What's the best way to teach Lead & Follow to Improvers & Intermediates?

[Ghost]

What I was hoping was that this thread might have veered off & started talking about how teachers can best convey concepts such as Lead & Follow to their Improvers & Intermediate dancers.

Thoughts?

Christopher

[TiggsTours]

Thoughts?

Christopher
A few techniques I've tried in the past are:

1. Get the girls to close their eyes.
2. Teach the guys a few variations on the same move, and not let on the the girl which they'll be using.
3. Variation on 1, blindfold the girl and get the guy to just lead her (walking) round the room.
4. Trust games, girls turn their backs and fall backwards, guys have to catch them, you could get them to switch.
5. Switching roles, guys follow, girls lead.
6. Once the class knows the moves, get the follower (demo or teacher) to run the class from a follower's perspective, i.e. "he's raised his hand, moving it slightly to my right, he wants me to turn under, I can only go clockwise", "he's led me in a straight line towards him, I just step forward, I do not turn"

[Ghost]

A few techniques I've tried in the past are:

1. Get the girls to close their eyes.
2. Teach the guys a few variations on the same move, and not let on the the girl which they'll be using.
3. Variation on 1, blindfold the girl and get the guy to just lead her (walking) round the room.
4. Trust games, girls turn their backs and fall backwards, guys have to catch them, you could get them to switch.
5. Switching roles, guys follow, girls lead.
6. Once the class knows the moves, get the follower (demo or teacher) to run the class from a follower's perspective, i.e. "he's raised his hand, moving it slightly to my right, he wants me to turn under, I can only go clockwise", "he's led me in a straight line towards him, I just step forward, I do not turn"

Wow, a thread answered in one post :worthy:

Thanks, :flower:
Christopher

[TA Guy]

Maybe leading one one finger ? I've dunno if that's considered 'passe' these days wot with all these new fangled methods :) but I've seen a few teachers use this method to indicate that it's about guiding rather than pulling. Depends on the standard of the 'improvers' I guess.

[Howard]

A few techniques I've tried in the past are:

1. Get the girls to close their eyes.
2. Teach the guys a few variations on the same move, and not let on the the girl which they'll be using.
3. Variation on 1, blindfold the girl and get the guy to just lead her (walking) round the room.
4. Trust games, girls turn their backs and fall backwards, guys have to catch them, you could get them to switch.
5. Switching roles, guys follow, girls lead.
6. Once the class knows the moves, get the follower (demo or teacher) to run the class from a follower's perspective, i.e. "he's raised his hand, moving it slightly to my right, he wants me to turn under, I can only go clockwise", "he's led me in a straight line towards him, I just step forward, I do not turn"

This is really good stuff, I would just add that as you perform these excersises it is mportant to maintain a contant elasticity between partners, both taking care not to pull or over extend the arm or shoulder at the same time keeping the arms pliable not siff or pupet arms. Also to transfer weight gradually and evenly. The leader should also use their boby position to lead, blocking or allowing a pathway for example. I would also recomend trying to keep the direction of the moves linear (not dancing round each other in a circle).

[dancefiend]

Actually I would go one step further. The guy leading with eyes closed - that will teach the guy to rely on the feed back from the partner and not to think of moves.

[Ghost]

Actually I would go one step further. The guy leading with eyes closed - that will teach the guy to rely on the feed back from the partner and not to think of moves.
:yeah:

Might just be me, but I find this a really useful technique when doing moves in the beginners and intermediates class. You get a deeper appreciation of the feel of the movements. Course it helps to tell the lady you're going to close your eyes, but a lot of beginners are looking at their feet anyway so....:whistle:

Take care,
Christopher

[dancefiend]

:yeah:

Might just be me, but I find this a really useful technique when doing moves in the beginners and intermediates class. You get a deeper appreciation of the feel of the movements. Course it helps to tell the lady you're going to close your eyes, but a lot of beginners are looking at their feet anyway so....:whistle:

Take care,
Christopher

Yes, a lot of beginners do that because they think of movements from their feet. No use to tell them not to look at the feet (because their thoughts would still be the feet). So what I teach them is to think of movement as being a shift in boday weight. Exercises I do with them is to shift body weight without moving the feet and then moving the feet.

Also do exercises with them to tilt their balance such that they have no choice but to take a step to move - which is instinctive.

Now they are no more thinking about the feet but just shifting body mass to maintain tension with the partner.