The two workshops described below are designed to exponentially improve your dancing and knowledge of dance in one day! We’re not talking about one new move for one specific dance, instead we will be using technique to get you spinning faster, dancing more efficiently and leading / following at a higher level. Workshops will focus on physical geometry, body placement, and muscle use resulting in an observable, immediate change in your dance ability.

Erik is bringing some of his professional ballet dancer friends (3 women and 1 guy) from New York. The ballet dancers are BRAND NEW to west coast swing and hustle. Observing their physical geometry will give attendees the opportunity to emulate their technique.
A gourmet dinner, prepared by Tom Johnson, will be served between workshops. The evening will culminate with a party of West Coast Swing and Hustle and a contemporary dance performance by Erik and his friends.

Schedule of Events (prerequisite for classes: basic west coast or hustle moves)

6:30 - 7:30 Technical West Coast Swing: 
Stop looking like a civilian….start looking like a dancer!!! What’s so special about an anchor step? Is the torso forward or back? Is the standing leg straight? Is the lead/follow arm bent? What about the other arm? What causes balance problems while turning? There is a technique that is the foundation for all Dance. The professionals understand this but rarely teach it because it’s perceived as “boring”. Technique is only unimportant if you don’t care how you look or how you feel. Start discovering the nuances that you didn’t even know mattered. This class if for the day-1 beginner who wants to accelerate their learning-curve and for the instructor who wants to add a technical aspect to their teaching.

7:30 - 8:00 Yummy Homemade Gourmet Meal: 
To Be Determined -- it will be quick and excellent (trust me!)

8:00 - 9:00 Technical Hustle: 
There’s a reason it’s called Hustle……it moves fast! Hustle is one of the most dynamic of all the social dances. Although it peaks musically at about 130 beats per minute, Hustle patterns are based in 3 beat increments allowing approx. 43 patterns per minute. Even though Lindy Hop tempo is faster at 210 beats per minute, because it is based in 8 beat increments it only allows 26 patterns per minute. For a dance this dynamic, superb dance technique is required. Old-school dancers have utilized the push-pull method to avoid this challenge and accommodate for the speed. We’ll show you how to use physical geometry, body placement and muscle use to create the hip torque and body-flight required in this dance. This class is perfect for a day-1 beginner looking to get started in hustle and for the instructor who wants to up their game in a dance that has few true masters.

9:00 - 1:00  West Coast Swing & Hustle Party
(10:15 pm: Contemporary Performance by Ballet Professionals -- An Unusual Treat)

Erik Novoa has been dancing for 16 years, starting with ballet and continuing through jazz, modern dance, musical theatre, tap and, finally in 1998, west coast swing. In the last two years or so, Erik has moved up to the Champion Division in west coast swing and recently took second place in the Champion Division with Deborah Szekely at Swingin' New England. In addition to being a champion Westie, Erik is a champion hustle dancer. One year after taking up hustle (two years after starting west coast swing), Erik won the Professional Division at Hustle USA 2001 and then repeated his victory at Hustle USA 2002. Thus, Erik may well be the best person in the United States to teach on both West Coast Swing and Hustle, as well as the relationship between the two. Erik is also a great follower and, with Jim Becker leading, won the hilarious "bookends" competition (WCS) at the 2004 Boston Tea Party. Erik has an infectious dance and teaching style which you won’t want to miss.