Customer Reviews

West Coast Swing for Beginners Volume One: Shawn Trautman's Dance Collection

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My wife and I are new to ballroom dancing in the last year. We've taken some lessons, but found that we needed the extra help of videos that we can use on our own schedule in our home and we've tried a bunch of them. This DVD and the whole series of new videos from Shawn Trautman have been a godsend and much more useful to us than the others we've tried. We are actually doing the dances within a short time and having fun, rather than getting aggravated with one another. Trautman's emphasis on the differing roles of leader and follower and the very clear demonstrations of those roles have helped us enormously. These DVDs include much more music and time to practice the new steps than most videos, rather than just watching an instructor do a step and go to another step. We like this video a lot and strongly recommend it. On a side note, the logistics/timing of shipping and subsequent email communications with the company were, after many frustrations with other online outfits, the best we've seen.

I've heard it said Shawn Trautman "owns" the West Coast Swing and it's true. This couple nails the instruction of West Coast Swing. This DVD will save you hundreds of dollars in lessons.

My spouse and I have watched a number of dance videos. Some are pretty good, some not so good. Shawn and Joanna's are first rate. We have several, including West Coast Swing for Beginners I and II, Intermediate West Coast Swing, and Beginning Hustle. We have already ordered several more.What do we like about them? I'm glad you asked:

Shawn's instructions are VERY clear. He has a background as a trainer, so this helps in his ability to communicate instructions. He uses the old adage, "tell them what you're gonna tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them--except he substitutes the word "show" for "tell." They may not be the most "entertaining" products on the market, but they are probably the most thorough.

They focus on technique, which is just as important as knowing lots of steps. They always spend a lot of time talking about connection points, tips for leading and following, styling, etc. Some people think their pace is too slow, but I assure you that once you finish you will know how to dance, and how to dance correctly.

At the beginning of each section (usually there are four sections on a video) Shawn will demonstrate the steps he is about to teach (and will explainn what it is that they are about to teach). This is extremely valuable because when you come back later to review (which you invariably will), you don't have to go back through the whole lesson, you can just get the highlights. In most cases, that's all you will need. By the way, this solves one of the problems of live classes. Usually you forget key details of what you learned and you have no way of reviewing until your next lesson. With Shawn and Joanna's videos, you can literally get a review of an entire lesson in just five minutes.

The lighting and sound is professional. Joanna adds a bit of personality to the duo. This is refreshing because in a lot of videos, only the guy teaches. Joanna isn't just a pretty face along for the ride. She provides women with valuable information about what the lead should feel like and how to follow.

We took a 90 minute West Coast Swing class locally. We learned probably twice as much in our 90 minutes with Shawn and Joanna than we did in the same amount of time with a live dance instructor, and did I forget to mention the fact that you are able to go back and review as often as necessary. Dollar for dollar, you just cannot go wrong with these videos.

I only have two criticisms. One stems from the inherent nature of learning to dance off of a DVD and the other is something Shawn and Joanna can actually correct. First, you don't get feedback from an instructor to tell you whether what you are doing is correct. This is where supplementing the DVD's with a class might be helpful. However, you'll cut down your expenses since you won't need as much instruction. The second problem is that sometimes they get to fancy with the cameras. Just as they are about to introduce a step, the camera will zoom in or out, which can be kind of distracting and it takes a couple seconds for your eyes to adjust.

Overall, these are excellent products that I would highly recommend.

Other than dancing with my son at his wedding, I am a dancing "newbie"--so green that I was reluctant to go to a dance class! I have wanted to learn to dance for many years but never had a partner so I decided to take matters into my own hands and begin with DVD instruction. I made several unsuccessful phone calls with various suppliers until I happened upon Shawn Trautman's order department. An operator helped me personally select the first two DVD's to suit my needs and then long-story-short, I have purchased 12 DVD's to date. I received a personal email follow-up making sure that I had received the DVD's and that I was satisfied.

Shawn Trautman's teaching style is comprehensive and clear allowing for plenty of practice time within the lesson. The DVD format has all chapters clearly labeled allowing for precise access to a desired spot in the lesson. He and his wife, Joanna, give the lessons with plenty of tips for men on how to lead effectively and for the women, how to follow responsively...also provided are the much-needed tips on how to look stylish and confident as you take your first steps on the dance floor. It's great for us who fit into the "fake it 'til you make it" category!

I was cautioned by dancing friends to make sure the instruction I received was accurate as to avoid learning faulty technique. I have learned enough at home to Swing dance with several different partners and I have been complimented on my technique when I confess that I am a beginner. Thanks for the great product!

My husband and I took a dance class about 2 years ago in preparation for our wedding. We learned the basic steps but after our "first dance", we never used them again. After watching this DVD, we were ready to hit the dance floor once again. The step-by-step directions were easy to follow. The re-cap of what was taught in each section really helped us put it all together. We were all over our carpet - literally cutting a rug. :) The instructors really make it look easy so we found it easy to follow. The title should be West Coast Swing for Dummies. I can't wait to get another DVD to learn a new dance.

Shawn and Joanna Trautman are excellent instructors! This DVD shows all the basics of West Coast Swing so that you can learn in the privacy of your own home and then go out and impress everyone at the clubs! I was able to follow easily-it felt like they were teaching me in person.

We already had an intro to West Coast Swing but this DVD gave us a rock solid foundation on which to build and incorporate the few steps we had already learned. Shawn and Joanna start with the basics - connection points, lead and follow, footwork - and build from there. They provide step-by-step explanation and demonstration of each step for both the leader and follower. So whether your are brand new to WCS or have had a taste but want to make sure you have a good foundation, this is a great place to start. We highly recommend it.

Shawn and Joanna broke it down into basics that I could understand. West Coast Swing always intimidated me before, but not anymore. Easy to follow, and it was as if they were in my living room with me. I recommend this highly.

The instructors did a good job of breaking down the basics of west coast swing, including footwork, connection, leverage, lead and follow and the style of the dance. The video flowed well and was easy to follow along.

This West Coast Swing video combined the rhythm and dance steps all together for me so that I can actually do them! I like the way both the leader and the follower can learn the steps and patterns of this dance easily during the video because of the views of the footwork and rhythm that can be seen from the side. You can tell that these instructors know exactly what you need to see to learn the steps, especially the compression and leverage part that makes this dance different from other dance styles! I know that I will review this lesson again and I am really looking forward to learning additional steps in Volume 2 of Shawn's West Coast Swing Dance Collection!