The West Coast Swing community is thriving and it’s time for us to connect and share ideas 😀 To this end, we’re excited to offer a two-day gathering on October 4th and 5th of 2025 in Nuremberg.
Let’s come together and exchange our experiences.
We aim to establish a platform called Westie Wisdom where teachers and organisers from the West Coast Swing community can engage in discussions on topics that are relevant to the scene. Areas of focus may include…
- collaboration
- opportunities
- workshop organisation
- the first lesson
- promotional strategies
- level categorisation
- DJing
- and much more
We won’t dictate topics for discussion — instead we will provide a structure and a programme. Feel free to bring your own subjects to the table!
The meetup will take the form of a BarCamp. Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with this format; it's incredibly straightforward.
At the start of the day, all participants will gather for a theme-finding session, which will proceed at a brisk pace. Each person will be asked in turn what they're currently interested in, and they should respond in just one or two sentences (for example: expressing their thoughts about organising a registry event).
Clara (the host) will jot down the topics before moving on to the next person. Once everyone has shared their topics, we will use an app to vote on which twelve will make it to the conference agenda, and then the conference will kick off.
The meetup will take the form of a BarCamp. Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with this format; it's incredibly straightforward.
At the start of the day, all participants will gather for a theme-finding session, which will proceed at a brisk pace. Each person will be asked in turn what they're currently interested in, and they should respond in just one or two sentences (for example: expressing their thoughts about organising a registry event).
Clara (the host) will jot down the topics before moving on to the next person. Once everyone has shared their topics, we will use an app to vote on which twelve will make it to the conference agenda, and then the conference will kick off.
At the beginning of each session round, participants take a moment to review the conference schedule and choose which classroom to attend, thereby selecting their topic of interest.
In the classrooms, a variety of activities can unfold; the individual who proposed the topic determines the format of the session, whether it leans more towards a presentation, an exchange of ideas, or an open discussion.
Typically, most topic facilitators share their insights for about ten minutes, after which dialogue and discussion flow naturally.
The schedule is complemented by traditional presentations featuring a projector and PowerPoint slides.
For each of the four sessions at 10:45am, 12:00pm, 2:30pm, and 3:45pm, attendees can choose to participate in one of the three discussion sessions starting at that time, which have been planned for the beginning of the day, or to be entertained by a prepared presentation.
To conclude the conference day, an open WCS training session will be offered at 5:00pm. Later, at 7:30pm, everyone is invited to the main hall for a dance party with our club members.
The schedule is complemented by traditional presentations featuring a projector and PowerPoint slides.
For each of the four sessions at 10:45am, 12:00pm, 2:30pm, and 3:45pm, attendees can choose to participate in one of the three discussion sessions starting at that time, which have been planned for the beginning of the day, or to be entertained by a prepared presentation.
To conclude the conference day, an open WCS training session will be offered at 5:00pm. Later, at 7:30pm, everyone is invited to the main hall for a dance party with our club members.
To help you better envision the event, here is a sample session plan filled with topics.
This is merely an example; we still need to finalise the specific talks for the sessions highlighted in purple, while the topics for the discussion sessions marked in light blue will be collaboratively determined just one hour before the conference begins, following the Barcamp style.
Here are some impressions from Westie Wisdom 2024 🙂
- Photo 1 — Saturday 9:30am
Clara warmly welcomed the participants in the school auditorium but perhaps a bit too exuberantly! This kind of unnecessary enthusiasm is often why our association is not perceived as serious… after the weekend she received quite the stern talking to from the board - Photo 2 — 9:40am
The thirty participants were then asked in turn about the WCS-related topics currently on their minds - Photo 3 — 10:25am
After collecting materials and conducting an online vote, Clara jots down the most popular topics on the session plan - Photo 4 — 10:30am
Within just an hour, twelve engaging topics and four presentations were outlined in the conference schedule - Photo 5 — 10:45am
In the classrooms, small groups engaged in presentations discussions and shared experiences - Photo 6 — 8:00pm
To conclude the day there was a dance party with participants from the concurrently running workshop weekend
(you can click on the photos to view them in a larger size)
The conference will be held in the historic Old Town of Nuremberg, which – much like the average inhabitant of our town – presents a captivating blend of beauty and ugliness.
Over these two days, we will utilise the classrooms and gyms of Johannes-Scharrer-Gymnasium. However, for open training sessions, we will move to our regular venue, Willstätter Gymnasium, where the members of our club dance five evenings a week.
Right in the heart of the city, attendees can indulge in a variety of culinary delights during breaks or take a five-minute stroll to the castle for a breathtaking view.
During the two days of the Westie Wisdom Conference, we will also be hosting a weekend of workshops spread across three different halls.
In the evenings, workshop and conference participants will gather for a lively party on the following dates:
- Friday 3rd October — from 8pm until late at Willstätter,
- Saturday 4th October — from 7pm until late at Scharrer, and
- Sunday 5th October — from 6pm to 10pm at Willstätter.
The conference will be led by our club teacher Clara Deiters who will be available for you before, during, and after the event.
Clara has been an excellent instructor for West Coast Swing for many years; however, there have been challenges associated with her exuberant energy and optimistic personality, which sometimes lack the austerity, discipline, and heavy-handedness that our board expects and for which our club is known regionally.
To address this, we have appointed our vice-chair, professional killjoy Dr Anja Brückner, as a supervisory presence.
Another vital member of the leadership is you because in the discussion sessions you have control; when you propose a topic, you determine how it should be handled: you can deliver a presentation, moderate a discussion, incorporate practical exercises, or simply say „Tell me what you think about this topic.“
You can enjoy a complimentary overnight stay in one of the gymnasiums we have available on this weekend!
There are plenty of mats for your comfort 🙂 Since we have rented a total of four gymnasiums for the workshop weekend (which runs parallel to the conference), but we’ll use only one the biggest one of them for the dance party, you won’t have to wait until the party ends before you can get some well-deserved rest.
As a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of swing dance, Super Secret Moves e.V. organises this and other events through a great deal of unpaid work and without the intention of making a profit; therefore, we only need to charge a modest fee to cover our expenses.
For Westie Wisdom, this fee is set at 25 euros, which grants you access to two full days of progam including three dance parties, along with snacks and drinks.
