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Join us on Wednesdays in October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd (4 weeks) for the DC W/C Swing College Progressive Series Class Night hosted by Boogie in Bethesda and DC Westie Junkies. Dive into an exciting lineup of five West Coast Swing classes tailored for multiple skill levels alongside a supervised practica!LOCATION: Rendezvous by Reich World
12104 Wilkins Avenue, Suite B, North Bethesda, MD
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063807832392
COST: $60 per 4-week class series."
NOTE: Currently, "onsite registration only" is available. This event page will be updated if the details change.
*Refunds or Credits are not available after the start of any series.
$10pp per week DROP-IN PRACTICE SESSION 830pm-1030pm (Open to the public) (Free with any series purchase)
PAYMENT METHODS: Cash, Credit, Venmo, PayPal
WHAT IS A PROGRESSIVE CLASS SERIES PROGRAM?
A progressive series structure means that material and information are built upon each week and regularly reviewed. Attendees are the same each week, unless they are absent. All attendees must register and attend the first week of any series. New attendees will not be admitted after the first week.
CONTACT INFO:
Contact Ken Roesel to be added to the watch list.
Text 703-282-4187
# OCTOBER SERIES PROGRAM SCHEDULE >>>>>
7:00pm to 730pm OPEN REGISTRATION FOR ALL CLASSES and OPEN DANCE TIME
During this time period, attendees can register for all classes during week #1 and use this time to warm up/practice before the start of class.
730pm to 830pm
WCS SOCIAL MOVEMENT DEVELOPMENT
Wednesdays in October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd (4-week series)
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WCS 101 "Essentials" (Intro to 6 beat basic structures, and techniques of WCS. Plus, general concepts and techniques of partner dancing) (*no pre-requisite required, open to all levels)
w/KEN ROESEL
WCS 201 "Beyond Basics" - 6 beat foundational movement variations, intro to 8 beat movement structures, next level Lead/Follow and connection technique for better dancing. (*Pre-requisite - Have developed and can execute everyday WCS Basic movements. i.e., Starter Step, Leftside Pass, Leftside Under, Rightside Pass to closed position, Rightside Under, and Push) w/ALEX MARADEY & ANNI HELLWAGEN
WCS 301 "Diverse Expressions" - Next level movement, timing variations, and technique development (*Pre-requisite - Have developed and can execute everyday WCS Basic movements and variations. i.e., Starter Step, Leftside Pass, Leftside Under, Rightside Pass to closed position, Rightside Under, Push, and Standard Whip. Additionally, some incorporated basic variations of these movements, including basic rotational movement.
w/JESELLE CLARK & GEOFF NEWELL
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*THIS IS NEW FOR OCTOBER **** Open to the General Public
8:30pm to 10:30pm OPEN WCS DANCE PRACTICA
Come join our open-to-the-public practica session. Everyone needs practice time and a space to work on their dancing. We have a dedicated area each week, featuring continuous music for WCS, where individuals and partnerships can come and work on their dancing. During this practica time, a WCS Instructor will be on duty to answer questions or help you with any WCS material you may need help with.
$10pp Drop-in weekly (Free with any series purchase)
8:30pm to 9:00pm OPEN REGISTRATION FOR SPECIALTY FOCUS CLASSES and SUPERVISED PRACTICE & WARM UP DANCE TIME w/ MUSIC
During this time period, attendees can register for Specialty Focus classes in week #1 if they have not already done so. Additionally, this time can be used to review material from previous courses or to warm up before the 9:00pm class. Instructors will be available during this session to help with any questions and provide support with the material.
9pm to 10 pm
WCS "SPECIALTY FOCUSED" TRACK SCHEDULE
Wednesdays 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, and 10/22 (4-week series)
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WCS SFT 1: Drills/Solo Movement (Non-partnered WCS and Cross-training movement developed outside of the dance)
OCTOBER SERIES: "Jazzy Hip Hop for Westies"
Each week, we will develop and build a library of essential body movement variations that can be used by both leaders and followers in the dance. After we have created your new movements, we'll show you how to incorporate them into the dance of WCS, allowing you to practice and bring these moments into your dancing when you're ready.
w/ALEX MARADEY & ANNI HELLWEGAN
WCS SFT 2: Element Development (Focused study and development of the significant components of WCS)
OCTOBER SERIES: “How to play in your dancing with Musical Creativity." In this series, we will address how to give and recognize opportunities for creativity within a partnership. This class is designed for dancers who already have solid basics but feel stuck when executing patterns that don't match the music.
Pre-reqs: strong basics, regular social dancers
w/JESELLE CLARK & GEOFF NEWELL
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"MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS"
(Listed instructors' dance levels are based on accumulated World Swing Dance Council competitive points, and are only a partial reflection of the instructor's depth of knowledge and skills.)
ALEX MARADEY (WCS Advanced)
Alex Maradey started her Dance journey in 2007, when she got some friends together for a weekly Lindy hop class. She fell in love with the freedom and connection of partner dancing and began taking ballroom dance classes, followed quickly by West Coast Swing and Blues. She danced the nights away, taking as much training as she could, leveraging her background in music and performance through violin and colorguard. Alex loves harnessing her creativity and musicality through West Coast swing.
In 2022, she was introduced to the Franklin Method after suffering a significant injury that broke several bones in her foot. She was able to learn directly from Eric Franklin, the founder of groundbreaking dance training for the past 30 years. Through learning the Franklin Method, she was able to fully heal, understand, and gain control of her body in entirely new ways. She specializes in teaching body mechanics, making it easy for students to pick up and apply these techniques to their everyday movements and social dancing, promoting comfort and longevity.
Whether performing or teaching, Alex brings innovative playfulness to her teaching and her social dancing. Please get in touch with her on Facebook to arrange a private lesson or ask her to dance.
ANNI HELLWAGEN (WCS Allstar)
Anni began dancing West Coast Swing in Germany in 2014, bringing a background in Ballroom, Latin, Hip-Hop, and Jazz. She quickly fell in love with the versatility of the dance and began traveling to international events.
In 2022, she moved to the US and has competed and won at several events, including the Grand National Dance Championships, Nordic West Coast Swing Championships, and Citadel Swing. With her Advanced Jack & Jill win at the Open World Swing Dance Championships in 2024, she gained her final points to compete in the All-Star division.
Based in Washington, DC, Anni teaches at several regular dances in the DC Metro area. She believes that a great dance is born out of a great connection and loves to explore what movement is possible when both partners are locked in with each other. Look for her on the social floor late at night!
GEOFF NEWELL (WSC Advance)
Geoff has been instructing dancers all over the United States since 2013. He has competed and won at several dance events, including the Open Swing Dance Championships, Grand Nationals Dance Championships, Boston Tea Party, the Heritage Dancesport Classic, and the Southern Swing Challenge.
His dance journey began in college, where he served as the President of the University of Georgia Ballroom Dance Club and vice president of the Ballroom Performance Group, as well as an organizer for Athens Swing Night.
As a teacher, Geoff focuses on building a relationship with the music and culture that gave birth to each style of dance. He has two big rules: dancing should always be fun and comfortable. He firmly believes that anyone with a heartbeat can find a home on the dancefloor. After all, even the best dancers still move one step at a time.
JESELLE CLARK (WCS Advanced)
Jeselle is a playful social dancer and instructor who prioritizes connection and communication in partner dancing. She brings nearly 10 years of West Coast swing experience and carries a legacy of dancing from her parents. Beyond WCS, she also has a background in many styles of solo and partnered dance, including ballet, jazz, tap, Lindy Hop, social Latin, and blues.
KEN ROESEL (WCS Champions)
Ken first saw WCS at a C/W Event in Reno, NV, in October of 1984. Because there was no West Coast Swing east of the Mississippi River yet, Ken originally learned the dance by watching a videotape from the 1984 Reno event, featuring Mike Lucus and his partner, Gloria, who were the only couple performing West Coast Swing at the event. This Phil Adams-trained couple was stunning, and it was love at first sight. Ken studied the secured videotape of the competition with fellow dancers Dawn Blorstad and Tiffany Maxwell to help figure out how the dance went. Ken first competed in West Coast Swing in the spring of 1986 at a country event in Denver, Colorado. From there, Ken went on to develop his skills as a West Coast swing dancer in preparation for competing at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in Anaheim, California. In 1994, Ken and his partner, Jennifer Cheadle, became finalists in the Classic division at the USOSDC. Over the years, from 1994 to 2004, Ken established a successful career in the Jack and Jill division, competing at the Pro, Champions, and Invitational levels. In 2000, Ken was extended an invitation to participate in the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships Invitational Champions Jack and Jill. In 2011, he was inducted into the National Living Legends of Dance Hall of Fame alongside WCS legends Robert Royston, Mario Robau, and Blake Hobby.
In addition to his numerous personal awards as a dance competitor, Ken has coached several UCWDC world champion Pro/Am teams and champion WCS amateur dancers. Ken was the lead choreographer and creator of the award-winning dance team Swinging West and Strictly Swing, and a 7-year member of Barry Durand’s legendary dance troupe, Dance West.
As a seasoned national-level WCS instructor, Ken's approach to teaching is to teach you "how to dance" using the structure of West Coast Swing. His “it’s all Pasta….same ingredients rearranged to look differently” approach focuses on developing physical awareness as the bridge to understanding your movement in the dance and its designed applications. The result is a much more natural approach to movement development and concept learning in WCS and partner dancing in general.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Rendezvous by Reich World, 12104 Wilkins Ave, Rockville, MD 20852-1835, United States
