Apprenticeship Roles

Apprentice DJ

Under the guidance of DJ Mentor Raymond Byun, you'll delve deep into the art and science of curating music across all the different activities of an event. Learn about the strategy of picking songs to keep a social floor full, an event running on time, and give judges the best view of every level dancer. The apprentice will work approximately 15-20 hours before, during, and after the event, including DJ'ing at least one each of a competition, bumper, and social set during the event. 

This apprenticeship position is for an individual with a genuine passion for music, a strong commitment to nurturing the WCS community, and a proactive desire to enhance their DJ Skills. Applicants should have at least some experience DJ'ing for social WCS dances, their own laptop, and have started their own eclectic music library. 

The selected DJ Apprentice will be: 

Expected to:

  • Join pre-event DJ meetings on Zoom with the entire DJ staff

  • Participate in the peer selection & review of all competition music prior to the event

  • Exemplify the same community standards as all of the event staff

Assigned to:

  • At least 1 competition, bumper, and social set during the weekend

  • Shadow opportunities with the DJ Mentor

  • Individualized mentoring opportunities before, during and after the event. 

Apprentice Judge

Shadowing the event judging team under the direction of Judge Mentor Wren Newman, you'll have the opportunity to experiment with and evaluate various processes used to quickly and accurately rank competitors in each of the WSDC competition types and levels. Learn about the approaches of judging individual competitors vs. couples, heated vs. spotlight competitions, and identifying and eliminating personal biases. The apprentice will work approximately 15-20 hours before, during, and after the event through mentorship, mock judging, and reviewing/discussing scores with the Judge Mentor. 

This apprenticeship position is for an individual with a genuine interest in competition structure and fairness, a strong commitment to nurturing the WCS community, and motivation to expand their understanding of how competitions in WCS operate. Applicants are not required to have experience as a judge, although it is beneficial. 

The selected Judge Apprentice will each be: 

Expected to:

  • Join 1 pre-event zoom meeting with the Judge Mentor

  • Review and compare their scores & notes for the weekend with the rest of the judging panel

  • Exemplify the same community standards as all of the event staff

Assigned to:

  • Mock judge at least 5 separate competitions

  • Shadow opportunities with the Judge Mentor

  • Individualized mentoring opportunities before, during and after the event. 

Apprentice MC

Working with MC Mentor Chris Low, you'll gather knowledge and experience about the planning and adaptability required to effectively run a competition while balancing additional announcements, staff coordination, and the inevitable unexpected situations that arise at every event. Learn about the approaches for different competition types, tricks for filling and making up time, and how to work as the primary line of communication between the judges, floor coordinators, DJs, scorers, and event directors. The apprentice will work approximately 15-20 hours before, during, and after the event through mentorship, planning, and performing as an MC live at the event including running at least one competition during the weekend.

This apprenticeship position is for an individual with a comfortable composure on a microphone who loves to speak in front of a crowd, a strong commitment to nurturing the WCS community, and a proactive desire to improve their public speaking skills. Applicants are not required to have experience as an MC, although some public speaking is beneficial. 

The selected MC Apprentice will be: 

Expected to:

  • Join 2-3 pre and post event meetings on Zoom with the MC Mentor

  • Review and contribute to the weekend MC announcements list 

  • Exemplify the same community standards as all of the event staff

Assigned to:

  • MC at least 1 competition during the weekend

  • Shadow opportunities with the MC Mentor

  • Individualized mentoring opportunities before, during and after the event.