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West Coast Swing - for
WEST COAST 101

SKIPPY'S BLOG

                                Testimonials
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Hi Skippy,
 
I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that both Regina Burke and I made Semi-Finals at SwingDiego after taking your Intensive. I am continuing to put in the mileage and it is showing up in my dancing. I want to personally thank you for all that you do and look forward to seeing you at Jack n Jill O'rama.
 
Sincerely,
--
Vinh Mines  5-21-12
San Diego, CA
 
Skippy,
 
Again it was my pleasure and the highlight of my evening to meet you!! I love the passion and sincerity you share when you're discussing dance and you seemed to know exactly what I'm looking for. Please place my name on the list of candidates you have who plan to attend your special certification class in January in Monterey, California.
 
V. A. James Sr.   7/19/2011

Hi Skippy! This is Aly. I attended your intensive in January. I just wanted to say thank you for such an informative week. Your intensive gave me more confidence, not only in my own dancing but in dance itself. Having more knowledge about coordination, music, and timing, as well as proper foot positions for basic patterns impacted my ability to teach and to dance. I left feeling empowered....

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of dance with me. It has truly made a difference in my life!
Best,Aly Yorek
Marketing Director - February 2011

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Skippy,

...I didn't get a chance to say thank you for all the work that went into the WCS 101 classes this week. Personally, I found it very valuable to spend the necessary time reviewing in detail both the leader and the follower's parts for the most important basic WCS patterns. A lot of "fuzzy" areas were made more clear, and some areas of blockage I have been experiencing are now removed. It is always helpful when having a conversation with someone in a foreign language to understand fully the grammar and vocabulary of the language the other is speaking. I wish everyone I danced with shared the same knowledge base in West Coast Swing dance. What better conversations we would all have together!
Mark McDonald  Fri 9/17/2010 10:31 PM

Hello Skippy!
We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed your workshops at the Kona Intensive - we learned so much and definitely plan to return next year! We also remember that you mentioned workshops that will be happening this August at your own studio - we are really interested in attending these and wondered if you could please send us any details?
Thanks again,
Erin & Jamie
Brisbane, Australia

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Aloha Skippy
    Thank you for a great intensive, it was very informative, challenging and fun - Wyatt  5/26/09

RE:  Kona Intensive

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5/14/09 - Aloha e Skippy, Thank you so much for the intensive. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and you are an absolute delight. Your thrill and excitement about dancing is wonderful to be around. Thank you for sharing so many of your years of dance enthusiasm to the world. It’s a blessing to us that you are still out there teaching. And I appreciate you making the trip out to Hawai` You are a bubbly bundle of joy who will forever stay etched in my mind! Until the next time
Me ke aloha,
Odette

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5/14/09 -
Thank you for a great workshop as usual.  I always learn something new talking to you.  You are such a wealth of information.
Carolyln

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5/11/09
Hello, Skippy,
This is Heejung Jung.  I had a blast at Hawaii. :)
I just wanted to tell you that I got the 3rd placement at Novice at Swing Diego.
I usually made Finals, but never placed.  It's all you, Jordan, and Tatiana. 
The Kona intensive workshop was amazing....I am so glad that I took that. 
Thank you so much, Skippy!
Sincerely,
Heejung Jung

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2/1/09 - What a fantastic gift to the swing world you are!
Tammy McKeever

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1/27/09 - I just wanted to drop a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the Monterey intensive.  It was my second intensive and I loved every minute of it.  Many Thanks.
I am planning to come out in Miami to the intensive
.
Jane Story
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You are an inspiration for me.  You are my mentor.  You keep going and going and going.  I am only 60 and have to surround myself with these young dancers who have embraced the music I know and love.  It's heartwarming to see them improvise so naturally.
 
Janis Kenyon
Buenos Aires, Argentina  10/24/08

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I used your “walk like a dancer” article in a workshop I facilitated this afternoon.  The workshop was 75 people who are professional trainers and teachers in early childhood education.   My session was part of a two-day seminar on how to enhance their teaching and training skills.

I will be using it every time I teach my public speaking workshops. 
Abel Hewitt  5/17/08

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I'm sure one of these times I will be back for "more Skippy" at your summer intensive.  That was such a great experience for me and a real turning point for me in my dancing.  I still use many of the learnings I took away from that first intensive I attended and I have tried to do my part to make sure that my students are learning the right things about WCS and about dance in general.
 Nancy, Chicago, IL
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"I hope all is wonderful in your world and you are well. You are such a big part of why I love this dance and what this dance brings to me. Thank you for that and for so many other things!
 
Love to you,
Blake Hobby  11/9/07
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You are a wonder and my role model! You have made the biggest
impact on my life and career. Without you, I may have never
started teaching. Thank you so very much.
Love ya...
Debbie Lynn

 

HI SKIPPY,                                                             February 9, 2007

....I WANTED TO TELL YOU  HOW WONDERFUL THE  MONTEREY INTENSIVE WAS.  I LOVED HAVING A SMALL CLASS AND GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE. LATER DURING THE CONVENTION WE WERE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER WITH A GREAT SENSE OF CAMARADERIE.   I NOW HAVE A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF DANCE FRIENDS....
SUSAN DOUGLAS
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Dear Skippy,                                      September 19, 2006  

My main reason for writing is merely to thank you for all you have done.  Your Intensive provided the framework to accelerate my understanding of movement, timing, and count. You helped me keep my instructors accountable, not just for what they do, but for what they teach.  You helped catalogue and create a dancers vocabulary. You powers of observation and understanding lead to the rolling count and creation of your Universal Unit System.  The tools you have provided will be used by generations of educators and dancers to come.

Thank you for being dedicated to your love, craft, and the education of others.

Be well my friend,

Sincerely and always,

Bruce A. Levy, M.D./Houston

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Hi Skippy and all your wonderful staff:

I just want to thank everyone for making my trip to LA from New Zealand so fabulous!  Your Intensive was so incredibly informative and so worth the long trip!!!

I am hoping to use some of the information from the Universal Unit System and WCS I have been learning about, for one of my final research papers, for my Bachelor Degree of Dance.

I am looking forward to seeing you all again by the end of the year!

Thank You, again for all the inspiration and confidence you've giving me, knowledge you've shared with me, and reinforcing how much more I have to learn, and I'll never stop learning, life is such a wonderful journey!

Cheers,

Natalie, New Zealand

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Hi Skippy,

 
I'm Steve from Colorado. I attended your workshops in Phoenix and I loved them. You are soooo inspiring! and, Gracious!    I plan on attending your intensive next summer.
 
Love To DANCE, Sincerely,
Steve

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Hello Skippy         7/4/06

Just wanted to say I enjoyed your class immensely. You hold the missing link most people are searching for. Your knowledge determines the difference between dance steps and dancing. Once again your class was eye opening. I attached our photo hope you enjoy. Thanks again Skippy

Bernie
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Hi Skippy & Linda,        -11-05

Thank you for the prompt dispatching of the DVDs.... I am very impressed, considering the distance.  I want to to thank you Skippy for producing the DVDs that I have just finished watching.....I have been dancing quite a few years and teaching for 2. ......I have taken many classes, seen different approaches and enjoyed (and endured) varying methods of instruction.

Teaching is a gift that can reach into the very heart of a person and draw out what they may not realize exists. That gift....can furnish a foundation with endless possibilities. It is a gift born out of passion.... that can inform, guide, entertain and enlighten..... Occasionally, someone comes along whose very presence embodies the spirit of dancing. They exude a kindness and humility that tames such an astonishing array of knowledge. They are a true teacher.  Although I have never had the good fortune to meet you in person Skippy, it is your writings, your spoken word and your presence in the dance family that has helped me realize that all of these qualities can exist in a teacher.

My sincere thanks for all that you give to dancing. I can only hope that one day I too can give back to something that has given me so much.

All my thanks and best wishes,
Paul Farrell,  UK

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Skippy - …..                                                                           Nov. 2005
My name is Laura Brown and I attended the Summer Intensive, 2004,….. as a means to improve my hand-dancing.  It has done that, but since this past April, I have been a student of West Coast Swing and am truly lovin' it! ........
….. As I prepare to attend the US Open … warm thoughts of you were passing through my mind so I decided to share them.  I'm not sure  I'll get a chance to speak with you personally (you're always so surrounded by folks trying to drink in your wisdom),….... but I wanted to let you know that you really have had an impact on me - not only as a dancer, but as a person.  Your powers of observation and articulation are uncommonly keen as a dance 'Yoda' and I was irreversibly shaped by your candor, compassion, wisdom and love for the dance.  When my attitude dares to get a bit funky because I'm not getting the dance I think I 'deserve', I think of your magnanimity and kindness and remember that my purpose is to 'share the joy of dance' with others.  I then smile and try to have the time of my life and attempt to have my partner want to dance with me again. ....….even when I'm not on the dance floor, I refer to your generous spirit, sense of humor, and passion for excellence in all I do……Should I not get an opportunity to speak with you in person, please know that you have a student of dance and of life here on the East Coast.                
Sincerely,  Laura Brown, Washington DC
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 Dear Skippy,                                                                                August 08, 2005 3:10 PM

I first want to tell you that I had absolutely the best time of my life during the Intensive. I have been so energized by the whole experience.  I must tell you that it has taken my dance to another level.   I just returned from SwingFling and placed 9th out of 30 females in the finals for Jack and Jill.   I'm so excited. Prior to the Intensive I couldn't even make finals.   It was also wonderful to see three other dancers from the Intensive there also.  I can't wait to get back out to California.  I'm trying to put together my trip for the US Open.  …... Once again thank you for such an incredible experience.   It was the greatest pleasure meeting you, learning from you and being able to spend such an awesome time with you and all the other dancers.

Be sure that I will keep dancing and passing on your knowledge and love of dancing.
God Bless
Bonnie Savitski - (Pennsylvania)
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Saturday, August 20, 2005
Hi Skippy -- I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know the tremendous positive influence the Intensive has had on my dancing (and my life!)

First, keeping my "knob" back is amazing.  I have found that it helps everything, from pulling my suitcase in the airport to singing in the car.   What it does for my dancing is just short of miraculous!!  Moves just seem to work, and turning and spinning are nearly effortless.  I'm holding my solar plexus area with much more support than ever before.  I've also noticed I feel more personally powerful and able to handle myself in situations.  I don't think the effects of this stop with the physical...

Second, you are absolutely right -- Rolling Count  is magic.  I can't believe the extra little moments it gives me to evaluate what the leader is doing.  My following skills have gone up several notches!   Tonight, several of the "good" guys were asking ME to dance, and leading all sorts of cool stuff that I was able to follow.  I love this dance so much!! 

Thank you so very much for sharing your amazing Discoveries.
Ever improving,
Mindy Lindsay, Texas
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Hi Skippy                                                                                              Aug. 05

……. The hotel and location were just great and so convenient for eating and things close by.  ( I am a travel agent as well, so I was really pleased when I knew we would be at a Marriott). 

 I think you are an amazing woman and did a phenomenal job putting the event together. I know you didn't hear much from Bruce and I during the classes,  but that is because we were listening, taking notes and taking it all in.  ….  the information and techniques you shared were clear and understood by both of us. 

Now, digesting everything and putting them into practice is the new endeavor. :-) 
We have already shared a lot of your wisdom with a small group of dancers that meet for a dance study session twice a month to improve the level of dance in our area. ………...Since I am a teacher by trade and Bruce and I are both musicians, we have been trying to work with others on the  3 way partnership and get people to dance with the music, not just patterns.

We learned so many things from you………... so happy for the opportunity to have spent that time with you and received so much of your knowledge.  As a teacher I believe if you aren’t learning, you aren't living, so I never get enough.

I admire your stamina so much……     I just watched the video clip again of your dance at the reunion ball and it just fills me with emotion to see all of your talent in practice. 

Thanks for putting your heart and soul into your love of dance and sharing it with others.   Warm regards,
Beth Csira  (
Florida)
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 Dear Skippy,                                                        Aug. 2005

I want to thank you again for everything you did to present a fantastic
summer intensive for us.  I really did not want to go home by Saturday. 
I actually missed class so much, I played your new DVD to help me withdraw. :>

I have read and heard many times about the Rolling Count, pulsing and
contra-body, but I never really understood it until I attended the intensive 
When the older couple danced…….at the wedding Tuesday night, the song seemed too short to me …. I just wanted them to keep dancing. Suddenly it hit me.  They were pulsing and using contra-body.  I practiced it all week during our social dances…..

……… I attended the MADMAC convention this weekend, in Madison, WI and I took first place in intermediate Jack and Jill. I have never won first place before.  Several of the judges …….told me that they just loved to watch me dance.  I now know why.  When the dancer pulses the up beat …..you are inviting the audience to feel  the music with you.  What a difference that has made in my dancing.  My partners tell me that I just feel different to them now .....and they like it.

I love doing West Coast Swing and since studying with you this summer, I love this dance even more.  Thank you so much for what you have done to help me and all you do for all of us who are West Coast Swingaholics.  God Bless You , Skippy Blair...and as we say in Chicago..."man o man o man...you're  the bomb".  

 Sincerely,
     Cindy Dionne
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Hi Skippy,                                                    Aug. 2005

I just wanted to say how happy I am to have attended the intensive -  I was ready to stay another week!  I still have a lot to go over from my notes, but I remembered so many little things that have already helped in my teaching.  And everyone was so great.  I really enjoyed meeting people from all over and seeing all the different styles, methods of teaching, etc. so I could keep improving my skills. 

I'm so amazed at the life you have lived and continue to live.  You should be so proud of what you have accomplished and how many people you have inspired.  I look forward to participating in the next intensive. Keep me posted on where you will be next. 

Dawn Lara,
Chicago, IL
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Hi Skippy,                                                        9/20/2005       

Just received your Halloween Intensive info and links to photos from the 2005 Summer Intensive and Reunion Ball. 

I had such an amazing time.  The experience was invigorating, intimidating and overwhelming at times, challenging, inspiring, and most of all fabulous.  At times I just didn't think I could process any more information.  But like everyone who attended, I persisted and rose to the occasion and so did my level of dance.  For a beginner like myself, it was awe inspiring to be in the same room, watch, and dance with so many wonderful leads.  I am so happy that I took the BIG STEP and attended.  It was the best decision and has really made a huge difference in my dancing.  Thank you for all that you do, for your patience and loving attention to detail, and for your focus and your dedication.  What a blessing and a privilege it has been to have met you and be taught and critiqued by you.  You inspire all of us to reach levels that we never knew we could attain.  Thank you for enriching our lives.

With love and warmest aloha,
Shoshana Matsumura

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 All my treadmill work and dancing has had the wonderful effect of helping me lose over 20 lbs since the intensive! Thank you so much for helping me re-discover my obsession with this dance!!

Much love,
M. L.
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P.S. I have been watching your DVD since this past summer's intensive--it's such a great resource to help tune up, and I'm sure I'll continue to use it for a long time.   D. C. 10/22/05

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Every time I attend one of your events, I come home with new understanding, and do my best to incorporate it. I also pass it on to my students, and others
I run into in the dance world. I thank you for your patience and for the time you invest in raising the level of dance.

 I look forward to seeing you at the US Open. Best wishes to you.

Patrick Dickerson, Encinitas, CA
11/05

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I've realized a strong sense of satisfaction with everything I've experienced and discovered in the last few months with WCS.  (I suppose I could say with dance in general.)  
 
I want to share with you how very happy I am that you produced and made available to me the new video.  Every time I watch it I learn something new or relearn something old.  It reminded me of how much I learned at the Intensive this summer, and also just how much more I have to learn. 

Kevin Boggs, Huntington Beach, CA 11/05

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Just a quick note to tell you thanks…again. I come back from every intensive with more knowledge.

My best to you,

Patrick  5/06

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