Next weekend, Andrew Shellard and Hailee Lopez will be in Belfast for a weekend WCS workshop and I am stoked!
Scenes simply don't exist without the serious commitment and enthusiasm of local teachers but it's hard not to get a little excited when you get a visit from a couple of top international pros!
Andrew hails from Lyon, France (what do they feed the west coast swing dancers in that city?!) and has been immensely supportive of our nascent scene in Northern Ireland and as he has friends in high places Andrew is bringing Hailee with him also an all-star dancer and all the way from from Kansas, USA.
For anyone unfamiliar with the title 'all-star', west coast swing dancers are classified by ability and consistently good performances in international competitions are needed to advance from one classification to the next. All-stars are at the top of that tree, having moved up from advanced, intermediate, novice and newcomer, so the significance of having two of them teaching in Belfast cannot be understated!
This will be Andrew's third visit to Belfast and Hailee's first but what makes me all the more appreciative of their visit is the financial compromise both of these guys are making by coming to such a small scene.
There are few pro WCS dancers who can or will enjoy the longevity and financial success of your Jordan & Tatianas (for those reading through Lindy lenses, think Skye & Frida, except imagine they have been dancing professionally since the age of 14!) so it is not a career choice anyone makes for the money.
Andrew & Hailee could teach anywhere and no doubt will have had bigger offers to do so, yet they have agreed to come to Belfast to help us along a little more and we could not be more appreciative.
This is especially thrown into sharp contrast with the recent visit of a Lindy hop pro who, whilst was within their rights to charge as they did for their classes, could have been more sympathetic to a smaller community when it came to their superfluous expenses. So a massive MASSIVE thanks to Andrew & Hailee for their obvious love of west coast swing and a desire to give the little guys a leg up!
There are two levels with each costing £30 for 3½ hours of class. The first is 'Fundamentals' and is for those starting from scratch or wanting to work on the key moves again, and 'Level Deux' which will involve an obvious step up, and it is also possible to take both levels (7 hours of class) for only an additional £10.
To sign up, follow the instructions on the Facebook page or click here.
See you next weekend!
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