Bridging the gap from Beginner to Intermediate.

[Andy McGregor]

I figured ... getting bored .. so decided ... I didn't feel I was ready ... I was bored ... probably not as confident ... a good boost to my confidence

Stop worrying and get on with the dancing! Compared to sitting and thinking about it, all dancing is great, even when it goes wrong. And what is the worst that can go wrong? You get the moves wrong - so what? You've invented a new move - yippee!

More joining in = more dancing
More sitting and thinking = less dancing and more worrying

[Franck]

I just moved up to intermediate myself. I figured out I was getting bored of the beginners' revision so decided to sit and watch the intermediate class instead to see what it was like. I didn't feel I was ready to join until I had a few more freestyles under my belt, even though I was bored of he revision, I'm probably not as confident as I could be, but the teacher saw me watching the class and asked why I wasn't joining, so the next week I did join intermediates.

My 1st intermediate lass I found to be quite easy, not noticeably harder than beginners, which was a good boost to my confidence. My 2nd intermediate class on the the hand was a different story. I didn't get the moves at all during the class and had to go over them with the teacher a few times before performing them near-correctly once or twice. Hopefully my next intermediate class goes over more like my 1st than my 2nd.

In any case I'm glad that I moved up so I can learn some new interesting moves and see what sticks while I'm trying to iron out any beginner mistakes I still may be making.

Sounds like you made the right decision.

You have to remember that Intermediate classes are for a very wide range of dancers and abilities. From novice intermediates like yourself to very experienced dancers. The moves have to cover the range of styles (some moves you will love, others you will hate or be indifferent to), some moves will be more popular with leaders or with followers, some move will appear deceptively simple but require solid technique (and vice versa).

Overall, you should treat the Intermediate class as a chance to build new muscle memory, develop new skills and discover new patterns that fit your current learning level. Don't try to remember all the moves, just focus on the move that 'felt' right on the night and dance it as often as possible.

Good luck!