WCS Social Dancing in San Diego

[KiwiMambo]

I live in Oceanside about 30 mins north of San Diego. I'm a Salsa dancer thinking about learning WCS.

I hear Starlight Studios is the best place to take WCS lessons. Is that right?

The Salsa social scene in San Diego is not that great. Many people that seem even a little remotely interested in getting better get sucked up by performance teams. So we have beginners going to learn choregoraphy instead of developing lead and follow skills. Since they are busy reherasing they don't go out dancing. So most people at at the clubs are club beginners (taken only a few lessons). Not a lot of good dancers to dance with...

What is the WCS social dance scene like in San Diego? I really only want to learn another dance if the social dance scene is there for me as I progress from beginner to advanced WCS dancer.

[KiwiMambo]

I looked at these web sites that had photos of swing socials in San Diego:

http://www.innovationsdance.org/
http://www.sandiegoswingdance.com/index.html?69,3

Judging by the photos it would seem the scene in San Diego is mainly couples in at LEAST their 40's.

Not many younger single people swing in San Diego?

[Dancelf]

Michael Kiehm's Starlight Dance Studio (http://www.starlightdance.com/) is the place I would start. Kiehm's reputation (both as a dancer and as an instructor) are very good, and he's got a number of prominent national instructors in his stable right now (for example, the November 2007 schedule has Parker Dearborn and Brandi Tobias teaching on Wednesdays).

If you were to start there, I'm sure you would find that the instructors could also point to you other parts of the scene, in whatever age demographic you considered appropriate. (This would likely include "and drive up to LA on mumble night...." but there it is).


Another possibility would be to contact Earl Pingel (http://www.swingdiego.com/), who has been running a fairly successful swing event in SD for some time now. He's working with Parker, so I don't promise that you'll get different answers.

[Spitfire]

I have gone to the Starlight and the San Diego swing club dance during my two past visits to San Diego and had a wonderful time at both. For the clubs dance at the Womans Center in La Mesa the admission is free if it's your first time.

[rumblefish]

The best dancers/dancing that I have ever seen thus far (I'm a newbie) were at last night's (Friday) social dance at 'Synergy'. Many, many advanced dancers, very friendly atmosphere, all age groups (with many accomplished UCSD competition team dancers). It TOTALLY blew me away. Nearly EVERYTHING was played. For the 1.5 hours or so I spent there (till the end at 11:00 p.m.), DJ (great sound system and DJ) played WCS, Jitterbug, ECS, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quick-Step, Rumba, Salsa, Samba, Cha-Cha, Tango, Progressive(?) Foxtrot, NC2. I'd estimate that at least 100 people were there.

It was an incredible sight to see - with a friendly atmosphere for newbies. But I wouldn't recommend dancing unless you've started or completed at least a beginner's course in a given dance, the latter of higher recommendation.

It was kind of fun turning down women who asked me to dance. ;)
It was fun to see that look of discouragement when they were 'rejected' hehe. But I was kind enough to let them know the sole reason for the refusal was my 'newbie' status and my 'incompetence' to dance a particular dance. ;)

In November, I intend to take some dance classes there with Peter Edwards. You have to check this place out! I danced to about 5 or 6 WCS there, and a few NC2, ChaCha. The other dances-I just observed. It was really a 'treat'.

(Check my Profile for my dance lesson experience)

[Spitfire]

The best dancers/dancing that I have ever seen thus far (I'm a newbie) were at last night's (Friday) social dance at 'Synergy'. Many, many advanced dancers, very friendly atmosphere, all age groups (with many accomplished UCSD competition team dancers). It TOTALLY blew me away. Nearly EVERYTHING was played. For the 1.5 hours or so I spent there (till the end at 11:00 p.m.), DJ (great sound system and DJ) played WCS, Jitterbug, ECS, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quick-Step, Rumba, Salsa, Samba, Cha-Cha, Tango, Progressive(?) Foxtrot, NC2. I'd estimate that at least 100 people were there.

It was an incredible sight to see - with a friendly atmosphere for newbies. But I wouldn't recommend dancing unless you've started or completed at least a beginner's course in a given dance, the latter of higher recommendation.

It was kind of fun turning down women who asked me to dance. ;)
It was fun to see that look of discouragement when they were 'rejected' hehe. But I was kind enough to let them know the sole reason for the refusal was my 'newbie' status and my 'incompetence' to dance a particular dance. ;)

In November, I intend to take some dance classes there with Peter Edwards. You have to check this place out! I danced to about 5 or 6 WCS there, and a few NC2, ChaCha. The other dances-I just observed. It was really a 'treat'.

(Check my Profile for my dance lesson experience)

Wasn't familiar with Synergy. I'll have to keep it in mind the next time I'm in SD. My dance experience there was at the Champion and Starlight plus the local WCS club Sunday dance, which I understand has been moved to a new location.

[rumblefish]

My only experience with Starlight was last night, BEFORE I left for 'Synergy' Dance Zone. I decided not to stay for the NC2 social at Starlight (but took advantage of the free NC2 intro lesson), and left immediately thereafter. This was actually an 'Innovations Club' lesson held at Starlight studios, followed by a social. I may go back to 'Innovations' tonight for NC2 workshop with Michael Kielbasa and its monthly dance, which should have a better turnout.

I've been to Belly Up numerous times and to Patti Well's on Sunday night Jitterbug dance social. That has been it for me thus far, excepting Coyote Bar & Cafe and Carver's Steakhouse (neither of which house anyone who knows how to dance).

The caliber of dancing/dancers at Synergy greatly surpasses Belly Up (despite live bands) and Patti's. Don't get me wrong, I like both Belly Up and Patti Well's'. But IMO, there's no comparison to the Synergy experience last night.

In La Mesa, I do intend to check out Ciao Bella's on Tuesday nights for WCS with DJ Brick. Supposed to be a good venue.

Synergy would be closer to you in Oceanside, I believe, than Starlight or other major venues. It's two miles or so west of the 15 freeway on Miramar Road, by the Pyramid Shopping complex. I would definitely consider taking group lessons in WCS from Edwards there.

[Spitfire]

My only experience with Starlight was last night, BEFORE I left for 'Synergy' Dance Zone. I decided not to stay for the NC2 social at Starlight (but took advantage of the free NC2 intro lesson), and left immediately thereafter. This was actually an 'Innovations Club' lesson held at Starlight studios, followed by a social. I may go back to 'Innovations' tonight for NC2 workshop with Michael Kielbasa and its monthly dance, which should have a better turnout.

I've been to Belly Up numerous times and to Patti Well's on Sunday night Jitterbug dance social. That has been it for me thus far, excepting Coyote Bar & Cafe and Carver's Steakhouse (neither of which house anyone who knows how to dance).

The caliber of dancing/dancers at Synergy greatly surpasses Belly Up (despite live bands) and Patti's. Don't get me wrong, I like both Belly Up and Patti Well's'. But IMO, there's no comparison to the Synergy experience last night.

In La Mesa, I do intend to check out Ciao Bella's on Tuesday nights for WCS with DJ Brick. Supposed to be a good venue.

Synergy would be closer to you in Oceanside, I believe, than Starlight or other major venues. It's two miles or so west of the 15 freeway on Miramar Road, by the Pyramid Shopping complex. I would definitely consider taking group lessons in WCS from Edwards there.

The studio is called the Starlight, but Innovations I know to be the club that operates out of the studio. Are they still doing WCS on the first Saturdays of the month? These are what I attended during two my visits and had a great time at both. I actually met Michael Kielbasa in Albuquerque in August at the local WCS club dance, he was in town giving workshops.

[rumblefish]

Yes, I believe Innovations has its major dance the first Saturday of the month at Starlght, and I believe it's usually preceded by a workshop (in contrast to a free lesson). And, yes, I believe the emphasis at the first Saturday dance may be WCS and NC2.

You'd have to check their sites.

starlightdance dot com and innovationsdance dot org

[rumblefish]

Kiwimambo-

As an aside, I've heard that La Jolla Mariott is supposed to be the place for Salsa on Fri and/or Sat. nights.

What do you know of that?

[rumblefish]

You might want to consider taking WCS from Dave Tomko at Dance North County, also, in Encinitas. It's Monday nights at 6. I think Wendy Frieder also teaches it in her Social Dance classes there as well on Thursday nights.

I took my basic WCS from Jutem Stewart in San Marcos at their Community Center. Our ending class only had four people, so it's like getting private lessons. Other venues have true 'group' classes, numbering twenty, or more.

[rumblefish]

Sunday night, last night, I was dancing at Patti Wells'. It's the 'Jitterbug Dance Party' night, but they also play a few other selections, e.g, WCS, NC2, etc.

While dancing WCS with a woman who seemed to know what she was doing, during our dancing conversation she stated that she had trained for a number of years in WCS and did not really learn it the 'correct' way (if there's such a thing) until she went to Starlight. In fact, she stated that she had to 'unlearn' certain things taught by other instructors.

She said it's 'worth' the drive to go to Starlight Dance Studio.

Today, thinking about that caused me to write this post, FWIW.

[Spitfire]

She said it's 'worth' the drive to go to Starlight Dance Studio.

I'll second that. Next time I'm in town I'll certainly go to at least one dance there. ;)

[chandra]

Michael Kiehm's Starlight Dance Studio (http://www.starlightdance.com/ - deactivated commercial link) is the place I would start. Kiehm's reputation (both as a dancer and as an instructor) are very good, and he's got a number of prominent national instructors in his stable right now (for example, the November 2007 schedule has Parker Dearborn and Brandi Tobias teaching on Wednesdays).

If you were to start there, I'm sure you would find that the instructors could also point to you other parts of the scene, in whatever age demographic you considered appropriate. (This would likely include "and drive up to LA on mumble night...." but there it is).


Another possibility would be to contact Earl Pingel (http://www.swingdiego.com/), who has been running a fairly successful swing event in SD for some time now. He's working with Parker, so I don't promise that you'll get different answers.
Earl now lives in Chicago!

Ciao bellas is the place to go for WCS, period. Most of the best dancers in Sandi dont even bother with anyplace else...

Also I beleive Brandi is not teaching at all until atleast the new year! Congratulations to her for a new little baby boy!

Parker is pretty easy to get ahold of for lessons... MJK not so much.

If your 21, and in oceanside, Skinnies wouldnt be too far of a drive... Its in Hollywood, and (Im not 21 so I cant say from personal experience) most sources say it is pretty much the best WCS dance there is right now...

Some one mentioned Ciao Bellas tuesdays - getting larger, tends to have a slightly older attendace group. It is a consistant dance as far as attendance go.
Thursday night at Ciao Bellas is a night you wont find advertised anywhere, but it has the potential to be an absolutely rock your world night of dancing. Some of SoCals best sporadically show up, especcially when Sawn Tobias is DJing. Wont be happening for the next week, but the first week of january is a good guess...MK & Dawn, MJK, Parker, Ben Mo, Patty Vo, Razelle, Alfred, Louis Crespo, Torri, Tara S., Brandi & Sawn have all been known to pop in...