I went to a social dance party last weekend. There were visiting salsa professionals in the party. Dancing with them reminded me that it had been a while since I danced with real salsa dancers (read: serious and well-trained dancers whose main dance is salsa) last time.
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The title question is not a joke or anything. The situation happens all the time in a social party. There is a party, and she doesn't know WCS. She is willing to learn. Now what?
Frankly, I hate to see some guy "teaching" some made-up random dance or choreographing his own moves that no one else can follow. I'd say, leaders, you got to teach solid basics she can use. If you teach salsa basic steps to her, she can have fun afterwards with other guys with the universal basic steps all night long. Why can't WCS be like that?
Anyone can be a beginner if she has never done the particular dance before. She can be a great salsa dancer/performer/teacher, yet she can still be a beginner for WCS.
So here is how usually I teach her in 3 minutes.
"Listen to this song. Do you like this song? Good. Now, listen to the downbeat. 1-2-3-4-5-6.....You are supposed to step with the down beats. Okay?"
"WCS is a slotted dance, meaning you travel on a straight line, from here to there"
"I'll teach you 6 count basics first. Stand on your left leg. That's your ready position."
"Now, the basic steps are 1-2, triple step, triple step. 1-2 is walk two steps straight forward."
"When I pull your hand, you start 1-2,then triple, triple, traveling on the straight line from here to there (the other end of the slot)."
[so I am teaching the basic 6 count sidepass or underarm pass. I'd dance only the basics for a while, making sure it feels right. Usually two-hands connection works better.]
Then I'd add some other details, like;
"You keep looking at your partner, and your chest is facing to your partner"
"I lead you with this hand connection. I'll keep my hand steady so you can follow it. You keep it steady, too."
"It's a "swing" dance. Do you know what swing is? That one in the park. Remember the motion. You start slow, then fast, and slow, you swiiieeeeeeng. You'd feel the slow-fast-slow flow of motion in this dance."
[This is "swing"]
"Last triple 5-6 is usually called anchoring triple."
If she has quick feet, add spins in 3-4. If she is a well-trained dancer, I can keep her spinning for 3-4-5-6-7-8-...for a little challenge.
Probably this much takes about 3 minutes. The song would be over.
I need to use or teach compression to teach push steps. She may not have good arm frame, and it's going to take a little more explanation, so usually I don't teach push steps in the first 3 minutes.
If she is ready, I could go on to add more 6 count variations, like tuck in turn.
Or, (if she is ready) I'd just use 8 count basic whip with some stretchy exaggeration in the contrast in "1-2" and "3-and-4", and tell her that there are two basic count patterns and steps; 6-count basics and 8-count basics.
If she is ready for all this, then I'd say that you can take the patterns apart, and recombine them to make it more improvisational.
Overall, I'd just teach basic 6 count, sidepass and underarm pass in the first 3 minutes. I'll focus on making the dance comfortable and done correctly.
Correctly done WCS basics feel smooth, flowing and comfortable. I can have fun and a good time just doing nice basics. I don't mind teaching. Don't be shy and give WCS a try.
I guess this entry is technical enough already. This entry is for consideration for fellow WCS leaders who's got a willing partner who wants to try WCS for the first time.
