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Thread: Weekender classes: useful?

  1. #21
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Noooo! The blues room is fab for daytime dancing - run classes in there and you'd lose those mellow afternoon dances.
    I agree Lynn, enough said!

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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    I sometimes think that weekender classes are almost a total waste of time, I've never learnt anything from one.
    I find that there are a few classes that I learn nothing from, but the ones at weekenders are usually not the ones. Maybe I've been lucky with my weekenders - certainly many more people trying to do classes at southport and it would be 'too crowded'. I guess the balance between classes and freestyle is up to the organisers, I'd prefer a weekender where the numbers were determined by class sizes, not freestyle capacity.

    Sean

  3. #23
    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Ah, OK, I must have imagined the semi-private class I did in that room last June then. It's my age, clearly, my brain's going...
    People had been dancing in there until shortly before that class, and dancing resumed soon after. I would say you might be able to run some classes between maybe 10:30am - 12:30pm - but that's almost the only time in any 24 hour period when people aren't dancing in there.

    1-1 private tution could still go ahead of course as that can happen alongside people dancing.

    Not against the idea, I think its great - just not in the blues room!

  4. #24
    Registered User LMC's Avatar
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by tsh View Post
    I'd prefer a weekender where the numbers were determined by class sizes, not freestyle capacity.
    Sensible suggestion. I genuinely think this is a good idea, but I can't see it happening, sadly.

    People would need to sign up for classes as they booked for the weekender. In principle, this would solve the problem of classes being surprise "mobbed" and having to change venue at the last minute, and hopefully reduce the 200 extra women in some of them. However, it would also reduce flexibility for individuals at the weekender - no more doing classes on a whim, need for gender balancing would possibly result in more people doing 'fixed partners'.

    Perhaps a compromise? Classes usually run in 3 venues. Instead, perhaps 2 classes only could be offered as they are at present, with the smallest room (Dance Den at SP) reserved for smaller classes of the nature DJ is suggesting - which *do* have to be booked at the time of booking the weekender, leaving space in the timetable for groups to book semi-private lessons?

  5. #25
    Formerly known as DavidJames David Bailey's Avatar
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by johnah View Post
    I agree Lynn, enough said!
    OK John, you think the classes as run at Southport are wonderful and can't be improved?

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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    I have not been lucky enough to get to a weekender yet. I am planning on attending one in the summer and I have to admit it is the prospect of many classes that I am most excited about. Reading the reviews of SP there were so many different classes all of which sounded great. I just wouldn't have the opportunity or the money to attend so many different varied classes outside of a weekender.

    However the thought of a class with 200+ women doesn't excite me very much.

  7. #27
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post

    Most of us can't afford 4 private classes at £50 each - but we could probably afford 4 small scale classes at £5 each...
    If you were at the Tango Mango you could have 55 minutes of a teacher's time all to yourelf for £23.

  8. #28
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Noooo! The blues room is fab for daytime dancing - run classes in there and you'd lose those mellow afternoon dances.
    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Which have a grand old tradition of being run, what, twice now?

    Blimey, why bother running classes at all, on that basis, why not make it a 3-room, 72+-hour, freestyle-only event?
    Ummm. I fail to see the point that you're making here David. You're not arguing against what Lynn has said, so why quote her. But I'm sure that you knew that.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Ah, OK, I must have imagined the semi-private class I did in that room last June then. It's my age, clearly, my brain's going...
    The blues room has been used for private lessons during the day, with dancing going on all around them. Of course, I guess that it would be semi-private. But still not the same thing as you're suggesting I don't think. And I've not seen any organised classes in the blues room at all during the days. And I've been to all the Southport weekends now.

    Quote Originally Posted by johnah View Post
    I agree Lynn, enough said!
    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    OK John, you think the classes as run at Southport are wonderful and can't be improved?
    That's not what he's said (and again, I'm sure that you know it). He said that he doesn't want classes during the day in the blues room, as that serves a different purpose. In no way has he said that the classes can't be improved.

  9. #29
    Registered User frodo's Avatar
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirlie Bird View Post
    ...
    However the thought of a class with 200+ women doesn't excite me very much.
    In a 50:50 gender balanced weekender it seems much more likely to be the other way round (except for some other dance styles which may be beginner leader unfriendly).


    Which one reason I like the idea of of gender balancing specific classes / pre-booking some specific classes.

    Particularly given the way fixed couples magnify the imbalance.

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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Big halls, 200-400 people, "30 women on", and so on - it hardly makes for a good teaching environment, does it?
    In the MJ world, Rock Bottoms are good at giving appropriately sized workshops at weekenders. Ceroc and Jive Addiction tend to huge classes, but both weekenders have smaller workshops around. The smallest weekender class I took was at Sultans of Swing, and comprised just four couples. Obviously this doesn't work if you want to learn a flavour-of-the-month dance with flavour-of-the-month teachers.

    While we're brainstorming, here's an idea. Designate a time and place. Play music. Have people practice dancing. Get teacher(s) to wander round and have a look. When they see an opportunity to intervene, they can do so. Fix some bad posture here, help with an awkward lead there, and so forth. If you don't get any feedback, at least you had some good dances.

  11. #31
    Lovely Moderator ducasi's Avatar
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    Re: Weekender classes: useful?

    I can't say that any class I've done at a *large* weekend has been useful – fun, certainly, interesting, maybe, but I seem to always miss the ones that were useful.

    Next time I shall avoid the crowds, as I have the feeling the most useful workshops are the ones with the lowest attendances.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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