This week I spent most of my time on things you can't screenshot.
The Country Swing homepage is live, but that's not where the work happened. Behind every page load, every event listing, and every user session, there's a system holding it together. This week was about making sure that system actually works.
What Actually Changed
Data Models: Events, Venues, Organizations
I restructured how these three core entities relate to each other. They used to exist separately in the database—like filing cabinets with no cross-references. Now they connect properly.
The Country Swing homepage already uses this new structure to pull and display events dynamically. That's live right now. This foundation will support whatever we build next without having to rewrite everything from scratch.
CMS: Markdown Renderer & Workshop Builder
Two things here that matter for content quality:
- Markdown renderer is updated across every domain in the system—blog posts, technical docs, workshop pages. Everything renders consistently now. No more formatting surprises.
- Workshop management in the CMS can create and edit full workshops with individual lessons attached. The tooling exists to build course material quickly going forward.
User Journey: Discovery & Authentication
The code for finding and viewing a specific Workshop page is mostly done. Users can navigate from discovery to content without dead ends.
Authentication flow is implemented—logins and sign-ups work, and I fixed the redirection loop that was sending users to a generic dashboard instead of their previous location. They get returned where they came from after logging in.
Content: First Connection Overview Drafting
Following the pattern of Theory before Practice, I'm drafting the First Connection overview document. It mirrors the Line of Dance and Tension documents already published—these serve as theoretical prerequisites users need before attempting physical movement. They'll go live once the workshop flow is fully polished so nothing feels incomplete to new visitors.
What's Next
- Payment processing: Started, needs finalization for secure transactions
- Workshop flow polish: Final touches before official rollout of lesson viewing
- Content push: Finish technique overviews so the platform launches with substance alongside the interface
That's where we are. The connections are made, the systems are working, and next week is about making everything feel finished.