How to Get Started

For more info on how to maximise your use of the GSS Courses please click on a category button below.

quick start guide

Sign up on the Essential, Advanced or Elite Course (see Comparison of Courses here)
Fill out your Profile details
Start watching the course topic videos, answering the quizzes, and practicing the technical and artistic drills to later be applied into steps
Go to the FAQ page or Contact Us when you have questions

Social Dancer

Newcomer

Level: Newcomer – I have never danced Smooth before

Goals: Learn how to dance Smooth

Action:

Sign up for the Essential Course and work through the course lessons in the order presented to learn great technique from the start of your dance journey.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance and
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to learn step patterns.

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate – I have been social dancing for a few years now

Goals: Improve your dancing

Action:

Sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Experienced

Level: Elite – I am a very experienced social dancer

Goals: Become an outstanding dancer

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Elite Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

Amateur Dancer

Newcomer

Level: Newcomer – I am new to Pro-Am Smooth

Goals: Learn how to dance Smooth

Action:

Sign up for the Essential Course and work through the course lessons in the order presented to learn great technique from the start of your dance journey.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance and
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to learn step patterns.

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate/Advanced – I have been social dancing for a few years now

Goals: Improve your dancing

Action:

Sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the additional course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that addresses an aspect of your dancing that you would like to explore further
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Experienced

Level: Elite – I am a very experienced social dancer

Goals: Become an outstanding dancer

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the additional course lessons in the order presented, or pick a lesson topic to explore that addresses both weakness and strengths in your dancing you would like to improve further.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s elite group for guidance and help with any questions.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

PRO-AM Competitor Dancer

Newcomer

Level: Newcomer – I am new to Pro-Am Smooth

Goals: Learn how to dance Smooth

Action:

Sign up for the Essential Course and work through the course lessons in the order presented in order to learn great technique from the start of your dance journey.
Request to join your regular teachers Group, or one of the GSS trainer’s essential groups for guidance and help with any questions you may have.

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate/Advanced – I have been dancing Pro-Am for about a year and have started competing in Pro-Am

Goals: Improve your dancing and get better competition results

Action:

Sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the additional course lessons in the order presented, or pick a lesson topic in consultation with your teacher/coach that addresses an aspect of your dancing you need to improve.
Request to join your regular teacher’s group, or one of the GSS trainer’s advanced groups for guidance and help with any questions.

Experienced

Level: Elite – I am an experienced Pro-Am dancer/competitor

Goals: Become an outstanding dancer, win a National Championship

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the additional course lessons in the order presented, or pick a lesson topic in consultation with your teacher/coach that addresses an aspect of your dancing you need to improve.
Request to join your regular teacher’s group, Toni Redpath’s Elite level Course Group, or one of the GSS trainer’s groups for Elite Course mentoring and help with any questions.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

PRO Competitor

Newcomer

Level: New to Smooth – I have never competed in Smooth before or I am a new rising star competitor

Goals: Learn how to compete effectively in Smooth dance competitions

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel needs you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join your coach’s group, or one of the GSS trainer’s elite groups, for Elite Course mentoring guidance and help with any questions you may have.

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate – I have been competing professionally in Smooth for over a year

Goals: Make the Rising Star Smooth final and win the Rising Star Smooth National title

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel needs you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join your coach’s group, or one of the GSS trainer’s elite groups, for Elite course mentoring guidance and help with any questions you may have.

Experienced

Level: Elite – I am an experienced Open Smooth professional competitive dancer

Goals: Make the finals and win the National and World Smooth Championships

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel needs you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join your coach’s group, or one of the GSS trainer’s advanced groups, for Elite Course mentoring guidance and help with any questions you may have.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

PRO Teacher

Advantages of GSS

Advantages to using the GSS course structure in teaching

The system trains teachers from new to advanced how to teach good Smooth dance technique and improve their own Smooth dancing
Easy to monitor teacher and student progress - As group leader form a studio group and (private and/or hidden) studio sub groups for monitoring and mentoring individual teachers training and student training in your groups
Certificates awarded by GSS for completion of courses at different levels
Opportunity to certify and be listed as a GSS trainer

New to Smooth

Level: New to Smooth – I am new to teaching Smooth

Goals: Understand and learn teaching methods to communicate effectively the technical structure that makes up great Smooth dancing

Action:

Sign up for the Essential Course and work through the course lessons in the order presented in order to learn great technique from the start of your dance journey.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance and
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to learn step patterns.

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate – I have been teaching Smooth a while now

Goals: Expand the knowledge and technical skills needed to teach advanced Smooth dancing, and improve my own Smooth dancing

Action:

Sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel needs you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for essential course mentoring help with any questions or guidance.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Experienced

Level: Elite – I am an experienced Smooth teacher

Goals: Become an elite level Smooth teacher and dancer

Action:

Sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that you feel needs you would like to explore further in your dancing.
Request to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course mentoring help with any questions or guidance.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate your learning process.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

Dance Studio

Advantages of GSS

Advantages to using the GSS Smooth course structure in a dance studio

The system trains teachers from new to advanced how to teach good Smooth dance technique and improve their own Smooth dancing
The common teaching methodology and language means better continuity of instruction and maintenance of product excellence when switching students between teachers, or to a new teacher when one leaves
The terminology principles and language are interchangeable and applicable for all styles of ballroom dance
Easy to monitor teacher and student progress - As group leader form a studio group and (private and/or hidden) studio sub-groups for monitoring and mentoring individual teachers training and student training in your groups
Certificates awarded by GSS for completion of courses at different levels
The opportunity for teachers to certify and be listed as a GSS trainer, and studios to be recognized for having GSS certified Smooth teachers on premises

New Studios

New to Smooth

Level: New to GSS – Do not currently have a unified teaching methodology for Smooth in place

Goals: Implement a structured teaching system for Smooth (and other styles see endorsements from accomplished other style experts)

Action:

Have your teachers sign up for the Essential Course and work through the course lessons in the order presented in order to learn great technique from the start of their dance journey.
Request they to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course help with questions or set up your own studio training group./li>
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to accelerate learning.

Bronze / Silver

Intermediate

Level: Intermediate – Have studied the Essential Course

Goals: Become the go-to Studio with the highest level Smooth dancing in the surrounding area

Action:

Have your teachers sign up for the Advanced Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that they feel they would like to explore further in their dancing.
Request they join a GSS trainer’s group for Advanced Course help with questions or set up your own studio training group.
Sign them up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate their learning process

Gold / Open

Experienced

Level: Elite – Create elite level teacher and student body in the studio in Smooth

Goals: Become one of the elite level Smooth studios in the country

Action:

Have your teachers sign up for the Elite Course and either work through the course lessons in the order presented or pick a lesson topic that they feel they would like to explore further in their dancing.
Request they to join a GSS trainer’s group for Essential Course help with questions or set up your own studio training Group.
Sign up with a GSS trainer for in person or Zoom lessons to further accelerate their learning process.

Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions.

How to Get Started

quick start guide

Social Dancer

Newcomer

Intermediate

Experienced

Download Dance Chart and Rules and Restrictions for Competitions

Download Element Chart and Timing tables