Who is Mark Traynor?

Mark has been involved with the Dance Industry in every capacity for over 35 years. Since concentrating primarily upon West Coast Swing (WCS) for the past 21 years he has helped establish many techniques now being taught and used throughout the WCS circuit nationwide. Because he has never been a competitor on the circuit it took some time for his Floorplay concepts to spread and take hold across the nationwide West Coast community but now can be seen and are used everywhere by dancers and instructors alike, possibly without ever knowing where they originated.

Mark has suggested for years that because of the ever expanding possibilities, as well as techniques already utilized and accepted by the WSDC, NASDE and the dance community in general, WCS should be re-classified as another dance form completely. Aficionados of the dance will tell you that what we’re doing today, and have been doing for quite some time is not classic WC anymore but a much more advanced, all inclusive form of Swing that has evolved far beyond its original intent and syllabus.

Today, Mark continues to be an innovative force thru his Floorplay Dance Clubs and teaching concepts. Here are several that have helped make today’s WCS a much easier dance to learn, execute and understand as it continues to evolve.

Read Mark’s Articles

Various Steps, Patterns and Movements
The Extended Count
The ‘Play’ Set-Up

It is a difficult enough business to earn a decent living exclusively without having to contend with amateurs who decide to anoint themselves as instructors based solely upon their ability to execute and understand some of the concepts of whatever dance they’ve managed to become proficient in, and then market themselves openly to unsuspecting beginners who have no basis to judge their qualifications. Usually, these are males whose ego, need to make a few ‘easy’ extra dollars and/or recognize the effect of being a respected Dancer / Instructor has on the opposite sex and how it would greatly enhance their social life, whom decide to take advantage of it. These are some of the same behavioral scandals that have plagued respected Dance Studios and reputable independent Instructors thru the years – “Take their money and take advantage of the women if you can” is a common charge and suspicion that continually has to be overcome because of the few who give the title Dance Instructor a bad rep and cheapens the profession.

Although most “chain’ studios have been known to put a hard sell on it’s prospective clients while offering an ‘Introductory Course’, these Ballroom oriented studios also usually offer the most qualified Instructors because of their extensive training courses. Instructors are drilled and tested thru several dances to learn both the mans & women’s step patterns with ‘school figures’, danced and tested thru all of the steps in both parts and trained in timing, lead & follow, posture, styling and the nuances adherent to each individual dance. If they’re lucky, they’ve also been trained in the mechanics of, as well as all of the intricacies involved in choreography. And if they’re really lucky, they were tested by having to watch their coach dance with others and expected to pick out what went wrong, why, and how it should be corrected. This is an exercise not utilized enough. As well as how to relate to the several different ways people learn and process information. Yet it is still up to the individual Instructor to take their profession seriously, respect it and continually strive to perfect their craft.

Unfortunately many do not, but fortunately, they are the ones who don’t survive in the profession for very long. But until they, and the ‘self-anointed’ teachers are exposed for the inept frauds they are, they manage to take advantage of unsuspecting new students for a period of time, almost always in the social dance world and usually in whatever dance(s) happen to be the current ‘craze’. I’m not saying that such intense training is necessary to be an effective Instructor, but many of these imposters have done nothing more than take some workshops and/or bought some other Instructors videos and copied their teaching techniques. Dancing in its many forms constantly evolves and the smart Instructor evolves their teaching practices along with them. But certain aspects remain constant and a complete understanding is required to be a well informed, effective, qualified Instructor. None of us will ever know it all, and as students you may find you relate to one Instructors’ methods better than another. And there’s no doubt you’ll be able to learn something from each of them, even the frauds, but eventually you’ll find the best teacher for you and when you do stick with them. They have your best interests at heart, not money, not the prospect of sex, and once they are able to determine how you best process information given, they can more easily and quickly help you improve.

Before committing yourself to a certain Instructor, ask questions of others they have taught, or tried to teach, or even just some people who may know them. Find out some background and experience. Begin with some less expensive group lessons at first and use privates to really fine tune proper techniques and styling etc. The cost of private lessons may seem extreme at first but the benefits, although initially intangible, you’ll find to be very rewarding whether you’re doing it for yourself or as a couple.

Dancing is an extremely fun, healthy, ever evolving hobby you can take with you everywhere and continuously improve at naturally just by doing it more often. It offers exercise without having to join a gym, therapy without paying a therapist, the opportunity to fully enjoy music, an art form and a friendly social life just by showing up to enjoy yourself! It’s really the most enjoyable thing anyone can do – in public. But be on the alert for those who masquerade themselves as Instructors without the benefit of proper training. Most are ‘moonlighting’ because they’ve found it’s an easy way to supplement their income and/or social life deficiencies.

True Professionals are not motivated by money. If they were, they wouldn’t be Dance Instructors because of the difficulty to earn a livable wage as such. There is nothing more disturbing to those of us who have dedicated ourselves to this profession than some imposter who has decided to market themselves as a Professional to take advantage of money, women or simply because their ego demands they need more attention. They cheapen and insult the profession and should all be exposed for the unscrupulous imposters they are.