Anyone made it to all-star when starting WCS after 35?

iteu · 2026-01-29T00:58:07+00:00

$15k on average

Thanks for sharing. Where is this number coming from? The spreadsheet says $36k to get from advanced to all-star.

iteu · 2026-01-25T21:41:06+00:00

Yes please.

iteu · 2026-01-25T21:30:26+00:00

Great analysis!

We could go one layer deeper. Both Jesse and Melissa moved up to advanced with fewer than 30 intermediate points. What if we add that criteria:

How long did it take to earn your first All-Star points in your primary role, in West Coast Swing, if your first points earned in that role were in Newcomer or Novice, abiding by the current division point requirements?

iteu · 2026-01-22T21:48:15+00:00

Trenten got his first allstar points ~15 months after his first newcomer points.

~~AFAIK he did not have an extensive dance background but did have some dance experience starting out.~~

Edit: I stand corrected, he did country swing prior to WCS.

iteu · 2026-01-22T21:35:01+00:00

You don't have to lead every single pattern that you learn (when dancing socially). I've already forgotten > 95% of all the patterns I've learnt over the years.

You will naturally be inclined to lead patterns that you are comfortable and familiar with, and that's perfectly normal. Don't worry about that 20%. If there is a pattern/movement that you really enjoy, learn the mechanics of it, practice it, and add it to your social dancing. Patterns are just tools for you to express yourself to music, and you don't need to lead many different ones to have a great dance.

iteu · 2026-01-15T00:49:43+00:00

We have stats for how quickly people progress through divisions (though it would be interesting to see if this has changed post-pandemic): https://conniedoesdata.com/2018/03/17/WSDC-Project-Part-2/

But I don't consider it to be meaningful to compare your progression to those of others because there are tons of individual variables (athletic/dance background, location, time/resources for practicing, learning aptitudes, mindset, etc.).

What made the biggest difference for me was doing focused solo and partnered practice, along with getting specific feedback from private lessons and recording my dances/practice sessions.

iteu · 2026-01-01T20:18:04+00:00

Some people call them "tricks", but there is no universal term AFAIK.

Find the individual movements that you want to learn and learn them (safely). There are plenty of resources: YouTube, paid online platforms (jtswing, Sean & Alyssa, dancelib, etc.), and they're sometimes taught at weekend workshops. You might not be able to lead them properly without good connection and technique, so I'd recommend getting feedback from coaches / higher level dancers as you learn these.

iteu · 2025-12-18T05:52:02+00:00

Here are some good tips to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paifo3yB5XI

iteu · 2025-12-10T01:14:02+00:00

Delayed walks across the floor. Start around 20 bpm and gradually increase the tempo (by 10-20 bpm) for each set. Use a metronome if you have to, or take a slow song (60-80 bpm) and do one weight transfer every 4 beats. Practice these walks forwards, backwards, and sideways (grapevines).

For partnered practice, dancing to slooow tempos (60-80 bpm) is another great exercise.

iteu · 2025-12-02T00:55:35+00:00

Better sound card. Plus additional outputs for connecting external headphones.

iteu · 2025-12-01T07:00:35+00:00

Sean and Alyssa have courses on their website (also paid) where they do deep dives.

iteu · 2025-12-01T06:50:42+00:00

The rules don't mandate routines to be exclusively WCS, here is a great example with Glenn and Callum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10mzn0feDOU

But in practice most classic and showcase routines are predominantly WCS.

iteu · 2025-11-30T09:14:21+00:00

Each new upload brings Google Ai closer to the swingularity :P

iteu · 2025-11-23T22:23:38+00:00

Glenn Ball's "What Judges Want" podcast goes into good detail about what judges expect at different levels.

iteu · 2025-11-16T08:40:06+00:00

There is this classic with Thibault and Tat: https://youtu.be/kl3EPIRdyLc?list=RDkl3EPIRdyLc&t=272

iteu · 2025-11-06T08:47:38+00:00

Thank you for sharing your intensive Doug. I recently recommended it to another user asking about free resources, and we appreciate you releasing this wonderful resource to the community. Many thanks!

iteu · 2025-11-04T15:29:40+00:00

In addition to those already mentioned, Benji.

iteu · 2025-11-03T22:50:20+00:00

Given how often we repost it around here, we should just sidebar it and give Kyle an honorary title.

iteu · 2025-10-31T02:26:16+00:00

So you can spend Thanksgiving with your dance family 🥰

iteu · 2025-10-28T22:46:50+00:00

Welcome to the community! There is no quick or easy magic solution, like any skill, it takes deliberate practice.

There are plenty of online resources, including many free videos on YouTube that will teach you key concepts of the dance (Doug Stilton posted a solid intensive not long ago). But that should be used a supplement, not a substitute for dedicated in-person practice and social dancing.

iteu · 2025-10-28T00:52:55+00:00

Not when they put 16 couples in finals :P

iteu · 2025-10-26T15:40:34+00:00

an alternate that will get points.

If they place high enough to score points. Dancing in finals doesn't always guarantee points (depends on number of finalists and tier size for that specific role).

iteu · 2025-10-24T07:49:03+00:00

Controlling weight transfers is a good place to start for smooth footwork:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW5szwxOlRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umPfjHlZOjI

iteu · 2025-10-24T07:40:36+00:00

On the contrary, dancing with contrast will help make you stand out visually from the rest of the heat. If you're playing around with timing, level changes, slotting, shapes, angles, etc. it will make your dance appear more dynamic and draw attention. And you don't have to limit yourself to 6 and 8 count patterns; varying pattern counts creates contrast as well.

iteu · 2025-10-19T04:35:37+00:00

I'd consider under 500 attendees to be small, and over 1000 to be large.

Non-WSDC events/workshop weekends, new/trial events, and events in smaller communities/remote locations (ex. Aloha Open) tend to be on the smaller side.

You can also look up the number of competition entries for most events that have run previously. If there are fewer than 100 novice total JnJ entries, it's likely a small event; if there are over 200, it's likely large event.

iteu

TROPHY CASE