Workshops - making them work!

[Patrick]

I've just had an amazing few days, including classes and workshops with some of the greatest dancers and teachers - Phil & LilyB, Will & Kate, Simon & Nicole, Simon & Elaine, and Amir!* :respect: :respect: :respect:

(Did I really do all that in 3 days :eek: :confused: :waycool: )

Perhaps I am just a slow learner, but I find that after workshops, very little actually sticks when it comes to freestyle. It usually takes doing the same stuff about 3 times before I begin to remember it. A pity, as a lot of effort is made by pupils and teachers, not to mention the cost!

What are your top tips for getting the best from workshops and advanced classes?

Patrick :cheers:

* PS Strictly speaking, Amir's Monday Lush is a beginners/intermediate class not a workshop, but when you've never done Jango and can't move feet and body at same time, it seems pretty advanced stuff. Amir's teaching is unusually clear though, he really knows his stuff!

[MartinHarper]

Get plenty of sleep afterwards.
Do them regularly, rather than occasionally binging on lots and then fasting for months.
During the workshop concentrate solely on what's being taught.
After the workshop, practice a 50/50 mix of what you were taught with some of your regular dancing (this helps create pathways between the new content and your existing knowledge).

[Miguel]

What are your top tips for getting the best from workshops and advanced classes?

Patrick :cheers:

Buy the dvd if available.

[ducasi]

Buy the dvd if available.
Make a video either way.

[ducasi]

Go with a partner. Practice with said partner afterwards using the video/DVD you made/bought.

[ducasi]

... or just accept that you won't be able to take in *everything* that's taught, but if you can pick up something of it, that's still good. :)

[Alice]

Take as many notes as possible, as soon as possible after the workshop finishes:nice:

[David Bailey]

Workshops are a training course.

Like any training course, you learn a lot during it, and then promptly forget 90% of it or more within a few days.

Yes, take your own record - notes or video or both.

Yes, review them afterwards, several times.

And yes, practice them regularly.

Learning takes a lot of time and effort (for most of us). If you can pick up even 3 or 4 tips from an average workshop, which help you permanently, then that's good going.

[Gadget]

I try and find the core of what the workshop is aimed at teaching: the moves and talk and all the stuff surrounding tend just to be explainations and examples showing the "core" and how it can be worked/used.

There are only a couple of workshops where I have stripped back moves and gone over things to try and find a common 'core'... and then find that there was none: it was a purley 'moves' orientated workshop. I still get stuff out of them because the moves help refine and practice, but not as much as a 'core' principle that I could apply to all my dancing would.

Examples would be;

- A "spins and turns" workshop - the 'core' would be balance; the other things are showing how various elements (like body shape, arms, trailing feet, pushing too hard...) effect it and how you can limit the effects.

- A "styling" workshop - the 'core' would be self confidence and commitment; the other stuff in the content is just practice, and examples.

- A "blues" workshop - the 'core' is keeping an attraction towards your partner and feeling the music; the rest is just filler on how these can be applied to your dancing.

...etc.
As long as you can understand the central theme of the workshop, then you can work on applying it in your own dancing. That may involve taking some of the examples given during the workshop into your repertoir, or it may involve a change in thinking on some existing "stock" moves you have.

In my opinion, simply adding in a move from a workshop because it was cool is not going to improve your dancing; and that's what you go to workshops for, isn't it?

{I agree with the recommendation of taking lots of notes/video: I've still got some notes from the first workshops I went to :D}

[tiger]

good posts ,thanks

[under par]

Apologies for linking to my own quote.... http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?p=294068#post294068

As well as my post there are many other valid points elsewhere on the same thread too to do with learning and remembering moves /techniques.

Great to hear you got so much from the workshops:clap: :clap: