Intromediates

[David Bailey]

There was a stand-in teacher for the night (Joe?) and it was the first time that he had taught the three lesson format, IMHO he did a good job of it.

Yes, Joe - and the DJ was a stand-in too, Maria rather than JB, so the experience was probably quite different from the norm.

The beginners was three moves, followed by a couple of tracks, then the intermediate three moves, another couple of tracks, then the advanced three moves.

Yes, all this says to me is that you're just making the moves more complicated. Going through three moves in an advanced class (whatever you call it) seems pointless to me. One move, taught well, that's all I want.

[Keefy]

Yes, all this says to me is that you're just making the moves more complicated. Going through three moves in an advanced class (whatever you call it) seems pointless to me. One move, taught well, that's all I want.

I agree with that - but I'd take that down to the intermediate level as well. I attended a workshop the other week given by Adam when he was over here, that was a few moves taught well and a lot a style and improvements tips and techniques were taught. I commented on the feedback to that workshop that such things should be taught as part of the basic class!

So even for the intermediates - I'd say teach just two moves (four can be a lot to take in) but teach them well and teach them with style and technique rather than just the mechanics of getting through the moves before rushing onto the next move.

[sunnybunny]

On a Tuesday night at Grays in Essex, Cerocnights run a "beginners improvers" class at the same time as the "beginners revision" and "intermediate" classes.

This system works well for everyone all round as it gives an extra stage for the beginners progressing up to intermediate level and it also gives a bit more scope in the intermediate class to throw in a few more advanced moves.

Grays is a fantastic venue with an enormous dancefloor with plenty of room for everyone -come on, give it a try, you know you want to .......


(I am not a plant - I am a rabbit - I eat plants!)

[Keefy]

Grays is a fantastic venue with an enormous dancefloor with plenty of room for everyone -come on, give it a try, you know you want to .......

... but if it's the same DJ as Romford* I'm not sure I could stand the pace

* at a recent Blues evening at Ceroc Nights virtually his entire set was 120bpm+ Ibiza mix tempo!

[Twirly]

(I am not a plant - I am a rabbit - I eat plants!)

[sunnybunny]

... but if it's the same DJ as Romford* I'm not sure I could stand the pace

* at a recent Blues evening at Ceroc Nights virtually his entire set was 120bpm+ Ibiza mix tempo!

Fortunately, it isn't !

This week (28th) the intermediate class has a "smooth operator" theme and there will also be a live music set with "swing" singer, Lewis Dixon.

[JCB]

a "beginners improvers" class at the same time as the "beginners revision" and "intermediate" classes.

Who teaches the beginner improvers, while the intermediate class is on?
Is there a second instructor?

[NZ Monkey]

Going through three moves in an advanced class (whatever you call it) seems pointless to me. One move, taught well, that's all I want.

I wonder if this would really be the popular opinion if it actually happened.....

If I had a 45 minute (or an hour, or two....) class and only did one move I'd feel ripped off and more than a little bored.

It's one thing to say a move should be taught well rather than rushed through, but any teacher worth their salt that I can think of teaches in such a clear and concise manner that moves take relatively little time to teach even with technique tips and style.

Giving a poor* teacher more time to teach a few moves badly won't help anyone.

*by which I mean: in contrast to someone who can teach in the manner I had previously described.

[nebula]

Are there other regular (ie non-freestyle) evenings which get over 200 people these days - in the middle of the holiday season?

For some reason - PInebanks in Norwich last Thursday - it was absolutely packed!

[sunnybunny]

Who teaches the beginner improvers, while the intermediate class is on?
Is there a second instructor?

Usually it is Vicki who is the Monday night Demonstrator and a Taxi.

[bigdjiver]

Beginners get to know each other in the beginner refresher class, where held. They are then expected to leave that cosy band and enter an intermediate class of variable level. There have been many suggestions on how to ease the transition, "intromediate" class being one.
It occurs to me that the beginners could find it less stressful if they moved up in groups, and at a time when they knew the intermediate class would be easier. My suggestion is to have the intermediate class start the month easy, and get progressively more challenging through the month. It would make the lesson experience much more predictable.

[Whitebeard]

Beginners get to know each other in the beginner refresher class, where held. They are then expected to leave that cosy band and enter an intermediate class of variable level. There have been many suggestions on how to ease the transition, "intromediate" class being one.
It occurs to me that the beginners could find it less stressful if they moved up in groups, and at a time when they knew the intermediate class would be easier. My suggestion is to have the intermediate class start the month easy, and get progressively more challenging through the month. It would make the lesson experience much more predictable.

That's already implemented locally, but the level of difficulty as measured by the teacher may not be reflected in the experience of those in the class. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, preferences and dislikes. Twice recently I've dropped out of class, something I'd previously not done for ages, simply because my body is just not up to some movements/contortions these days.

Likewise, the beginners' are at different stages of beginnerness so it wouldn't make sense to herd them all off into intermediateness as a group.

Nevertheless, this idea has something going for it and individual beginners' could be encouraged to make the transition to intermediate class at the (relatively) easy part of the month.

[bigdjiver]

...Likewise, the beginners' are at different stages of beginnerness so it wouldn't make sense to herd them all off into intermediateness as a group...

I was not thinking of herding them. I would want them to move up at a moment of their own choosing. The confident might move up after three weeks, the nervous wait another four weeks. I think this scheme would just tend to clump those individual choices together, and they would find themselves with a few familiar faces in the class. I think it might make it easier, a trouble shared ...

[Whitebeard]

I was not thinking of herding them. I would want them to move up at a moment of their own choosing. The confident might move up after three weeks, the nervous wait another four weeks. I think this scheme would just tend to clump those individual choices together, and they would find themselves with a few familiar faces in the class. I think it might make it easier, a trouble shared ...

.... is a trouble halved ?

Trouble is, I was such a slow learner that whilst you talk of weeks, I took months or more and was always going to be behind eveyone else and never likely to clump with anyone ;-).

We can only work at our own pace.

[David Bailey]

Trouble is, I was such a slow learner that whilst you talk of weeks, I took months or more and was always going to be behind eveyone else and never likely to clump with anyone ;-).

Me too. And I still am, my progress in any new dance form is tortoise-like, it takes me years to get comfortable with it.

On the other hand, I keep on progressing, all the time - for example, I'm now better (I think) than most of the female salsa teachers I dance with, even though it took me the best part of a year to get comfortable with the rhythm.

We can only work at our own pace.

Too many people expect to "get" dancing in a few weeks or a few months.

[Martin]

Intromediates has been introduced IMHO as the intermediate classes have become more advanced, certainly in Australia, where they have been more like advanced classes for many years.

The "old style" 10 years plus ago, in the UK, intermediate classes were simply that, intermediate. The advanced dancers had to try other styles or do "independant MJ" workshops to advance.

Now, in a lot of companies (UK, NZ and Aussie) there is a big step from beginner to intermediate, this has been recognised and "intro to intermediate" classes sprung up.

Different companies have different policies and interpretations. Local to me, they have a beginner class, then after 30 mins plus of freestyle they have 3 classes running at the same time, beginner follow up (for those new to 3 months), intromediate (for those 3 months to 6 months) and intermediate (for those confident to take on the challenge).

Seems to work well.

[MartinHarper]

What'd be wrong with a standard division of:

• Beginners
• Intermediates
• Advanced

I think it's reasonable to say that regular MJ classes typically only teach up to an Intermediate level, and MJ dancers become Advanced through workshops, weekenders, and private lessons.

[SteveK]

Different companies have different policies and interpretations. Local to me, they have a beginner class, then after 30 mins plus of freestyle they have 3 classes running at the same time, beginner follow up (for those new to 3 months), intromediate (for those 3 months to 6 months) and intermediate (for those confident to take on the challenge).

Seems to work well.

The other advantage of the intromediate group is that it isn't too large, so it's easier for those people to meet others of a similar standard, and then progress together, rather than being scared witless going straight up into the more complicated class.

[Martin]

The other advantage of the intromediate group is that it isn't too large, so it's easier for those people to meet others of a similar standard, and then progress together, rather than being scared witless going straight up into the more complicated class.

They do it in Brisbane as well as Gold Coast.
It is called LeStep (.com.au).

When comparing to Aussie, in NZ, intermediate is intromediate,advanced is intermediate.

In UK, the same.

Aussie dancers have it tough. hence the drive to intromediate (intermediate in the rest of the world language)

Don't get me wrong, I am not pro one or the other, I dance in UK, NZ and Aussie, just telling you like it is...

I first danced in Brighton, and the beginners + intermediate moves that I learnt there, are in Aussie all "beginner" moves here.

[bigdjiver]

...The other advantage of the intromediate group is that it isn't too large, so it's easier for those people to meet others of a similar standard, and then progress together, rather than being scared witless going straight up into the more complicated class.

The disadvantage is that it is another group. The idea I proposed, having a "shllow end" and a "deep end" to the month allowed a section of the beginner group to advance to the shallow end together. It gives the beginners three weeks to work up to the more difficult intermediate lesson. If that shold prove too much, then there is the knowledge that the beginning of the next month will follow, and they will be presented with an easier class again. Those experienced dancers that only want the occasional "advanced" lesson can just come at the end of 5 week night months. The idea is to make the level of next weeks class more predictable.