“tangible, actionable adjustments while encouraging their vastly different personal styles”
My first experience with Aris was as a dance doll for friends. Watching him tailor the lessons for my two very different friends was inspiring. He focused on very tangible, actionable adjustments while encouraging their vastly different personal styles of both learning and artistry. I immediately booked a lesson for myself. I was so thrilled with the instant feeling of progress after the lesson. He set clear goals and worked to fit the desired results to my body and artistic expression. I have hyper mobile joints, which can make coaching me a bit more challenging, but Aris's personal training experience allowed him to create immediate and safe adjustments for my body. I can't recommend his lessons enough!
“the video critiques with Aris DeMarco are absolute fire”
In terms of video critique, the video critiques with Aris DeMarco are absolute fire. No seriously, you can send him one of your worst comp videos that you strongly disliked and he will break down everything you did right, and everything you can improve on..but he will do it in a kind way that makes you dislike your dancing less and appreciate the dance you gave him to critique more. He also gives feedback insanely fast. I was not expecting a response in weeks. He gave me feedback in less than a day (technically in my case – instant feedback like less than an hour) and that’s insane.
As a dancer, I think it’s very easy to be self-deprecating and dislike your dancing. Aris is very invested in you both as a dancer and person. Aris’s advice is very technical but it’s also again…. very kind, because he does remind you that yeah your dancing isn’t all that bad. You don’t walk away from your critique self loathing all your flaws. If anything, working with him makes you want to incrementally work on your own dance at any given time.
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“feels less like taking a lesson and more like this holistic, comprehensive experience of West Coast Swing”
I found West Coast Swing 3 years ago, and I’ve never been so addicted to improvement in my life. I’m a novice lead with no other social dance background, so I’m something of a clean slate when it comes to this dance. By this point, I’ve been lucky enough to take my fair share of private lessons from teachers across the globe and dance level spectrum. As far as teachers go, however, I cannot express how highly I think of Aris’ teaching style. Here are my highlights as to what made learning with Aris truly unique.
The way he gives feedback.
One of my fatal flaws is that I’m unfortunately picky when it comes to receiving feedback with my dance. After 3 years of dancing, I’ve gotten better at this over time, but it’s still a remarkable chore for me. However, Aris delivers feedback with this impressive combination of patience, grace, and attention to detail, that I blinked and the lesson was already over. I was engaged from start to finish. After most lessons, I’m accustomed to feeling like my brain is full: that if I absorb even one more piece of information, I might explode. After my lesson with Aris, I was surprised to find that I learned more concepts in an hour than ever before, could recall them all, and (here’s the kicker) that I somehow still had the bandwidth for even more!
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“a rare few like Aris are also helpful and invested after your lesson”
I’ve now had private lessons with Aris, dollied follower lessons with Aris, and had video review with Aris. He has gone above and beyond with each session. I definitely recommend working with him, particularly as a duo with someone of the opposite role as he has a unique style of teaching in that format I found highly effective.
Being a good instructor is a separate skill from being a good competitor or a good social dancer. A good instructor pushes for your growth during your lesson, a rare few like Aris are also helpful and invested after your lesson.
I’ve taken private lessons from a large variety of instructors, from long established Champions down to newly risen All Stars. I generally only see Aris at large events with large Champions and All Star divisions. Even with all those choices available to me in that setting, he is someone that I seek out for lessons.
“most informative private lessons I've had from a pro”
I just had an insane private lesson with Aris - his metaphors/analogies and way of explaining concepts is enjoyable and clear, and he has such an eye for pointing out details and skills that can help a dancer elevate. One of the highest quality and most informative private lessons I've had from a pro to date.
“I would not be the dancer I am today without Aris”
I started learning West Coast Swing in August 2023 and quickly grasped the basics with practice. However, when I wanted to improve and compete, I struggled to make it to finals in the novice category. That's when I began taking private lessons with Aris, and my dancing completely changed. Aris has a unique teaching style that helps dancers understand their body movements precisely. His teaching is clear and tailored to your learning needs.
How do I put this…. I would not be the dancer I am today without Aris. Even living in a country that is 6,000 miles away and having taken more video reviews than in-person privates from Aris, he has completely transformed my dance. From not having made a single novice point to placing in an advanced competition, I am astounded at the level of maturity, wisdom, and care for his students that Aris brings. He meets me where I am and pushes my understanding every time I meet with him or reach out for over-the-phone instruction. If you’re even considering a small review or a private lesson, here’s your sign to just do it. You WILL become a better dancer from that chance.