Join this Facebook group to get updates/ride shares/roomshares for the events Burlington Westies are attending.
| Event | Styles | Location | Travel (hours) | Direct Flight | WSDC | |
| Jan | Sweet Side of Swing | WCS | Atlanta, GA | 2 or 5 Fly | ATL | |
| Jan | Freedom Swing Dance Challenge | WCS | Philadelphia, PA | 2 Fly, 7 Drive | PHL | ✓ |
| Feb | The Flurry | Contra, Folk | Saratoga, NY | 2.5 Drive | ||
| Mar | Mid Atlantic Dance Jam (MADjam) | WCS | Tysons Corner, VA | 2 Fly, 9 Drive | IAD/DCA | ✓ |
| Mar | The Chicago Classic | WCS, Hustle | Rosemont, IL | 2 Fly | ORD | ✓ |
| Mar | The Boston Tea Party | WCS, Lindy | Boston, MA | 3.5 Drive | ✓ | |
| Apr | Endless Summer Swing Camp | WCS | Boston, MA | 3.5 Drive | ||
| Apr | Camp Westie | WCS | State College, PA | 8 Drive | ||
| Apr | Montreal Bagel ‘n’ Blues | Blues, Fusion | Montréal, QC | 1.75 Drive | ||
| May | Swingin’ Into Spring | WCS | Hartford, CT | 3.75 Drive | ✓ | |
| May | Canada Zouk Conference | Zouk | Toronto, ON | 6.75 Drive | ✓ | |
| May | Canadian Swing Championships | Lindy, WCS | Sherbrooke, QC | 2.5 Drive | ✓ | |
| May | Grand National Dance Championships | WCS, Shag | Atlanta, GA | 2 or 5 Fly | ATL | ✓ |
| Jun | Michigan Classic | WCS | Detroit, MI | 2 Fly | DTW | ✓ |
| Jun | Liberty Swing Dance Championships | WCS | New Brunswick, NJ | 5.5 Drive, 2 Fly | EWR | ✓ |
| Jul | Big Apple Country Dance Festival | Country, WCS | Secaucus, NJ | 5 Drive, 2 Fly | LGA/EWR | ✓ |
| Jul | Toronto Open Swing/Hustle Champs | WCS, Hustle | Toronto, ON | 7 Drive | ✓ | |
| Jul | Nocturne Blues | Blues | New York, NY | 5.5 Drive | ||
| Aug | Sweet Molasses Blues | Blues | Boston, MA | 3.5 Drive | ||
| Aug | Swing Fling | WCS, Hustle | Tysons Corner, VA | 2 Fly, 9 Drive | IAD/DCA | ✓ |
| Aug | New England Dance Festival | Country, WCS | Newton, MA | 3.5 Drive | ✓ | |
| Aug | Summer Hummer | WCS | Framingham, MA | 3.75 Drive | ✓ | |
| Sep | Philly Swing Classic | WCS | Philadelphia, PA | 2 Fly, 7 Drive | PHL | ✓ |
| Oct | NYC Zouk Fest | Zouk | NYC | 5.5 Drive | ||
| Oct | Montreal Westie Fest | WCS | Montréal, QC | 1.75 Drive | ✓ | |
| Nov | Swingin’ New England | WCS, Lindy | Newton, MA | 3.5 Drive | ✓ | |
| Nov | Boston Brazilian Dance Fest | Zouk, Kizomba | Natick, MA | 3.5 Drive | ||
| Nov | DJ Experiment | Fusion | Philadelphia, PA | 2 Fly, 7 Drive | PHL | |
| Nov | DC Swing eXperience | WCS | Herndon, VA | 2 Fly, 9 Drive | IAD | ✓ |
| Nov | The US Open | WCS | Burbank, CA | 9 Fly | ✓ | |
| Nov | Swingle Bell Rock | WCS | Newark, NJ | 5.5 Drive, 2 Fly | EWR | ✓ |
| Dec | Upstate Dance Challenge | WCS | Albany, NY | 3 Drive | ✓ | |
| Dec | SnowBound Blues | Blues | Rochester, NY | 6 Drive | ||
| Dec | New Years Dance Extravaganza | WCS | Framingham, MA | 3.5 Drive | ✓ |
Event Advice
Our instructors have been attending dance events every month for years, and offer the following advice to improve your event experience.
Get the Early Bird Rate
Event registration prices go up as you get closer to the event, so pay attention to those deadlines.
Reserve a room early
Hotel rooms at popular events fill up fast. Reserve a room (or join in on a friend’s reservation) as soon as possible. Many hotels let you book and cancel reservations for free.
Split your hotel costs!
Hotel rooms are usually around ~$120 a night. For 3 nights you can pay:
$360 yourself
$180 each with a 2nd person (Save $180)
$120 each with a 3rd person (Save another $60)
$90 each with a 4th person (Save another $30)
$72 each with a 5th person (Save another $18)
$60 each with a 6th person (Save another $12)
Having your own hotel room is VERY expensive. There’s no reason to not have at least one roommate. The sweet spot seems to be 4 or 5 people in a room. Use the savings to go to more events or take a private lesson.
Treat each night individually
Be explicit about who plans to stay each night. Divide the room rate by the number of people staying each night to figure out who owes what.
Example:
Alice Thu Fri Sat 60 + 30 + 30 = $120
Bob Thu Fri Sat 60 + 30 + 30 = $120
Claire Fri Sat 30 + 30 = $60
Doug Fri Sat 30 + 30 = $60
Notice that if you have four people and only two of you are staying Thursday night, you would each save $20 by finding a third person for just Thursday night.
Canceling Ettiquite
If you agree to join a room but can’t go, help your roommates find a replacement or plan to pay for your share of the room.
Use Facebook to Coordinate
Create a group facebook message to communicate who’s staying what nights, cell numbers, names on the reservation, the room number, who has the extra key cards, who’s bringing an air mattress, etc.
Request a Room Near the Ballroom
You end up walking to your hotel room many times over the weekend for breaks, napping, competition preparation, and outfit changes. Being close to the ballroom or elevator saves you time and gives you more energy for dancing.
Request Extra Towels
When you have 4+ people in a room, you will need extra towels. Call the front desk and request them when you’re unpacking.
Carpool
Be vocal on facebook about when you’re leaving / returning so you can take advatange of carpooling.
Bring Food
A fantastic way to save money is to eat out of your hotel room. Either before your trip or after you arrive, hit up a grocery store and go bananas. Every dollar spent at the grocery store is $9 saved in the hotel restaurant. Eating in your room is also more efficient and convenient. Ask your facebook thread if the room comes with a fridge or if someone’s bringing a cooler.
Bring a Bathing Suit
Most hotels have a pool and hot tub.
Bring Ear Plugs
With multiple roommates out dancing late night, ear plugs can be worth their weight in gold. Ear buds also work in a pinch.
Sign up for the Newcomer Jack & Jill
It’s low pressure and tons of fun. We have yet to have a student who regretted dancing in this contest.