With the Cat Tracks series we want to celebrate three things: 1) Memphis places and spaces, 2) our amazing students, and 3) the abundant variety of ballroom dance styles.

Pocket Garden

Tucked in an alley in Overton Square is a magical little world of murals, sculptures, and gardens. John is a car guy, so a mural of a vintage vehicle seemed like the perfect place to leave some Cat Tracks.

Our Hoopty Hoop

Colleen started dancing in college, and now John is happily along for the ride. They are smart, kind, and lovely to work with. At the time of this video, they had been dancing with us for about a year. West coast swing is just one of many dances they enjoy, which goes to show what you can accomplish with a little hard work and practice.

West coast swing is a laid back and playful dance that’s perfect for blues and funk. Danced in a “slot” (like an old mechanical bank), it was supposedly developed in Hollywood in the early days of film.

Showing out in Overton Square

Experienced dancers will notice that this demonstration doesn’t contain any whips (a staple of WCS). That’s because they learned this dance over Zoom during lock-down! Whips are tricky to teach by video, but since we’ve resumed in-person lessons, we’ve definitely added them to their repertoire.

West coast swing (sans whips)

Just in case you’ve never seen an antique mechanical bank