The Teachers: Ruth and Mike

Ruth and Mike are full-time international dance teachers, focusing on blues and jazz vernacular dances. They both love carrot juice, smoky Scotch whisky, and philosophical discussions but differ on the use of the oxford comma. They have been known to fishtail in grocery stores and swing out in the aisles of moving trains. Students rave about their dynamic energy, precise explanations, entertainment value, and ability to make very detailed dance technique fun to learn.

Check out ruthandmike.com and follow them on Facebook.

Ruth Evelyn skipped into her first dance class more than 25 years ago, and has since been dancing as many styles as she can get her feet on.
Ruth’s 15+ years as a dance instructor have taken her on teaching adventures across the US, Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia. She has continually developed both her teaching and her dancing skills. Ruth is known for her ability to craft explanations that fit students’ learning styles. She brings a vibrant mixture of deep technical knowledge, passion for movement, and silly fun that students can’t help but connect with.
In addition to training in blues, lindy, Argentine tango, modern, ballet and many other dance forms, Ruth is certified in Franklin Method, an increasingly popular body somatics method. She has a long-standing love affair with close-embrace connection, has sneakily swung out in the Louvre, and is curating a fine collection of fishtail variations.

Mike reluctantly started social dancing in college when a couple of his friends persuaded him to do some ballroom east coast swing in their dorm social lounge. In the many years since then, dance has steadily taken over Mike’s life. He has now danced until sunrise more times than he remembers, been a dance nomad with no home base for years, and taught around the US, Canada, and Europe.
As an instructor, Mike strives to put himself in his students’ shoes so that he can explain techniques as intuitively and thoroughly as possible. He loves seeing students’ eyes light up when they understand a concept or feel a movement work naturally in their body for the first time.
Mike is constantly working on his movement. If you run into Mike at grocery store, on public transit, in a museum, or on a mountain top, you’ll probably catch him dancing.

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Classes and Schedule 

Classes during the workshop will be divided in three modules. You can sign up for only one of them, or to all three - just be mindful of your dance experience! In other words, if you're a Blues veteran that wants to go back to the basics, we are on board with that; if you're a complete beginner that thinks in might be fun to swim in the deep blue waters of Advanced Blues, maybe we'll have to discourage that, to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible during the workshop. 

For a description of the different classes, please click here. You can see a schedule, including venues and socials here.

Module 1: Beginner Blues
Friday 5pm - 8pm - St Andrews Episcopal Church

This module is for the Blues newbies - if you have a few months' of classes in your pocket or you've only done some high-school blues at prom, Ruth and Mike have something for you! Come on over for 3 hours of  Ruth and Mike's best introduction to blues dancing, including What Makes It Blues?, Essential Turns, and Put On Your Travelling Shoes. 

Module 2: Intermediate Infirmary Blues
Saturday 10 am - 1:30 pm - Holy Trinity Church Hall

This guy is for the Blues enthusiasts. You love your blues dancing, you think you're doing pretty well, and you feel like you want to step beyond what your beloved local teacher has been trying to teach you for the past year or two. Three hours of classes, including the hits All of the Connection All of the Time, On the Pulse, and Muddy Wolf. 

Module 3: Advanced Andrews Blues
Saturday 3pm - 6:30 pm - Holy Trinity Church Hall

And finally, a treat for all you rusty bluesy people out there, that are ever looking for more blues in your veins. Ruth and Mike are going to offer you (almost) all of their dirty dance secrets in Ballroomin' Spirit, Oooh Aaaah, and Dance Hugs. Careful, only sign up to this level if you're ready for some serious blues work!

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Pricing and Registration

Practical Info

One Module (Beginner Blues OR Intermediate Infirmary Blues OR Advanced Andrews Blues) -  £18*/20
Two Modules (Beginner + Intermediate OR Intermediate + Advanced) - £32/35
Three Modules (Beginner + Intermediate + Advanced) -  £45/50

Registration is now open.
*Discount for members of SDSA

We will aim to provide hosting for all dancers from outside St Andrews. Please let us know that you need hosting on your registration form.
If you want to know more about St Andrews and how to get there, take a look here.