Regular Events
Level 1 & 2 Classes & Social
7-10 PM
Havana Nights, Plumstead
Next class: 9 November
WCS Practice Session
7:45–9:30 PM
Pinelands North Primary School
Next: 5 November
Open practice session
Casual Dancing
6-8 PM
Down to Earth Market
🎉 Tonight!
Informal hangout
WCS Social
Scout Hall, Claremont
Next: November tbd
Monday Classes & Social
Class Flow
Level 2 Class
7:00 – 7:45 PM (teacher approval)
Newcomers Class
7:45 – 8:30 PM (never danced WCS? start here)
Level 1 Class
7:45 – 8:30 PM (all welcome)
Level 2 Practice
7:45 – 8:30 PM
Social Dance
8:30 – 10:00 PM (all welcome)
Details
🌟 Newcomers welcome
Never danced WCS before? Join us from 7:45 PM for a dedicated newcomers class — no partner or experience needed.
📅 When
Every Monday
🕖 Time
7:00 – 10:00 PM
📍 Where
Havana Nights
Plumstead, Cape Town
💰 Cost
R100 per person (class & social)
R300 for the month (Mondays only)
Down to Earth Market
Join local westies for a casual evening of dancing to live music. Not an official WCS event, but a WCS-friendly space where we gather to dance.
What to Expect
🎵 Live Music
Enjoy local musicians performing from 6-8 PM
💃 Small Dance Floor
Dance WCS to the live music when suitable
🎶 WCS Playlist
We plug in our playlist during breaks between sets
🍽️ Market Vibe
Casual atmosphere with food and drinks available
Details
📅 When
Every Wednesday
🕕 Time
6:00 – 8:00 PM
💰 Cost
Free entry to market
Support the market by purchasing from vendors
💡 This is a community market with live music, not a dedicated WCS event. Come hang out, enjoy the vibe, and dance when the music allows!
WCS Practice Session
A friendly space to practise your West Coast Swing
Bring something you'd like to work on and dance it with different partners. Not sure what to practise? Try what we did in class on Monday :)
What to Expect
Pair up and share
Tell your partner what you're practising, then dance it to one song
Chat, then go again
A minute without music to talk it through, then another song. Then we swap partners
Sometimes a theme
Some Thursdays we pick a theme for the first half and practise it together
Details
📅 When
Every Thursday · 7:45–9:30 PM
📍 Where
Pinelands North Primary School
Pinelands, Cape Town
💰 Cost
R50 per person · everyone in our community is welcome
Understanding Class Levels
Newcomer
New to WCS, haven't learnt the basics yet.
Level 1
You know the basics of West Coast Swing, but you still don't feel confident when social dancing. In addition to improving your basics, you want to learn the West Coast Swing fundamentals and be able to dance with any partner.
For dancers who already know the basics and want stronger social confidence.
Level 2
You are not afraid of any tempos. You can social dance with partners of different levels (beginners to advanced) without any problem. Your interest is in trying to find your own style, as well as to start being more musical, not only using the beat of the music, but every bit of its accents. You want to learn new variations, as well as new moves.
✓ Teacher Approval Required
You must be comfortable dancing the 5 basics and understand key concepts below.
Level 2 Entry Requirements
Core Basics (comfortable execution):
- Sugar push
- Left side pass
- Underarm turn
- Sugar tuck
- Basic whip
Fundamental Concepts (understanding & practicing):
- Linear redirections through push, tuck or cut-off
- Rotational redirect through roll-in-roll-out type patterns
- Technique to prep for a travelling turn (e.g. inside roll)
- Dancing in closed position
- Elasticity
- Leading with body-leads, not forceful arm leads
- Followers don't anticipate the lead, and find resistance away before moving
- Followers keep linear and rotational momentum while leads "direct, guide and catch"