Olga Knows
West Coast Swing Lessons in Houston
Olga Richardson coaches West Coast Swing dancers in Houston at Premier Dance USA, 4003 Bellaire Blvd, Suite GG. Her own championship career was in International Latin, and she brings that foundation to the swing floor: connection, body movement and musicality that make a partnership look effortless.
What she brings to swing
- Move from your center first. It's Olga's signature correction: lead and follow from the body, not the arms, so the connection stays light and clear.
- Body movement and shaping that read from across the room
- Musicality and phrasing, so your dancing matches the song
- Partnership skills that carry over from social dancing to the competition floor
Social dancers and competitors
Whether you dance at local socials or compete at WSDC events, Olga coaches the fundamentals that every level relies on, and travels with students to competitions.
Who comes to Olga for swing
Mostly dancers who already know their basics and feel stuck: patterns they can do but that don't feel smooth, a connection that gets heavy in the arms, or Jack and Jill results that stall at the same level. Ballroom and Latin dancers who want to add swing come too, because so much of what they already know carries over once the timing settles in.
What a first lesson looks like
You dance a song or two the way you normally would. Olga watches the connection first, then the body, then the timing, and picks the one change that will make the biggest difference. Most dancers leave with one clear idea to practice at the next social, rather than a list of ten things to fix.
Questions swing dancers ask
Do I need to bring a partner? No. Private lessons work on your own dancing, and Olga partners you herself so she can feel the connection from the inside.
Can lessons help with Jack and Jill? Yes. Jack and Jill is improvised with a partner you don't choose, so the work is on the things that travel: clear lead and follow, timing and musicality.
Is swing taught the same way as ballroom? No, and the coaching respects that. West Coast Swing is danced in a slot, stays elastic and leaves room for both partners to play, so lessons start from that feel rather than ballroom technique.
How to begin
Call Premier Dance USA at 713.668.2255, email dance@premierdanceusa.com, or text 832.703.0536. The studio is open every day, Monday through Sunday, 10am to 9pm, by appointment. New students start with a $39 introductory lesson, and that one lesson covers a couple.