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Mythical
27th-January-2007, 06:08 PM
I went to my first Ceroc evening, on Tuesday - I was really scared, but it helped that the door staff were really friendly! I loved it, and ended up staying until they booted me out at 11pm!

Now, I'm feeling kind of like - well....maybe I made a right idiot of myself on Tuesday, and really, who's gonna want to dance with me again??? Skippin' about like a big idiot (I had to keep putting a skip inbetween moves to change feet) I enjoyed freestyling with the taxi dancers and the more 'advanced' guys, but with a weaker lead, I kept messing it up, and I couldn't do the slower dances at all!!

Does everyone feel like this after their first night? or am I just being silly?

Twirly
27th-January-2007, 06:21 PM
I suspect that a lot of people feel like this - and not necessarily on just their first or second night! Just go back, try and relax and follow what is being lead. It sounds as if you're well on the road to dance addiction :wink:

And welcome to the forum - you'll find this is pretty addictive too :D

Jhutch
27th-January-2007, 06:30 PM
Hello Mythical:grin:

I can't speak for myself that much as i didn't dare do the freestyle session after the refresher class when i first went. However, unless you have had formal dance training in the past then i would imagine that everyone feels like that. You would probably have more to worry about if you went to one lesson and thought you were amazing! Looking at it from the other side of things then i don't think i have ever thought that anyone has made an idiot of themself. Everyone has their own style but i don't really think people are as judgemental as you might think. I certainly wouldn't refuse to dance with a beginner again just because they danced a bit strangely (although you probably aren't) the first time.:)

purplehyacinth
27th-January-2007, 07:02 PM
Hi, Mythical,

As one who is also relatively new to the forum too I would say the following:


On the forum you are never alone. There is generally someone "out there" who has had the same problem as you, and the nice forumites (or certainly the nice ones I have encountered), are good at offering helpful advice and support. Everyone on this forum was a beginner at some stage!
Anything you're bothered about - ask! Some forumite will come to the rescue. In fact, probably lots will and you will then have to sift the varying advice for the bits you find most helpful to you.
Take a wander through some of the threads in the "Beginners" corner. You may find that someone has already asked the same questions as are bugging you.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO GO TO THE SECOND NIGHT! Unless the dancers at your venue are really horrible, or you go to a venue entirely composed of "hotshots" (see definition below) which I very much doubt, then they WILL want to dance with you again. The vast majority of cerocers (again going by the ones I have encountered), are more than willing to help a "newbie" along.
Make the most of the Taxi dancers - they are there for you!
(I presume you are a lady, since you talk about following the lead.) Don't worry if you are less able to follow a weaker lead than a strong lead. When you are starting out, you are - virtually by definition - not going to know so well where various leads (in the sense of the "leads" or "signals" within the moves rather than the person you are dancing with) are going to take you. It takes a while for your "muscle memory" to kick in and things to become a bit more intuitive. When you are just starting it is therefore easier to follow a strong lead, or a "good" lead who will assist you that wee bit more as to where you are meant to be going.
(And *whisper* if a lead is really poor, then you won't be the only one having problems following it) (I'll probably get shot for saying that one.)In summary - No, you are not being silly.
Keep dancing, keep smiling:nice: and most of all, enjoy yourself.

Footnote:
Hotshot: Slang: a dancer, typically mid-intermediate-level, who habitually refuses to dance with other "lesser" dancers.

jivecat
27th-January-2007, 07:05 PM
I went to my first Ceroc evening, on Tuesday - I was really scared, but it helped that the door staff were really friendly! I loved it, and ended up staying until they booted me out at 11pm!

Now, I'm feeling kind of like - well....maybe I made a right idiot of myself on Tuesday, and really, who's gonna want to dance with me again??? Skippin' about like a big idiot (I had to keep putting a skip inbetween moves to change feet) I enjoyed freestyling with the taxi dancers and the more 'advanced' guys, but with a weaker lead, I kept messing it up, and I couldn't do the slower dances at all!!

Does everyone feel like this after their first night? or am I just being silly?


Still feel like this sometimes after 5 years.:sad: Oh, sorry, that's probably no comfort at all! However, you obviously enjoyed your first night and with practice you'll enjoy it even more.


with a weaker lead, I kept messing it upIt probably wasn't you, it was him not leading you properly. If the lead is unsure it gets transmitted to you straight away. But stick with it, it's even harder for the guys and they need you to be supportive.

Sheepman
27th-January-2007, 08:33 PM
Still feel like this sometimes after ... 20 years! :tears:
After all, there are always better dancers out there.

Worrying about looking foolish probably holds back more dancers than anything else. If you're enjoying yourself that's what will be important to your partners. Everyone makes mistakes. (actually we call it improvising :whistle: ) Don't be afraid to ask questions of people you respect. (Preferably after the end of the track.)

It concerns me hearing terms such as "a strong lead" hopefully you will soon discover that clarity of a lead doesn't depend on strength, each lead should be an "invitation" to the follower, not a command. If it comes down to strength, that is inevitably a path to aches and pains.

Greg

Mythical
27th-January-2007, 09:06 PM
By strong lead, I mean Clear, rather than physical strength - I was thinking of strong as in a strong signal...like a mobile phone signal?

And what do you mean by 'on my way to dance addiction' I haven't stopped thinking about ceroc since Tuesday!! :D

Seriously, is it OK to keep dancing with more advanced dancers, or should I be seeking beginners out?
And is it ok to change feet between moves? it doesn't take up an extra beat, I just get the idea it might be annoying? 'cept I feel like I'm going to fall over if I don't have that little skip.
I tried to keep a smile on my face all night, except when I was busy looking confused. To smile and make eye contact and the whole way I was with people at Ceroc was just so...un-me (my counsellor will be thrilled to hear it!, lol)

Thanks for all your replies! I think you've convinced me to go again, and reading other replies has helped prepare me for the wanting to quit in weeks to come!

Lost Leader
27th-January-2007, 10:05 PM
Dance with whoever you want - there are no rules about that.

A lot of the more expereienced dancers make a point of dancing with beginners because they like to encourage new dancers. After all we were all beginners once and most of us still remember how scared and hopeless we were on that first night, but how in spite of our feeble efforts other dancers still tried to dance with us and offer us help and encouragement.

Yes, you will still have bad nights from time to time :sad: (it happens to everyone) but do not let that get you down. I am sure it wont - from reading your posts you seem to have had a great time on your first night.

Oh, and welcome to the forum by the way - it is a great place to pick up tips, ask questions, share expereinces and have a laugh. Like any forum there are some quite heated debates from time to time but for the most part you can try to ignore those. Most folks here are a very firendly bunch.

Mezzosoprano
28th-January-2007, 12:15 AM
Hey - no jitters about going to the second night... you'll be remembered from your first night as one of those really nice new folk who come along and make the class more fun because you're someone else to dance with!!

Dance with whomever you please. Ask the more advanced folk 'cos they sure do help you learn moves and ask your fellow beginners too 'cos sometimes it's nice to just have a few moves to think about and not be worrying about what on earth is going to happen next.

Finally.... the first thing Franck ever said to me... keep your chin up and don't look at the floor or your feet. It has to be said....every time I look at my feet... I fall over them! Welcome to the wonderful world of Ceroc!:clap:

whitetiger1518
29th-January-2007, 11:40 AM
Welcome to the Forum :grin:

Smile And Enjoy :)

Don't worry about the moves - just enjoy the dance - if you are a follower let the lead lead!

Congratulations on sticking with the Freestyle - it terrified me for my first month :blush: - but it is one of the quickest ways to learn:)

Once you are ready (as soon as you feel confident enough) look at all the dancers on the floor, find the best one and ask them to dance - you will learn So Much So Quickly!! :worthy:

Teachers, Taxi dancers, and More Experienced Dancers (not to mention this Forum :waycool: ) are there for your benefit - if you have a question Ask - we are all here to help!!! :grin:

The most important of these is:


Enjoy


:clap: :clap: :clap: :worthy: :worthy: :worthy: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Cheers

Whitetiger

tsh
29th-January-2007, 11:59 AM
And is it ok to change feet between moves? it doesn't take up an extra beat, I just get the idea it might be annoying? 'cept I feel like I'm going to fall over if I don't have that little skip.

The most important think with your feet is to keep your balance! If it feels natural, it's probably good enough - and it will probably change over time anyway. Worrying about the skipping is just as likely to be distracting to a lead as actually doing it if it makes your movement less predictable.

David Bailey
29th-January-2007, 12:43 PM
Skippin' about like a big idiot (I had to keep putting a skip inbetween moves to change feet)
Ah, that's just called "syncopation" - tell people it's an advanced technique for transfer-of-weight with style... :wink:


I enjoyed freestyling with the taxi dancers and the more 'advanced' guys, but with a weaker lead, I kept messing it up, and I couldn't do the slower dances at all!!

Does everyone feel like this after their first night? or am I just being silly?
Most people feel like this for the first few years :)

But if it's any consolation, it's worse for the guys as beginners - there's a much steeper leading learning curve than following.

Mythical
30th-January-2007, 03:59 PM
No Jitters, now...Just Giddy!
I got me dress on and been twirling around manically in the kitchen!!
Pathetic, aint it.....I have a night out on my lonesome and it's the highlight of my week!

TheTramp
30th-January-2007, 04:12 PM
And what do you mean by 'on my way to dance addiction' I haven't stopped thinking about ceroc since Tuesday!! :D

Well. It's a start! :rolleyes:

You've a way to go yet though! :flower:

Shodan
30th-January-2007, 04:23 PM
I feel the same too and I've been doing it about 4 years or more now.

I find that if you just relax and go out onto the dancefloor remembering at the end of the day you're out to have fun. I personally don't mind if myself or my partner "don't get it right". Who cares? As long as we are having fun. :waycool:

Sheepman
30th-January-2007, 09:23 PM
By strong lead, I mean Clear, rather than physical strength OK, I'm glad that's clear! :wink:

Dance with whoever you want, the more the better. And if you seriously think the skipping thing is a problem, ask one of the taxis or teacher after you've had a dance with them. As has already been said it's mostly a matter of how it effects your balance, also if it affects your preparation for the next part of the move. You say it's because you feel unbalanced if you don't do it, that could be due to anticipation - stepping before the lead, or due to trying to catch up after the lead, experience will resolve that. There again, if it's because you hear it in the music, you could already be several steps further down the road than most! (Maybe time to try West Coast Swing very soon!)

(Oh, and I'm taking the "Enjoy" advice as read, why else would we be doing this? I remember just over 18 months ago dancing with a beginner who was full of enthusiasm and enjoyment. It was a pleasure to dance with her even if it went wrong. And now she is one of mine (and everyone elses) favourite dancers, has performed in cabarets, rarely get a chance to sit on the sidelines...)

Greg

PS Enjoy!

Mythical
31st-January-2007, 01:07 AM
I've been in the most fantastic mood all day and Ceroc, tonight was the perfect end to the day!
I had a smile on my face all night, and danced with so many people - a couple of guys were even brave enough to dance with me THREE times....so I can't be all that bad. I was told by a few people I was a good follower and most were surprised that it was only my second week......I even found myself singing along to a couple of tunes whilst I was dancing!

Sheep, I'm more likely to try Lindy than WCS, and either one of them is a LOOONg way off yet!! :D I think I'll stick with this MJ business for a while - I'm enjoying it!

Twirlie Bird
31st-January-2007, 02:23 AM
Sheep, I'm more likely to try Lindy than WCS, and either one of them is a LOOONg way off yet!! :D I think I'll stick with this MJ business for a while - I'm enjoying it!

This may sound like a silly question but how do you get to try out all the different disciplines (don't even know if that's the correct terminology)? Is it just a case of dancing with somebody who dances a different style and they introduce you to it?

I am finding it tricky to know where to find anything other than my regular venues at the moment.

Sheepman
31st-January-2007, 02:28 PM
I am finding it tricky to know where to find anything other than my regular venues at the moment.
The easiest way to try out the different disciplines is at a weekender, where mostly anything except jive will be taught at a beginner/novice level, and is great as a try out.
There are plenty of listings sites that have details of other styles, with links to organisers and more listings. Tango & WCS get plenty of mentions in this (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36)forum. I don't know which area you're in, but if you do some web searches, with a bit of effort you'll track something down. Always check before you set off though, there's a lot of out of date information out there.

And of course ask people that you dance with if they do other types of dancing.

I do think it's a common problem that peole try out a new discipline when they're still struggling with their current one. Maybe I'm just a slow learner, but I do find it really difficult to adjust to different styles, and that's after 20 years of dancing :tears:

Greg

straycat
31st-January-2007, 04:17 PM
This may sound like a silly question but how do you get to try out all the different disciplines (don't even know if that's the correct terminology)? Is it just a case of dancing with somebody who dances a different style and they introduce you to it?

Generally best (I personally feel) to go to proper classes in said discipline - for most, it's the only reliable way to get a good feel for the dance.



I am finding it tricky to know where to find anything other than my regular venues at the moment.

Well - depending on what area(s) you dance in, I'm sure there's people here who can tell you where a lot of the best venues / classes are for a number of different dance styles and disciplines...

Beowulf
5th-February-2007, 05:58 PM
2nd night jitters? 2nd Night? I've been dancing on and off.. (more off than on admittedly) since 2003 .. I still get jitters going up to dance !!

I have my good nights and my bad.. but when I'm "in the zone" there's nothing like it.. it's why (eventually) I always come back.