Seminars, Workshops and Discussions

The Concept

Lindy Leaders is modeled largely on professional and academic conferences. We'll have two separate rooms, operating from 9am-5pm, each featuring focused sessions covering different, specific topics, typically in blocks of only 30 minutes. We're using a combination of academic and practical styles to offer you the best format for learning:

Still More to Come!

We still have many more hours of classes to post!

Seminars — For the real "geeks," our seminars will be more on the academic side and will cover things such as teaching theory, music history, and chances for our Lindy Leaders to share their past mistakes, challenges and successes.
Workshops — Skills like teaching and DJing require practical experience. We'll use exercises to help you develop your skills, and build real experience through mentoring and feedback.
Panel and Group Discussions — Only you know what you really want to learn. Our discussions will give you a chance to ask the questions you need to ask.

The Content (Sneak Preview)

Here's a taste of what we have in store! Yet to come: more topics, and the schedule.

Teaching and Coaching

Using Positive Reinforcement in Troupe Training (Natacha Beausoleil) - It's more than just saying nice things. Natacha's work in Speech Pathology explored the use of positive reinforcement to produce revolutionary results. Learn how she's applied these methods to troupe training for better results!
The Syllabus as Strategy (Byron Alley) - A syllabus is more than just a list of moves. Syllabus design can complement your teaching methods for greatly improved results by focusing on overall strategy.
Syllabus Building (Natacha Beausoleil) - Learn key practical methods for designing a syllabus.
How to Break Down Movements for Teaching (Natacha Beausoleil) - Effectively breaking down movements is a crucial skill for teachers.
Lesson Planning (Bryn Morin) - Before you walk into the class, you need to have a lesson plan. Bryn will show you proven pedagogical techniques and how they apply to swing instruction.
Improv Skills for Teachers (Bryn Morin) - Theatre-based improv skills both as a teaching tool, and as tool for improving your teaching style
Show, Don't Tell (Bryn Morin) - How to communicate things non-verbally. Learn new ways to get a concept across without talking too much.
Zen and the Art of Not Teaching (Byron Alley) - Achieve better results through minimalist teaching. Most teachers explain more than they need to: learn how to identify the things you really need to focus on so that you can teach more material and convey concepts more effectively.

DJing

The Professional DJ (Jason Herron) - Having worked as a professional DJ both within the swing scene and for non-swing clients, Jason will let you know what it takes to be a professional.
Life at the Petit Medley: Making a Swing Night Great (Byron Alley) - Learn what made a little bar on a Tuesday night one of Canada's most successful swing nights, and how you can apply those lessons to building your own scene.
Introduction to Sound Tech for DJs and Organizers (Nathan Shetterley) - Learn to DJ more effectively by gaining a better understanding of the equipment. For organizers: learn about the challenges of sound equipment and what mistakes to avoid, especially when working with a band.
Follow that Song (Nathan Shetterley and Byron Alley) - We challenge you to follow that song! Each DJ will get to follow a previous song with their own choice, and we'll discuss what makes some choices better than others.
Musicography of Sidney Bechet (Nathan Shetterley) - With the popularity of Sidney Bechet, you want to know his music!
Energy and Flow: The Art and the Science of DJing (Byron Alley) - We'll cover strategies for managing the energy of a room through music, and for creating great flow in your DJ set. Learn how to spark your own inspiration, and how to fake it when the inspiration doesn't come.
Musicography of Thomas A. Dorsey. (Claudia Petrilli) - A blues composer turned Gospel singer/composer that every blues and Gospel DJ should know.
Death of the Big Bands and Partner Dancing (Panel Discussion) - We'll examine why the big bands died, what happened to partner dancing, and what this means for the modern swing scene.

Organizing Events

Managing an Organizing Team (Vero Paquet) - You can't do it all alone. Learn tips on running a team to organize your event.
Working with Instructors (Jason Herron) - Whether it's negotiating, hiring, discussing class content or arranging accomodation, many organizers just don't know what to do. Jason will share his own experiences and the tips he's acquired through discussions with other top instructors.
Setting the Tone (Nathan Shetterley) - One of the reasons for the enormous success of the QSRV is how well-defined the tone of the event is. Learn why this is important for your event and how to accomplish it.
The Value-Driven Organization (Byron Alley) - Many of the problems and internal politics that cause problems for organizations are the result of unclear or inconsistent values. Learn about the importance of establishing and honouring values in your group!
Win-Win Negociation (Byron Alley) - For many teachers and organizers, negociation is a stressful part of their work. Eliminate the fear of "screwing up" the negociations and learn to create win-win situations.
Navigating Scene Politics (Discussion) - Share your experiences with community politics.

Performance and Competition

How to Prepare a Show (Natacha Beausoleil) - Over many years with the Swinging Air Force, Natacha has prepared countless shows for swing dancers and corporate clients. Learn about how to manage dancers, schedules and expectations.
Strategies for Choreography (Natacha Beausoleil) - Don't know where to start? Natacha will show you how to break down a song and translate it into movement.