BC Swing Dance Club

The BCSDC Annual General Meeting & Board of Directors election is on February 11th. We will have a lot of turnover on the Board this year, with at least 6 out of 9 members choosing to not return. We are looking to fill all four of the officer positions, which include – President, Vice-President, Treasurer, & Secretary, and the remaining positions will be Directors at Large.

We also have informal roles that we are looking to fill. These are typically filled by Directors of the Board however we will appreciate member assistance with one or more of these roles. Some examples are social media coordinator, website manager (hello!), facility liaison, and 50/50 draw coordinator.

Follow this link to get more details about the Board positions and informal roles:

Help us Make the Club Great!

There will not be any lessons at our February dance (beginner or intermediate) but our usual social dance will follow the AGM at 8pm.

Please note the following:

• you must be a Club member in good standing to attend the AGM
• AGM attendees get free admission to the social dance that night
• AGM attendees get refreshments (pizza, soft drinks, dessert) 5:30-6:00
• masks are required at the AGM

Where: Confederation Centre in Burnaby (4585 Albert Street)

When: Saturday February 11th, doors open at 5:30 pm

– AGM 6 – 8 PM

– Social dance from 8 – 11 PM

DJ: JAmes Atwill _{(bang bang)}

This dance still requires masks to be worn throughout the event. 

Dance Prices: $12 member, $15 guest, $7 student

2023 membership renewals are $20 for the year. You can renew online here: https://bcswingdance.ca/index.php/2020-membership/

We accept cash or card payments at the door.

We still require masks and recommend vaccines. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2023 full of joy, adventure, and of course plenty of dancing!

Was your New Year’s resolution to dance more? Then you’re in luck this month. We have an extra hour of social dancing at no extra charge There will still be a free beginner’s lesson from 7-8pm but no intermediate lesson.

Remember to bring cash if you would like to participate in our 50/50 draw.

The details:

– Free Beginner lesson from 7 – 8 PM

– Social dance from 7 – 11 PM

DJ: Rick Gillespie

This dance still requires masks to be worn throughout the event.

Prices:

– Beginner Lesson: Free!

– Dance: $12 member, $15 guest, $7 student

REMINDER: 2023 membership renewals are $20 for the year

Beginner Lesson Details

Our beginner’s lesson instructor is Dalynne Roberts. Dalynne has been dancing West Coast Swing for the past 10 years and travels to compete in improvisation competitions. She is trained in the Swing Literacy Development Method, and teaches Intro to WCS classes at SwingSoul Sundays at the DanceVancouver studio. A natural teacher, speaker, and entertainer, Dalynne is passionate about making every human feel welcome, included, and inspired.

We accept cash or card payments at the door.

We still require masks and recommend vaccines. 

The holidays are upon us and we hope you join us for another fun-filled evening of dancing. There will be some fun holiday music, door prizes, and we again will have our 50/50 draw (bring cash!). 

Where: Confederation Centre in Burnaby (4585 Albert Street)

When: Saturday December 10th, doors open at 6:30 pm

– Intermediate lesson from 7 – 8 PM

– Free Beginner lesson from 7 – 8 PM

– Social dance from 8 – 11 PM

Our intermediate lesson will be taught by Celina Villarroel Whiting at 7 pm. This workshop will get you acquainted with your own unique body movement and styling. There will be a focus on solo freestyle, mobility drills and technique that will open up your movement vocabulary.

Our free beginner lesson that also begins at 7 pm and will be taught by Amy Shibasaki.

DJ: Santa Claus

The December dance still requires masks to be worn throughout the event. 

Prices:

– Intermediate lesson: $8 member, $10 guest, $4 student

– Beginner Lesson: Free!

– Dance: $12 member, $15 guest, $7 student

2023 membership renewals are $20 for the year (increase from $15). 

About our instructors:

Our intermediate lesson instructor is Celina Villarroel Whiting. Celina began her dance journey at the age of 8, starting with Modern dance and then expanding her training to include Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Salsa, Ballroom, Brazilian Samba, Dancehall, and West Coast Swing. She is a professional dancer and instructor with past credits that include music videos, corporate performances, theatre shows, and dance competitions. She is a graduate from SFU with a BSc. Kinesiology and also works as a Practicing Kinesiologist alongside her dance career. Her expertise in both dance and kinesiology allows her to help teach her students to master their own unique movement. 

Our beginner’s lesson instructor is Amy Shibasaki. Nicknamed “The Poster Child for People Who Can’t Dance” by her friends, Amy is living (dancing?) proof that anyone can get comfortable on the dance floor. She’s been sharing her love of West Coast Swing with new dancers, with local classes and workshops across BC, for over 10 years with her husband Michael.

We accept cash or card payments at the door.

We’re excited to welcome you to our 25th Anniversary – cheers to 25 years of the BCSDC!

A bit of our backstory

Just over 25 years ago, the closest West Coast Swing club was located in Seattle and 4 people, Sharole Negrete, Larry Wolf, Chris Desjardins and J.J. Johnson decided a local club was needed. The initial name was North West Swing Dance Club, which was launched as a non-profit and included a Board of Directors. Using the Seattle Swing Club as their model, participants would pay a fee and be given a one-hour lesson, followed by a dance.

With no social media platforms like Facebook back then, Negrete, Desjardins and the others got the word out by hitting up all the local bars and handing out flyers. About 50 people showed up to the first dance, held at Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park in New Westminster. After operating out of Burnaby’s firefighters’ club, then a few Vancouver halls, the club moved back to Burnaby to Confederation Centre in 2007. Dances were moved from Sunday nights to Saturday nights, and the club’s name changed to B.C. Swing Dance Club. The rest, as they say, is history!

Where: Confederation Centre in Burnaby (4585 Albert Street)

When: Saturday November 19th, doors open at 6:30 pm

• Intermediate lesson from 7 – 8 PM
• Free Beginner lesson from 7 – 8 PM
• Social dance from 8 – 11 PM

Our intermediate lesson will be taught by David Tolksdorff and Claudia Houwers at 7 pm. “1-2 is good for you.” There will be emphasis on everything that fits within the triple.

Our free beginner lesson that also begins at 7 pm and will be taught by Henry Hwi.

The November dance still requires masks to be worn throughout the event.

Prices:

– Intermediate lesson: $8 member, $10 guest, $4 student

– Beginner Lesson: Free!

– Dance: $12 member, $15 guest, $7 student

We are starting renewals for 2023 this month at $20 for the year (increase from $15). Any new member can purchase 2023 and get the rest of 2022 included. You can Click Here To Renew Online Right Now.

About our instructors:

Dave and Claudia have been dancing together for more than 10 years. They both love dancing and prior to getting together they both danced a variety of styles including Ballroom, West Coast Swing and Salsa. They’ve been teaching WCS together for a number of years and enjoy sharing their passion for dance with others.

Henry has been dancing for over 11 years. He started with Salsa and other Latin dance forms, and dabbled with International Ballroom before finding his home with West Coast Swing. Since then, he has increased his WCS dance expression with Tap and Hip Hop.

We accept cash or card payments at the door.

We still require masks and recommend vaccines.