Weekly WCS Note #57: Street Swing or Strictly Swing

Weekly Note #57

Stealing from Street Swing

January 7th 2013

This Week's Note

Quote of the Week

I warn you,
if you bore me,
I shall take my revenge.

-JRR Tolkein

Facing Dragons

Nick and I have not seen a movie in a theater for years, mostly due to time and unpleasant theater goers. But suddenly, in the last week, we found ourselves in the theater three times! And all for different movies.

We saw Skyfall (felt bad for Bond), The Hobbit (wow) and Argo (double wow.) What a difference good writing makes. I've heard Hollywood writers are underpaid, and that's a darn shame, because the more I see, the more I realize... good writing kicks a**. And makes a movie watchable for decades.

Anyhow, The Hobbit held a special place in my heart. Yes, I'm a nerd, yes, I've read all the books and yes, none of them were the abridged versions.

But The Hobbit hugs my heart for a different reason.

Long ago, decades, it feels like, Nick and I were coming towards the end of our four month road trip. We had finally reached the West Coast again, and though we were tired, we were in for the hardest part of our journey by far.

A friend asked us, when we returned home, "were your lives ever in jeopardy?"

"Yes" we replied. "Yes."

In reality, our lives were in jeopardy about three times total, but the most terrifying occurence took place right there towards the end of our trip.

It was nothing short of a nightmare. We still have bad dreams about it.

But in the trauma and the processing that took place afterwards, I remember one key moment as my turning point in recovery.

My dance partner, Josh Clark, texted me the following quote:

"Adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine."

It was a quote from The Hobbit. And it changed everything for me.

You see, I had loved our adventures... but I had felt betrayed when they turned so very dark and ugly. But there is no adventure worth reading (or living) that doesn't have scary parts.

And so, I realized, we had a complete adventure... with its own dragon and everything.

I wonder if you saw The Hobbit, and whether or not it resonated with you when the company was gone, and everything was grey... and the main character realized that he had a glimpse of real & true living with his visitors, and ran out the door to join them, starting a journey that will now be laid out for us across three amazing movies.

I suspect our own little adventure holds enough for more movies than that, and for that I am now grateful. It was like coming home, seeing The Hobbit... and that meant we had grown. And that's a good thing.

Katherine Eastvold

PO Box 292

Camarillo, CA 93011

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic time these last few weeks. I had quite a different holiday than I have in years past... we hardly ventured beyond our doors. And yet it was quite a special one. We learned much, discovered much and discussed much... and that can grow you quite as much as any adventure can, it seems. We are quite tuckered out!

But the time did bear fruit, as you will see... I promise, as the quote of the week says, not to bore you! Now let's have some fun!

Happy New Year Everyone! xoxo, Katherine

Street Swing Steals

Over the break I uploaded a BUNCH of videos that haven't been up on the internet yet. Some were blocked due the music copyrights, but most went up clean and smooth... and I'm so glad I get to share them with you!

The following videos are just a few of the ones I uploaded, but they are special and I think you'll get a lot out of them. That's because all of these videos are STREET SWING videos. That means the dancers could pick their partner, but they didn't get to choose their music.

All of the music below was luck of the draw below, and yet, notice how amazing and well-phrased all of these leaders are! I see so many videos posted of pros performing "demo's" nowadays... pros that have been partners for years... and NONE of them look as clean as any of these amazing dancers below.

The technique is awesome, the lead and follow is perfect. The men have power and the women have power too! The timing is impeccable and the footwork is totally amazing.

When you see a real WCS demo, it will look much more like these below, where all of my new West Coast Swing Essentials are clear danced, and danced well.

Have fun stealing moves everybody!

Here is the link to my Street Swing Playlist, where the following dances will play automatically in a row for you.

Enjoy!

Ramiro Gonzalez & Sylvia Sykes - 1st Place - Street Swing - 1995 US Open

Jason Colacino & Gina Brown - 1st Place Street Swing - 1996 US Open

Melanie Roberts & Christopher Joe - Street Swing - 1995 US Open

Louie Juarez & Rosie Campos - 2nd Place - 1996 US Open Street Swing Division - WCS

Enjoy stealing some moves & syncopations!

Happy New Year!

Rearview Mirror

"A Look in the Mirror"
The Connecticut Shooting

A few of you asked me exactly what solution or boundaries or changes I was thinking of or encouraging when I wrote "A Look in the Mirror."

And that's the very thing. They are my own ideas. And I am writing to the people and newspapers and newstations what I would like to see.

But that is not what "A Look in the Mirror" was about. It was not meant to convey my position, but to encourage others, and you, to convey your own.

Not in hate speech, not in violent rants and flamings on the social networks, but to places we no longer look to anymore, or take the time to consider.

My main goal, and I'm thankful it was realized, was to mirror what others like me were feeling. Often times that is where all the power of writing lies... in simply mirroring what others are already feeling. Of hitting that unspoken "nail" on the head, and helping us process.

Where ever you stand, whatever you feel, I am glad you feel it. Many of us no longer do. We accept what we are told, and we feel nothing. And that, in itself, is so very very dangerous.

The piece had the same goal as all my writing... to empower you to use your own voice. And speak.

About Katherine

An author and Champion dancer who fell in love with West Coast Swing in the early 1990's, Katherine has owned her highly successful studio, served on the board for the Swing Dance Hall of Fame, is a finalist in both Classic and Strictly at the US Open, has written articles for numerous magazines in the community for more than a decade, has choreographed for numerous top 5 routines, has served on the board for Boogie by the Bay and has traveled to over 42 states.

She has written two books for her West Coast Swing Revolution Series:Telling the Truth and Setting Dancers Free.

She is not afraid. She loves beauty. She loves truth. And she believes it's knowledge that can bring a dancer more joy than they can imagine on the floor.