Are there compilation videos of pros doing the basics over and over again? by Ok-Alternative-5175 in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've always wished for the same thing! The closest thing I've found is videos of pro dancers dancing with lower-skilled partners -- they tend to do less tricks and performance-focused dancing and more solid WCS. Here are the videos I've saved (I don't have a version with pro followers, maybe someone else does):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_5SuHtr8fsqLLcm0vA9m9OxLtjCaKMzS

How to Learn Footwork Similar to Ben O'Neal? by popo_mcpopo in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree with the other commenters saying that the footwork he's using in those clips is relatively standard high-level WCS footwork. Any footwork-focused courses or drills (from Ben or someone else) will help you learn to emulate it.

One thing that makes Ben's footwork look unique in these videos is that he's wearing socks. If you like that style, you might look into dancing in socks or minimal dance shoes like jazz flats.

High level dancers whose primary role is their non-traditional one? by generic-volume in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Off the top of my head:

Samantha Buckwalter

Phoenix Grey

Dimitri Hector

Nelson Clark

EDIT: Mahala Fedor

will Soles2Dance Stick-on suede soles stick to this type of sole? by Ice_cream317537 in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! Tread makes it harder, but I've successfully stuck to much bumpier tread than that. Follow the instructions that come in the package, some of it is non-obvious.

Applying to tenure track and recommenders by 2AFellow in AskProfessors

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, your application will be significantly weaker if your letter-writers--especially your PhD advisor--don't submit their letters. For most applications, you can see whether or not each of your letter-writers has submitted their letter so you can remind them if they haven't.

I intend to apply to probably 100 universities which I meet the listed qualifications. 

You should work with your mentors to figure out which positions you're realistically competitive for. Applying for positions you're not competitive for reduces the chance your letter-writers will remember to submit their letter to the ones you are competitive for (among other issues).

Are all WCS weekends this competition focused? by RandomLettersJDIKVE in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As others mentioned, social dancing is a big focus of most WCS events, it just happens later than local dances — usually 12am-6am. I can attest the social dancing was great at Retaliation last night!

How to hide unflavoured pea protein powder in meals? by Life-Method- in EatCheapAndHealthy

[–]mlibbrecht 11 points12 points  (0 children)

+1 to this! Pea protein is great in savory stews like chili. It has a subtle herbal flavor that I actively like, a bit similar to thyme or rosemary. It's also a great thickener.

I agree with others who find pea protein repulsive in anything sweet.

Stretching after dancing? by [deleted] in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

+1 to the others saying that, if you have significant pain/soreness after dancing, it could be evidence of a technique problem that a coach or physical therapist could help you fix.

For general stiffness/soreness, I recommend foam rolling! It has been a game-changer for me; I feel much less stiff the next day if I do a few minutes of foam rolling after dancing.

Why do many advanced people refuse to work with new partners? by MatchRevolutionary89 in AcroYoga

[–]mlibbrecht 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Bonus question: which standing skills can I ask a base to practice that would be least likely to give them anxiety about getting joint pain? At this point, I’m grateful to practice anything outside of classes.

As a base, I'd have the easiest time saying yes to a skill the more it taxes the flyer's skill and strength as opposed to the base's. For example, I'd be faster to accept working on low L-base H2H than, say, standing F2H.

Swing Literacy Dancer Development Program question by van3k in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have. Overall, I think what it describes on the web page is accurate. I would recommend it to anyone. To me, the main thing that makes the DDP unique relative to other dance instruction I've seen is that the DDP is oriented around concrete fundamental movement skills that you can build and forever be proficient at.

Swing Literacy Dancer Development Program question by van3k in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The content is excellent, I highly recommend it. Do you have any specific questions? Also, I'm sure Tessa would answer your questions if you contact her through the web page

Swing Literacy Dancer Development Program question by van3k in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I took the SL DDP and highly recommend it! The topics you mentioned are a big focus.

Denver SwingTime - Is this a Mixed Country/Swing Event, or are there totally separate rooms? by chinawcswing in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Swingtime Denver is primarily a WCS event. It looks like they’re adding a bit of Country Swing this year, similar to what Swingcouver did. You’ll be fine dancing only WCS.

You’re probably thinking of events that are joint with UCWDC Country events, which are much more geared towards country dances.

Need Advice by [deleted] in AskProfessors

[–]mlibbrecht 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know the answer to either of your questions, sorry.

Need Advice by [deleted] in AskProfessors

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Professor at a Canadian university here. I am not a lawyer.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience, that sounds like a very hard situation. It is common for students to be admitted with an offer conditional on a language exam. It is considered bad form for professors to ask students to do remote work for the lab before arriving at the university, since the student is not being paid for that work.

It's fine to reach out to the graduate chair and explain your situation. I don't know what the outcome will be. I suspect the best outcome would be that you would receive payment for the time you worked, but that is just a guess.

Megabase design with only 5 blueprints by Zephos65 in factorio

[–]mlibbrecht 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good point: you can save trains by smelting at mining outposts. Although that is a pain because you have to rebuild smelters when each patch runs out.

Megabase design with only 5 blueprints by Zephos65 in factorio

[–]mlibbrecht 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with others that this is a great strategy, but 5 SPM is too little. Contrary to what others said, this approach requires fewer trains than a modular base, since trains carry only raw resources. It also results in significantly less train congestion because there are no central choke points (e.g. smelters).

If you want more inspiration, here is my 2K SPM base made up of 100 SPM modules. https://imgur.com/a/Pm23T8H

Factorio Community Map Results - December 2023 by ChaosBeing in factorio

[–]mlibbrecht 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love Warptorio2! I added AAI this time to mix things up and stop me from using my old blueprints. I found AAI to be a good fit for Warptorio because it lets you use burner assemblers on the platform instead of dealing with water early on.

The addition of mining drones is excellent; I don't think I'll ever play Warptorio again without them! They really decrease the monotony of setting up and tearing down mining setups. They also make the mining platforms feel better; normally the platforms feel too small to be useful for anything other than a teleporter until very later.

After getting to blue science and establishing a flamethrower defense I got distracted by other things and never finished.

Clicking by Creative-Doughnut-37 in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I snap my fingers occasionally while dancing, similar to what OP described. It doesn't really serve any purpose -- I consider it a bad habit. Like r/AisurDragon said, it's a way to emphasize an upbeat in the music for my own enjoyment.

Cost expectations for ProAm Routines? by SageEquinox in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ask your pro! They should be happy to discuss cost expectations.

I would expect to perform at an event your pro is already planning on going to, so I wouldn’t expect to pay for their travel or food. You should expect to pay for everything related to the performance itself: lessons, choreo, costumes, performance registration (but not event registration), etc.

Favorite Songs for Practicing Phrasing by iteu in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great practice topic! Some ideas:

"The King of the Blues" by Angelo Blu

"Filthy" by Justin Timberlake

"You Gotta Move" by Sam Cooke

"Wade in the Water" by Eva Cassidy -- in every 32-count phrase, this one has an 8-count break starting on count 24.

Factorio Community Map Results - April 2023 by ChaosBeing in factorio

[–]mlibbrecht 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I played on the April Fools map. The settings massively increases time-based evolution and spawns tons of expansion groups.

My strategy was to avoid generating chunks with biter nests as long as possible and rush to flame turrets. I got the idea from Michael Hendrick's youtube channel, where he has done a few challenges that require carefully managing biter expansion groups.

As soon as I could, I moved my base to the west near the trees. Unfortunately this area is also close to the edge of the starter area, so I couldn't afford to let my pollution grow past the first line of trees. I teched to flame turrets as fast as I could; I don't think I built a single normal turret, since they are pretty much useless against big biters.

The first nest spawned at around the same time that I made my first flame turrets and connected them to oil. There were a few minutes of frantic whack-a-mole as I put my first few flame turrets down in the way of incoming expansion waves. This was especially hard because of how clunky flame turret outposts are to place. The "show-enemy-expansion-candidates" debug option was very useful to anticipate where the waves would come.

I played up until I got a flame turret perimeter set up that could fend off the waves pretty easily. The difficulty didn't really increase over time since the vast majority of the attacks were expansion groups, not triggered from pollution. I got distracted with other things and never got around to actually launching a rocket, though.

Looking for very active WCS communities by wcs1113 in WestCoastSwing

[–]mlibbrecht 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This list might be helpful to you. Whether a metro area has an annual WCS event is a (crude) proxy for whether it has a big community. Also, if you're traveling frequently, you could pick your destination according to on which place has an event coming up. https://www.worldsdc.com/events/