No experience necessary! The basics of lead and follow West Coast Swing including the sugar push, left side pass, right side pass, outside turn, the cut-off pass, the reverse pass, the tuck turn, the starter step, and m... more »uch more are all taught from a complete beginner perspective. Whether for a hot night at a cool jazz club or just something fun to do, this volume is for everyone as you will learn to lead and follow West Coast Swing. West Coast Swing for Beginners Volume 1 is professional, easy to follow, designed specifically for beginners and fun for anyone wanting to get started with dance lessons. With nearly 90 minutes of instruction, multiple camera views, and beginner-friendly curriculum, Shawn and Joanna Trautman will build your confidence and help you get moving on the dance floor. Filmed and presented with multiple camera angles and Picture-in-Picture technology, you will be surprised at just how easily you learn with the right instruction. The design of the curriculum and camera placement for the DVDs allows the leaders to do the EXACT movements that Shawn presents, and it allows the followers to mimic Joanna in real time without having to turn away from the screen. In addition to learning along with the instructors with split-screen formatting, you will also get to dance each dance with music alongside the instructors at the end of each section.« less
"My wife and I are new to ballroom dancing in the last year. We've taken some lessons, but found that we needed the extra help of videos that we can use on our own schedule in our home and we've tried a bunch of them. This DVD and the whole series of new videos from Shawn Trautman have been a godsend and much more useful to us than the others we've tried. We are actually doing the dances within a short time and having fun, rather than getting aggravated with one another. Trautman's emphasis on the differing roles of leader and follower and the very clear demonstrations of those roles have helped us enormously. These DVDs include much more music and time to practice the new steps than most videos, rather than just watching an instructor do a step and go to another step. We like this video a lot and strongly recommend it. On a side note, the logistics/timing of shipping and subsequent email communications with the company were, after many frustrations with other online outfits, the best we've seen."
West Coast Owned
Raymond Jones | Glendora, CA USA | 03/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've heard it said Shawn Trautman "owns" the West Coast Swing and it's true. This couple nails the instruction of West Coast Swing. This DVD will save you hundreds of dollars in lessons."
West Coast Swing for Dummies
R. Chisholm | Tampa, FL | 12/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My husband and I took a dance class about 2 years ago in preparation for our wedding. We learned the basic steps but after our "first dance", we never used them again. After watching this DVD, we were ready to hit the dance floor once again. The step-by-step directions were easy to follow. The re-cap of what was taught in each section really helped us put it all together. We were all over our carpet - literally cutting a rug. :) The instructors really make it look easy so we found it easy to follow. The title should be West Coast Swing for Dummies. I can't wait to get another DVD to learn a new dance.
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Can't wait to show off what I learned!
J. Apgar | Florida | 11/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Shawn and Joanna Trautman are excellent instructors! This DVD shows all the basics of West Coast Swing so that you can learn in the privacy of your own home and then go out and impress everyone at the clubs! I was able to follow easily-it felt like they were teaching me in person."
Comprehensive, well-organized and user friendly....
Jane Ann Houser | Brea, California | 06/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Other than dancing with my son at his wedding, I am a dancing "newbie"--so green that I was reluctant to go to a dance class! I have wanted to learn to dance for many years but never had a partner so I decided to take matters into my own hands and begin with DVD instruction. I made several unsuccessful phone calls with various suppliers until I happened upon Shawn Trautman's order department. An operator helped me personally select the first two DVD's to suit my needs and then long-story-short, I have purchased 12 DVD's to date. I received a personal email follow-up making sure that I had received the DVD's and that I was satisfied.
Shawn Trautman's teaching style is comprehensive and clear allowing for plenty of practice time within the lesson. The DVD format has all chapters clearly labeled allowing for precise access to a desired spot in the lesson. He and his wife, Joanna, give the lessons with plenty of tips for men on how to lead effectively and for the women, how to follow responsively...also provided are the much-needed tips on how to look stylish and confident as you take your first steps on the dance floor. It's great for us who fit into the "fake it 'til you make it" category!
I was cautioned by dancing friends to make sure the instruction I received was accurate as to avoid learning faulty technique. I have learned enough at home to Swing dance with several different partners and I have been complimented on my technique when I confess that I am a beginner. Thanks for the great product!