Why LotP?

As a community leader, I aim to find "gaps" in the community, and create ways to fill them, in an attempt to meet the needs of the dance community. Here are a few of the ones that I've seen most recently:

1. Upper tier dancers (Adv+) are EXHAUSTED from being contracted to do so many things at an event.

2. Westie attendees are exhausted from 3-4 days straight of schedule-packed, back-to-back things to do, and are looking for more part-dance, part-social, part-social events.

3. The westie community at large has been asking for "How do we continue to get more people involved in our dance community?"

4. There's a band of Novice dancers that are above "Here are my Basics" and below "moving up to Intermediate" but don't know what they need to do to get better and have been struggling to do so for the last X amount of time.

5. Altruistic Westies that want to give back to the community somehow, but not in the stereotypical ways of teaching, DJing, Event-Directing, etc.

 

LotP is a brainstorm of attempting to address these:

1. For LotP staff, we have 3 pieces: 

   1. Teach if you are passionate to share that love with others, especially Newcomer/Novice dancers

   2. Dance in our non-judged Invitational to expose the Palouse to what WCS can be!

   3. Social dance with us to help grow our community.

      1. That's it! We want this to be a low time commitment, so you can get a break too! Breathe, relax, and please, rest. Y'all take a well-deserved reprieve. 

2. LotP is meant to be a lighter event for attendees. 1 night of social dancing, then 1 day of workshops with an evening show and some more dancing. Lots of breaks, and best of all, minimal room swaps!

3. THE PURPOSE OF LOTP IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE, AN OUTREACH EVENT. There are many WSDC events, and they do a fantastic job at providing momentum for the existing WCS community. LotP is meant to show the rest of the world what WCS can be, and what the next iteration of WCS culture can look like.

4. Been stuck in Novice for longer than you would have liked? Let's talk! The Palouse is dedicated to being a stomping grounds for bringing experienced instructors to frustrated dancers, helping unsnag those tough points and turning on those light bulbs to get you to the next step.

5. Not everyone is a teacher, or a DJ, or an Event Director, etc. Find a place in your community that has a gap that you're passionate about, and go for it! 

   1. Wanna organize some of your local scene to do a bonding trip to the Palouse? 

   2. See a topic that isn't talked about often in the WCS community (like Follows' Boundaries or Leaders' Empathy) and want to make a workshop around it? 

   3. Want to collaborate with excited beginner Westies to help bring them into the community?

   4. Want to prove that you "know your stuff" by dancing up Newcomer/Novice and ensure that you aren't relying on your partner to overextend themselves to meet you where you're at?

 

LotP is focused on creating a stage for having these topics and opportunities brought out into the open, so we can have conversations, and find ways to give back to the community. Brainstorm ideas to improve it. Keep it safe and inclusive for everyone.

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I can't, nor do I want to, do it alone. This just a dream that I have, and a direction that I'm going. But if you are interested in helping us on this journey, message me. It can be about anything, but I believe that with these thoughts in mind, the next iteration of the community can address some real Achilles' heels in the community while also preserving the dance, the culture, and WCS roots for years to come.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thank you for continuing to engage in our community. I see your efforts, and I appreciate it. 

 

- Brendan