View Full Version : Dancing with beginners
Ghost
26th-May-2006, 01:53 PM
teaching intermediates how to have a safe and enjoyable dance with a total beginner, emphasising the benefits that both partners get from such a dance, and so forth.
:worthy:
Ok - advice please :flower:
My own would be relax :cool: . I've noticed the more I relax, the more they relax and the easier things are. Similarly smiling is good too :grin: .
Dancing with ladies taking large steps (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7720)
How to repsond to "I'm not any good" (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8177)
Embracing the bouncy hand (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7038)
What's the best way to teach Lead & Follow to Improvers & Intermediates? (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6657)
Other thoughts?
Christopher
LMC
26th-May-2006, 05:32 PM
If you could tell a beginner one thing (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7153)
Minnie M
26th-May-2006, 05:44 PM
Last Tuesday I was on a dancing high, and didn't want to miss any dance, so I asked a lot of the beginners to dance, most of which did not know me at all, so assumed I was a beginner, some realised I was experienced, so decided to try out ALL their moves :really:
- unfortunately it was not a good experience :sad: my shoulder is still hurting me:tears: . I think I must have a 'light' follow as they were pulling and shoving me into moves :eek:
Message to taxi dancers/teachers:- (see other thread)
PLEASE PLEASE dance with the newbies and let them know their lead is too strong - If I (as a stranger to them) had said anything they would have been insulted, and I wanted to encourage them as most showed potential.
BTW I will give critism if someone asks.
LMC
26th-May-2006, 05:50 PM
Even when I'm not on taxi duty, if someone is being "too strong", I will tell them (nicely) that I may be a big girl, but they don't need to shove and haul me around! If someone is hurting you, beginner or not, please tell them. One of the most frustrating things as a taxi dancer is to give someone some feedback and have them say "But no-one else has ever said anything..." :(
Hope your shoulder is better soon :hug: (from memory of our one dance at Storm where I pinched the lead from you, you're a lovely follower, hope to dance at SP :flower: - and feedback on my limited lead welcomed!)
Minnie M
26th-May-2006, 06:11 PM
....... If someone is hurting you, beginner or not, please tell them..........
If I know the person, I would - however, most beginners think they are far better than they actually are, and some have been dancing quite a while, and although technically they are not actually beginners, and that is possibly where the problem is.
Telling a lead that has been dancing 6 months or more who is a stranger, that their lead is far too strong, can (and has) caused offence. It is difficult where to draw that line. However, if they cause real pain, not only would I tell them but I would also stop dancing :sad: (and that has happened)
Won't stop me from dancing with beginners though, but maybe not so many in one evening :flower:
Ghost
26th-May-2006, 08:15 PM
Won't stop me from dancing with beginners though, but maybe not so many in one evening :flower:
Something I have been wondering about is the taxi dancer model of only dancing with beginners. I think it's better for all involved if I dance with a mixture of experienced and beginners. Those better than me raise me up and remind me how to dance, which in turn helps me dance better with the beginners. I'm not sure that dancing with one beginner after another is actually a good thing? :confused:
Be Well,
Christopher
Tessalicious
26th-May-2006, 08:21 PM
what he saidI have to say I agree with this - which is why, when I taxi, I don't get to 10 oclock and go incognito, but instead continue to dance with any beginners (or early intermediates in need of help) right through to the end - with the compromise that I don't feel guilty for having the odd dance, say one in three, with a more experienced dancer, to 'reset' my dancing.
That way, I can reduce the amount I backlead beginner men (if I've danced with a good lead), improve my leading of beginner women (if I dance with a good follow), and hopefully remember a few things that might help certain people. It seems to work for me and for them- and mostly we get beginners staying until almost the very end (although not usually in their first week).
LMC
26th-May-2006, 08:51 PM
What Ghost said :yeah:
There were only 3 men in the beginners' review class at Stevenage this week, and I'm on duty for 45 minutes of freestyle. Once the beginners have had enough of me then I'll head for the early intermediates while I'm still on duty (most beginners @Stevenage come with 'life' partners and need some persuading to dance even once!). After 10 pm I'll happily stalk all the better dancers, 'cos it's my turn :D
Gadget
26th-May-2006, 09:14 PM
Try these threads for more insight...
How can you make every dance special? (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6675)
Poll: Dancing with beginners (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=632)
Dancing with beginners (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1022)
Piglet
26th-May-2006, 10:11 PM
I'd say "don't worry, it'll be fine!"
which reminds me of an anecdote someone told me about us Aberdeen women - aparently we're always saying things are fine. This guy had a mate (yeah - don't we all?) who had been intimate with a woman and afterwards asked her how it was for her and she replied "oh, it was fine!" :rofl: Apparently, the guy wasn't impressed with the answer :rolleyes:
amthekkel
28th-June-2006, 09:10 PM
take fewer steps (ideally one step per beat). This will give you more time to get into position for the next move. But most importantly, dance as many dances as you can and have fun.
regards
amthekkel
Beowulf
29th-June-2006, 12:52 PM
which reminds me of an anecdote someone told me about us Aberdeen women - apparently we're always saying things are fine.
There were a few things that got me off the wrong foot when I first came to Aberdeenland. 1stly calling Blokes "Loon".. from where I come from Loon = Loony = Nutter. In Aberdeen it's just another name for Guys (and Quines for women)
The "That's Fine" thing as Piglet mentioned.. Again where I come from Fine means Adequate, Satisfactory, OK (I.e. it'll do but it's not great) In Aberdeen it's "Fiiiine!" probably veering more toward finest and finery
An Aberdeen ROLL is NOT A BREAD ROLL . I found this out when I bought a dozen rolls from the baker to make my sandwiches at Uni.. And I got these flat salty fatty things.. A Roll is a Buttery and a Softy is a Bread or morning Roll.
And lastly the use of F for WH.. as in What becomes Fit, And Where becomes Far. I was staying in a B&B in Dyce and needed to get the train into town. I didn't know what side of the track to stand at so I asked this guy which side was going to Aberdeen to whit he replied "Far ye gan Loon?" (Where , perchance are you Going my young man) I thought he asked my How far I was going and replied "About 8 miles I think" I'm sure he thought I was a Loon(y) after all
Sorry for the derailment.. normal programming will now continue..
EDIT
Just thought of something I can actually contribute to this thread.
I'm a beginner myself. So naturally I dance with a beginner every dance I do ;) Last night at JJ's I met two new dancers for whom last night was their 1st night. One when she danced with me really lacking in energy. She glanced around the room with a bored look on her face. When the taxi was taking the beginners revision class she stood looking out the door chewing gum not listening to what was being said and slouched across the roomw hen asked for a dance.
The Other.. totally the opposite very enthusiastic.. Too enthusiastic. she held my hand in a vice like grip and insisted on leading me through the moves. She'd hold my fingers tight (and boy I mean TIGHT) then go into a spin.. All I can say is, thank heavens I'm double jointed.. at times I thought I was going to lose an arm. I tried saying , don't grip, I'll lead etc but once she was dancing she was dancing and despite the Lovely Taxi telling us all that women don't do Anything unless the men tell you to.. well she was doing her thing and pity help anyone who tried to stop her. (and she was stronger than me too :tears: :blush:)
What should/could I have done in those two instances??
LMC
29th-June-2006, 01:15 PM
Bored dancer: grin and bear it in class, just don't ask her to dance in freestyle.
Over-enthusiastic gripper: if "I'll lead" and "don't grip" isn't working, then try "please let me lead, I'll never learn to do it properly otherwise" and "you're hurting me". Or just let go - don't 'fight'.
If you're not getting anywhere, speak to one of the taxis - that's what they are there for :nice: . If I've got me a backleader when I'm leading in a class, I'm a bit evil and will do the moves just one beat behind the teacher - and say "wait for it...." (nicely and with grin) when she starts getting ahead of me.
johnthehappyguy
30th-June-2006, 03:54 AM
...
totally the opposite very enthusiastic.. Too enthusiastic. she held my hand in a vice like grip and insisted on leading me through the moves. She'd hold my fingers tight (and boy I mean TIGHT) then go into a spin.. All I can say is, thank heavens I'm double jointed.. at times I thought I was going to lose an arm. ...... (and she was stronger than me too :tears: :blush:)
What should/could I have done in those two instances??
Some of the ideas on the thread linked below might help.
Since starting the thread, my leading has improved along with my ability to carry out the advice in the thread, and so it is very very very rare for me to have a painful dance now.
http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4793&highlight=pain
John:nice:
tsh
30th-June-2006, 10:57 AM
Over-enthusiastic gripper: if "I'll lead" and "don't grip" isn't working, then try "please let me lead, I'll never learn to do it properly otherwise" and "you're hurting me". Or just let go - don't 'fight'.
What are those in french?
Sean
timbp
30th-June-2006, 11:17 AM
I've taken to telling girls "Never let go and never hold on; let me make decisions about hand contacti".
when they listen, it makes leading so much easier...
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