Quality of Movement classes in Bristol, BS9
Check the schedule and book your spot here:
Hi!
I'm Julia Leonard, All Star dancer and teacher, and I love figuring out what makes movement work better 🙂
For a long time, I thought that becoming a better West Coast Swing dancer simply meant… dancing more West Coast Swing.
It took me quite a while to realise that there are things you can’t really develop by dancing alone. Balance, strength, body control, weight transfers, foot articulation, isolations, the ability to relax one part of your body while engaging another… All these are physical skills that need to be trained deliberately.
Once I started working on them outside of my actual WCS dancing, I began to understand my own movement in a completely different way. And, more importantly, I started becoming a better dancer.
That’s why I created these classes: to give WCS dancers a place to work on the physical side of their dancing that we often don’t have time to address in regular classes.
Small groups, lots of individual feedback, and exercises that have one purpose: to help you move better.
If you love WCS but feel that your body isn't always doing what your brain is asking it to do, this is probably worth trying 😉
FAQ
Not quite.
These are movement-training classes specifically designed for West Coast Swing dancers. We won’t spend the session learning a choreography or a sequence of WCS patterns. Instead, we’ll work on the physical skills that directly support your dancing – balance, control, weight transfers, lines, foot articulation, turns, isolations, strength and body awareness.
The idea is to take what you develop in these sessions back onto the WCS dance floor.
The content will vary from week to week, but we may work on things such as:
- core strength and stability
- balance and single-leg control
- weight transfers
- lines and body organisation
- foot articulation
- turns
- isolations
- coordination and body awareness
- relaxation vs engagement
- controlling unnecessary tension
- strength and movement exercises
There will be a mixture of exercises, drills and practical movement work, with plenty of individual feedback.
The classes are open to both leaders and followers and suitable for all dance levels.
You don’t need to be particularly flexible, naturally athletic or an advanced dancer. What you do need is a reasonable level of general physical fitness.
This is a physically active class. You should be comfortable with getting down onto the floor and back up, balancing on one leg and doing basic bodyweight exercises.
If you have a significant physical limitation or injury that affects your ability to do these things, this class may not be suitable for you.
The classes take place in our home studio in Stoke Bishop (BS9), Bristol.
You’ll receive the full address and practical information after booking.
Yes. There is plenty of free street parking available around the studio, and the area is also well served by local buses.
The classes take place in our home studio, which has a maximum capacity of four participants.
The small group also means I can properly see what each person is doing and give you individual corrections and feedback throughout the class.
Wear comfortable, stretchy fitness clothes that allow you to move freely.
You’ll be working on the floor as well as standing, so clothes suitable for exercise are preferable to normal dancewear.
Please bring a second pair of socks – there is a reason for this, and I’ll explain when you arrive. 😉
Please also avoid wearing strong perfume and use deodorant, as we will be working in a small studio and quite close to one another.
Yes. Each Monday is booked separately, subject to availability.
Bookings cannot be cancelled or refunded once made. However, you can transfer your place to another person.
If you can’t attend, please let me know who will be taking your place.