Kids and Ceroc

[Serendipity]

Mini Me often gets hauled along to ceroc class, but for very sensible reasons (ie she is 12 going on 35, petite, gorgeous, total jail bait), she will not be permitted to join the class until she is a little older and can look after herself should anything inappropriate occur.

I totally respect this situation, and to be perfectly honest would be a little bothered if I thought she was dancing with one or two of the 'gentlemen' I have come into contact with at some venues, even in a class.

However, the little madam is whirling and spinning dangerously around the kitchen and desperate to learn properly, as are a number of her friends who were hooked on strictly dance everything. I'm having enough problems learning to follow, without trying to lead too.

So my question is (bearing in mind we are in North Hertfordshire), does anyone know of ceroc classes for kids or possibly of ceroc/MJ teachers who might go into schools and teach the little darlings? :nice:

[Yliander]

you could always arrange a private group lesson for your desperate to dance darlings...

[Jivingdan]

Mini Me often gets hauled along to ceroc class, but for very sensible reasons (ie she is 12 going on 35, petite, gorgeous, total jail bait), she will not be permitted to join the class until she is a little older and can look after herself should anything inappropriate occur.

I totally respect this situation, and to be perfectly honest would be a little bothered if I thought she was dancing with one or two of the 'gentlemen' I have come into contact with at some venues, even in a class.

However, the little madam is whirling and spinning dangerously around the kitchen and desperate to learn properly, as are a number of her friends who were hooked on strictly dance everything. I'm having enough problems learning to follow, without trying to lead too.

So my question is (bearing in mind we are in North Hertfordshire), does anyone know of ceroc classes for kids or possibly of ceroc/MJ teachers who might go into schools and teach the little darlings? :nice:
My son is 13 and Is also really keen to learn. I dont know of any. I think the biggest issue is probably down to the fact that you would need to be government security checked and I expect the insurance would probably be massive too.
It was nice to meet you last nigth at Bedford. thanks for the dances.:) Dan

[Serendipity]

It was nice to meet you last night at Bedford. thanks for the dances.:) Dan[/QUOTE]

Thank you - very groovy baby!

Shucks, seem to have slipped back into Austin Powers mode. It's taken me years to get over the ill tempered sea bass.:rolleyes:

[TiggsTours]

I did do a little bit of this with kids years ago now, at the drama school I used to teach at, and they all loved it! And that was before the present popularity of SDF etc.

There would be no issue with someone running classes, once they have been through the security checks, and I know someone who is planning on doing exactly this by teaching Lindy in schools soon.

The best thing to do would be to ask around the local ceroc teachers to see if they'd be willing to set up a saturday morning lesson at a local school or church hall, ask at the schools and youth groups to see who'd be interested, and you would also need to have a certain number of willing adult helpers, as there are laws about how many children an adult can be left in charge of.

As for insurance, I'm not sure, it may be worth asking in your school what the legal aspects are.

I think its a great idea, and if I had the time to commit, I'd love to get involved, but unfortunately I don't.

[LMC]

There is an extremely long but very interesting thread

here (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1947)

which discusses loads of stuff around kids and ceroc classes :nice:

If you can get enough of 'em together, I'm sure that you could cover the costs of venue/teacher with a reasonable price per head.

[Dizzy]

I know that Tiggerbabe and Piglet went into one of the local schools in Scotland and taught them a ceroc class:

Ceroc for under 10's (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8443) - but as far as I am aware, that was a one-off.

You could have a word with your local teacher or get in contact with ceroc uk to see if they would be able to give you any advice if you wish to set it up. :flower:

Good Luck

[Dorothy]

What a good idea- I didn't realise ceroc was going into schools. Think it would certainly beat compulsory Scottish country dancing, but I wonder if the boys are any less embarrassed about holding girls' hands? :blush:

[Piglet]

I know that Tiggerbabe and Piglet went into one of the local schools in Scotland and taught them a ceroc class
Yep and since we've been told we've to up our gym time with the kids, me and another teacher are going to put our 2 classes together and do more dancing with them.

[johnthehappyguy]

A lot of 13 and 14 year old girls in the school I work in in Perth, get taught some version of Jiving ( not just ballroom jive ) ~ from the local "girls dance school"

the classes seem to be up to an advanced level, as one keen 13 year old at least, is into aerials. !!!

It may be worth contacting the local dance schools inyour area, or dance school associations..

John:nice:

[cheeks]

My daughter who's in her teens loves ceroc and yes would be wary about taking her to some venues because unfortunately there are a few men out there who would not wanting her dancing with.. Even the younger boys who are 9 and 11 have been known to regularily ceroc about the living room with me, daughter or friends.............:flower:


On the note of classes for kids............

I used to volunteer in a primary school and ran classes for cheerleading and movement for children 8+ (P4-P7)during the children lunch hour and the kids loved it .
Due to my work I had qualifications of working with children although in a different environment but still covered teaching and guidance.

A full disclosure scotland check would need to be carried and most schools are happy to cover the costs of this when classes run during school. But you can pay this yourself not expensive though but every adult has to have this done to protect themselves and the children,

The laws regarding adults to so many children did not come into it, if you are teaching with in the school or hall, not sure if changed but was only relevant if you plan to travel with them on activity, trip, transport etc....
as for insurance I was covered by the school as I was assisting within school opening hours worth while speaking to the head teacher as may vary.......

Hoping to go back next term as kids have been asking about lunch time classes within school, and only reason I stopped was due to work commitments................

Can be hard work but really rewarding and the kids can all participate in putting on short show etc for school at end of term with certificate them for their achievement or participation( Schools normally really happy to assist in making them printing photo copying, I was fortunate that got access to pc printer laminator etc,you never know if you don't ask! )

:flower:

[Andreas]

but really rewarding
I used to train up Nicole from NZ (mentioned in that other thread) because her mother asked me to do so when the girl was 12. She was sitting there near the dance floor, wanting to dance but nobody would ask her. Yet, as it turned out, she is extremely talented and it'd have been a waste not to get her up. And yes, teaching kids is WAY MORE REWARDING than teaching adults. For starters you generally get kids that actually want to learn to dance and secondly their brain capacity is more or less unused, which means they are learning and progressing in leaps and bounces.

As for the concerns, I totally agree with those and understand them, too. But I also see it as the job of the parent(s) to be there when their youngster is exposing her/himself to the adult world on the dance floor or have somebody around they trust. the line will always have to be drawn by the involved adults and the parent(s) should also not hesitate telling a person off if they are doing dodgy stuff or the child complains. So that is something where you as the 'protector' must commit to having the guts to potentially confront somebody. :flower:

[bigdjiver]

...But I also see it as the job of the parent(s) to be there when their youngster is exposing her/himself to the adult world on the dance floor or have somebody around they trust...Unfortunately parents have lives too, and often have more than one child to take care of.
Even more unfortunately a great deal of child abuse is committed by people that the parents trust.

[LMC]

Even more unfortunately a great deal of child abuse is committed by people that the parents trust.
Absolutely, and should always be taken seriously - abuse happening to just one child is one too many.

However, "good news is no news". It is my personal belief that there is far less child abuse these days than in the days when families were having to live in one room and even, more recently, when anyone who wanted could get involved as an adult volunteer with youth activities - certainly I was never CRB checked until the mid-90s and I'd been involved with youth work for over 10 years - with under 10s since I was in my early teens. Raised awareness and lots of checks are a good thing. Unfortunately, the bloody media only seem to report negative aspects: "Paedophile applied for job in school!!!" Shock, horror. When the actual point is that the system worked because it identified the risk and prevented the person getting the job.

Some of the "rules" in place are to protect adults as much as children - e.g. a youth worker/teacher/etc should *never* be alone with a child out of sight - if a kid wants to talk to you alone then the door should be left ajar, or the conversation take place in a quiet corner but still in full view, etc. etc. Kids may be unaware of consequences, or simply be nasty pieces of work owing to a poor upbringing, and make false accusations to punish someone. I have been accused of being a child molester because I unreasonably told someone off for letting off fireworks indoors. I'm sure many people on here who have worked with kids have similar experiences, or sadly, worse - certainly there have been many media stories about unfortunate teachers who have been falsely accused and teachers' unions are treating this as a serious issue.

For all the media screaming about dangers to children, paedophiles lurking round every corner, blah blah blah blah, there are hundreds of thousands of kids a year who benefit from all kinds of youth activities and never experience any form of harm. Let's keep it in proportion.

[Andreas]

Unfortunately parents have lives too, and often have more than one child to take care of.
Don't I know about that. I got an invitation to further my football when I was 8 and my father turned it down because he didn't want to drive me three times a week. Retrospectively I am possibly happy because I have absolutely no interest in football anymore but it was a missed chance.

Anyway, I don't think we are talking about parents not being willing to commit to taking their children to dance. It may well come to this when the frequency of practice units increases but that is beyond 'getting started'.

I am also aware of the abuse issue you mention and it is indeed a sad statistic. But a trusted person could also be mother/father of other children with the same interest etc. Mind you, that doesn't negate the statistic either, though. :(

[Dreadful Scathe]

I am also aware of the abuse issue you mention and it is indeed a sad statistic. But a trusted person could also be mother/father of other children with the same interest etc. Mind you, that doesn't negate the statistic either, though. :(

You can read too much into statistics though - that reminds me of the South Park episode where such "statistics" were discussed and the parents ended up splitting up because they couldnt trust each other and then building a huge wall round the town so no abusers could get in either. It was eventually attacked by mongolians. Obviously the moral is - dont let paranoia stop you living a normal life, and dont trust mongolians.


For starters you generally get kids that actually want to learn to dance and secondly their brain capacity is more or less unused

I would think the majority of us have brains like that :)

[whitetiger1518]

For starters you generally get kids that actually want to learn to dance :


I totally understand this point, (also the point about forcing kids to do Scottish Country dancing) - I learned the proper stuff from my Mum and Dad when I was five. They were members of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, and infected me with enthusiasm for Country Dancing and Ceilidhing (And for dancing in general - hence my presence at CEROC!)

Compare this with PE - which only ground a few over popular dances into my head and left my ankles not ever wanting to do a "Strip the Willow" ever again....(Even at ceilidhs now I don't do them if I can help it - and those memories are years behind me..)

Whitetiger

[wokingdancer]

Apologies for being ignorant, but at what age would it be acceptable to bring my daughter along to a Ceroc class ? she's way too young at the moment, but loves dancing with me around the living room :) Is there a fixed aged rule ?

[MartinHarper]

Apologies for being ignorant, but at what age would it be acceptable to bring my daughter along to a Ceroc class ? she's way too young at the moment, but loves dancing with me around the living room :) Is there a fixed aged rule ?

It's very much dependant on the particular franchise/teacher/organiser.
Your best bet is to ask in advance.

[David Bailey]

Apologies for being ignorant, but at what age would it be acceptable to bring my daughter along to a Ceroc class ? she's way too young at the moment, but loves dancing with me around the living room :) Is there a fixed aged rule ?
Technically, to be a Ceroc member, I believe you need to be 18, is that correct?

Having said that, people have brought their kids along - maybe there should be a Junior Ceroc class available :)

[LadyMarmalade]

Sara White's Jivenites in Eaton Socon (contact snowwhite on the forum) sometimes has kids (teenagers) attending.

[MartinHarper]

Technically, to be a Ceroc member, I believe you need to be 18, is that correct?

Not according to the website:
http://www.ceroc.com/nonmembers/membership.htm

That said, I don't recall agreeing to the anti-competitive clauses on that webpage, so I wonder if the site is out-of-date.

[Katie Kicks Ass]

I think it varies between Franchises. I started ceroc at 16 and was welcomed with open arms at Ceroc Midlands, but Ceroc Nantwich tried to refuse me entry because I wasn't 17. I feel its more of a maturity thing than an age thing.

[TheTramp]

I think it varies between Franchises. I started ceroc at 16 and was welcomed with open arms at Ceroc Midlands, but Ceroc Nantwich tried to refuse me entry because I wasn't 17. I feel its more of a maturity thing than an age thing.

Hmmm. I had to wait until I was 30 before they let me in! :sad:

[Brian Doolan]

Nowadays any adult working in a public area, where children are present, needs to have a disclosure notice carried out, this involves searching criminal databases. It would not affect the dancers but would definitely affect the teacher, DJ and venue manager, in fact all those who are paid by Ceroc at a class or dance. I think they would also be liable for the cost of the disclosure notice.
I think the cut-off age is 16 and I have to ask if we would feel comfortable dancing in a class with youngsters, it could present all kinds of problems and personally I don't think it would work.

[TheTramp]

Nowadays any adult working in a public area, where children are present, needs to have a disclosure notice carried out, this involves searching criminal databases. It would not affect the dancers but would definitely affect the teacher, DJ and venue manager, in fact all those who are paid by Ceroc at a class or dance. I think they would also be liable for the cost of the disclosure notice.
I think the cut-off age is 16 and I have to ask if we would feel comfortable dancing in a class with youngsters, it could present all kinds of problems and personally I don't think it would work.

Ummm. From memory, I believe that this only applies to unsupervised children. So, if a parent brought a child, then a disclosure wouldn't be necessary.

[Brian Doolan]

Ummm. From memory, I believe that this only applies to unsupervised children. So, if a parent brought a child, then a disclosure wouldn't be necessary.

My wife works for South Lanarkshire Council, in East Kilbride Village Theatre; she tells me that often parents bring their children to performances but still ALL those who work with children and the disabled MUST go through disclosure, this may only apply to local authority employees but I'm sure it will apply to a wider area of employment ??

[MartinHarper]

I have to ask if we would feel comfortable dancing in a class with youngsters

I've always felt comfortable when dancing in the presence of under-16s, or indeed with under-16s.

What would make you feel uncomfortable about that situation?

[wokingdancer]

it's a shame, but I can understand why some people may be uncomfortable. As a parent, I wouldn't have a problem, but many of the people at ceroc aren't parents, and I can see how they may feel that others would be watching them.

[purple~emma]

I asked at my local venue about whether there was a minimum age for Ceroc classes as my next door neighbours daughter wanted to try. I was told that the minimum age was 14, but obviously I don't know if that's a Ceroc policy or whether it's left to the discretion of the franchisee.

She did end up coming along and was very enthusiastic. I also remember at another local venue there was a teenage boy that used to come with his parents and he was very good. I had absolutely no problem about dancing with him, ultimately it is only dancing.

I do, however, think that 14 is about the right age and any younger could be awkward. Not just because of ethics of dancing with a child, but also becasue if they were too young height could possibly be an issue.

[DJ Andy]

I know of one modern jive teacher who has had to raise the minimum age limit of entry to his classes/evenings to 18.
This is partly due to the criminal database checks which would be needed ( including the taxi-dancers) and also because it was a requirement of his Public Liability Insurance policy.
It's a shame but there it is!

[Zuhal]

I have always found that it is best to check with the franchisee before hand because the story changes from venue to venue and door staff to staff.

Excuses I have been given:

its policy
there is a bar
X doesn't like dancing with your daughter
you have to prove that you are over 18 (several obvious <18 in the room)

There is no arguing with any of these though No 3 is a bit dubious.

Just check beforehand and go to the receptive venue.

Zuhal