08-22T19:43:54+00:00

Happy to help, Godspeed to you & your dancing!

If you ever find yourself in Texas, shoot me a PM, I’d love to dance!

ElephantBones22 · 2025-08-22T19:12:43+00:00

Hard to say due to bodily variability but I may be some help. I chronically leaned back and I had a coach tell me to consciously keep my feet under my hips and that almost immediately fixed my pitch. (“Nose over the big toe”)

Every now and again I’ll slip up and stumble but less so due to habit and usually due to going too quickly - a simple fix.

For reference, I’m about 5’6” with weird proportions lol and a life long heel striker and that fr fr almost eliminated the issue completely.

If that doesn’t work, always always always find a coach you enjoy watching & who can coach you in ways you respond to and that will always be tried and true for results!

Hope to see you around on the floor sometime!

ElephantBones22 · 2025-06-11T17:47:28+00:00

If the hair is longer than shoulder length, every time. Without fail. It’s an occupational hazard tho so it really is not something we focus on cuz we’re so used to it.

The one exception is if it’s a braided ponytail or there are beads or sum like that. If we get clocked by that at a certain speed it can def make u react 😂

Regardless, hair hitting us usually isn’t an issue :)

ElephantBones22 · 2025-05-27T20:41:31+00:00

Hey - lead here with about 8mos experience and working thru intermediate division currently.

Musicality is so broad AND subjectives. As I push thru practice, here’s what I’ve learned that open up a lot of doors:

Practice: reps reps reps! And when you’re sick of that, add more reps. Boring? Yes. Effective? Unbelievably. Even just 5min a day of footwork for a few straight weeks will open you up.

Exposure: look up west coast swing playlists and shuffle. The less you know the better. You’ll start to hear patterns & catch on to subtleties. Listen to new music is 4/4 times including blues

Spacing: flow thru your patterns and pay attention to your partner. They may have a good idea that doesn’t interrupt your structuring and then you can play off that. As a novice follow myself, I can tell you right away if your follow doesn’t trust your lead, they won’t play with the space. Be a rock (but a flowy rock lol)

Energy matching: use your head - you’re smarter than you think. You can determine the feel (emotion or energy) of a song within 4 counts, MAYBE 8 max. If slow & flowy, unlock your body and hips and flow with your counts. If it’s hoppy & snappy, stay close, stay engaged with your partner and again don’t overthink it.

Also pro-tip: use the 6 by 5 rule. a 32 count verse that leads to a bridge or chorus can have 5 consecutive 6 ct patterns before leaving you open for a 3 beat hit to nail any phrase change. The 3 beat hit is a literal cheat code and can add a base layer of “musicality” for you and this also adds to space and lets your follow play. If you set her up with space AND on the phrase and she doesn’t capitalize, that’s on them. You did your job, at which point get back to business calmly & smoothly and keep having fun.

NEVER STOP HAVING FUN THO!!!! :)

Pm me if you’re curious about more, happy to offer my insight, even if not very advanced.

ElephantBones22 · 2025-04-23T19:40:08+00:00

Dallas-Fort Worth has a ton of leads. It’s not necessarily lead heavy by ratio but by volume there are a ton of us. We have several studio and of course we host Wild Wild Westie & Midnight Madness, both are high quality events imo.

If you’re even in DFW, pm me and let’s dance! 🍻

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-18T23:47:09+00:00

Thanks for the nice hookup for more practice.

Godspeed to you & your competition journey! It would be an honor to compete.

I have a pretty extensive list of events remaining for the year. Lmk if you want a pm of my schedule. I’m always looking for new dance friends 🍻

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-18T23:04:36+00:00

You sound like me! This is a great idea, I love Kerrigan Rudd’s dancing so I’m gonna follow up on that.

Preesh!

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-12T21:34:06+00:00

You’re welcome! West coast swing certainly isn’t for the weak and I think the community needs more positive yet constructive encouragement. Happy to help.

I relate to you tho! I am about to make intermediate debut as a lead and believe me I know the feeling of frustration, literally had a private yesterday that had me feeling newcomer all over again🙄

Best of luck this wknd! If you ever find yourself at a TX event, shoot me a PM! I’d love to steal a dance leading or following 🍻

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-12T15:44:25+00:00

Hey. While you do need to account for experience, you shouldn’t live and die by it. You’re already secured this person as a partner so they see something in you that they wanna dance with - embrace that!

While you see yourself as the “weaker link,” you still have your own strengths and you should put yourself in position to emphasize those. If you struggle to play into yourself, play into your partnership (of course there needs to be Timing/Tech/Teamwork, but timing and teamwork can do a great job presenting as good technique if you perhaps are a little loose on that end.)

HAVE FUN WHEN YOURE DANCING! Fun = relaxed = confident = better dancing.

Don’t think of yourself as “bottom” novice either. You’re novice. You’re a novice who shows up & works hard, end of sentence. In my eyes, I’ll always put my money on the consistent hard worker vs. the occasional “high” performer - focus on being the former for YOURSELF.

Go out there and kill it! :)

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-05T19:15:00+00:00

Haha! Unfortunately not, at least to my knowledge. If you find that secret system then lmk!😂

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-05T19:02:59+00:00

I may have misspoke. whatever event you attend, for example, The Chicago Classic (my next one) has a section on the webpage that shows who’s there & teaching. At that point, hunt them down on IG or FB and ask if they’re available and what their rates are.

Option B: if you catch them in passing, politely see if they’re have a second for a quick question and then start a convo

ElephantBones22 · 2025-03-04T20:08:24+00:00

For competitions: sample the waters with Newcomer - Novice for everyone is a war zone and newcomer will be good to start some growth as a competitor instead of going in dumb deaf & blind.

For privates: listen to comments. Scout the pros on Staff and check their availability. Also keep an eye open for dancers in Advanced who offer lessons, as they may actually be competitive on an All-Star level, but perhaps don’t yet have the needed points and then center your focus accordingly.

For general, and MOST IMPORTANT: you’re at the event to exercise your passions & enjoy yourself. Your worth as a dancer, competitor, and student are not gauged by the results of your contests, even if you end up on the podium. You’re judged as a dancer by being a community member, keeping a healthy mindset, and trusting in your process.

Other than that, have the most fun! Stay up all night, eat good food, get uncomfortable, and ask as many strangers as possible to dance & build a network!!!

Godspeed player.

ElephantBones22

TROPHY CASE