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Thread: Teacher Terror!

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    Registered User NZ Monkey's Avatar
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    Teacher Terror!

    Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been helping out with some Ceroc classes and workshops. I haven’t really been teaching so much as just being a demo for a well known local teacher, but never-the-less the strangest thing seems to have happened. I am now a TEACHER. For those of you that don’t have audio connected directly to my imagination* the word TEACHER should be coupled directly to an ominous rolling of drums and a couple of loud cymbal crashes.

    Teachers have always commanded a certain degree of respect around these parts, but I’ve been absolutely blown away by how much the label seems to have effected the way people react to me. And it is just a label, as the amount of actual teaching I’ve done so far is really limited to a few quick comments here and there. It’s worth pointing out that most of my friends at Ceroc are either teachers themselves, have been teachers in the past or are otherwise as well established the furniture. Obviously they don’t care whether I’m a teacher or not, which is a good thing.

    The beginners and intermediates on the other hand are all suddenly nervous when I ask them to dance, and more of them are asking me without me going to them first. Most of them seem to be trembling slightly when I’m holding their hand, and this includes people I’ve known and danced with for over a year now without those problems. It might be my imagination, but I’m fairly certain I’m actually being watched more than I have been at freestyles now, which is taking some getting used to.

    Has anyone else found themselves in a similar situation, and did you find the same thing happening? I also teach (as in: not just demo) WCS and jujutsu and haven’t found anything similar from my students there. Is this common or just some sort of local oddity, or do I have a large growth on the back of my head that I can’t see and everyone else has been too polite not to stare until now?


    * This is, most likely, something to be thankful for…..

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by NZ Monkey View Post
    Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been helping out with some Ceroc classes and workshops. I haven’t really been teaching so much as just being a demo for a well known local teacher, but never-the-less the strangest thing seems to have happened. I am now a TEACHER. For those of you that don’t have audio connected directly to my imagination* the word TEACHER should be coupled directly to an ominous rolling of drums and a couple of loud cymbal crashes.

    Teachers have always commanded a certain degree of respect around these parts, but I’ve been absolutely blown away by how much the label seems to have effected the way people react to me. And it is just a label, as the amount of actual teaching I’ve done so far is really limited to a few quick comments here and there. It’s worth pointing out that most of my friends at Ceroc are either teachers themselves, have been teachers in the past or are otherwise as well established the furniture. Obviously they don’t care whether I’m a teacher or not, which is a good thing.

    The beginners and intermediates on the other hand are all suddenly nervous when I ask them to dance, and more of them are asking me without me going to them first. Most of them seem to be trembling slightly when I’m holding their hand, and this includes people I’ve known and danced with for over a year now without those problems. It might be my imagination, but I’m fairly certain I’m actually being watched more than I have been at freestyles now, which is taking some getting used to.

    Has anyone else found themselves in a similar situation, and did you find the same thing happening? I also teach (as in: not just demo) WCS and jujutsu and haven’t found anything similar from my students there. Is this common or just some sort of local oddity, or do I have a large growth on the back of my head that I can’t see and everyone else has been too polite not to stare until now?


    * This is, most likely, something to be thankful for…..
    I stopped dancing all together due to being married to a MJ teacher. When we met i had been dancing for only a year and loved it; however, as soon as other dancers knew i was married to a teacher of 15 years they assumed i would be some fab dancer and be able to whiz all over the shop with any partner.
    Dancers started to look at me in a different light i feel, i fact i was told at a Daverntry Freestyle "i thought you would be better than this". That was me finished.

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    Registered User Daisy Chain's Avatar
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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I'm not bad on the dance floor, have been Cerocing for more than 12 years but I'm still terrified of dancing with The Teacher. The only teacher that I feel confident to ask now, is the one who was a taxi dancer on my very first Ceroc night in Bowdon in 1997 (because I knew him when he was a mere mortal).

    I found out (after the event) that I danced with The Mike Ellard earlier this week.

    Thank God that I had no idea who he was beforehand or inevitably I would have developed 2 temporarily desperately left feet. As it was, I had a fabulous dance with him.........................but I could never ask him to dance.

    (Thank God also that I didn't ask Mike Ellard if he'd missed a bit when shaving)

    Daisy

    (A Nervous Little Flower)
    Last edited by Daisy Chain; 22nd-June-2009 at 03:11 PM.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I have always been shy of asking a teacher to dance for various reasons at various times. The last two times I did it was because I did not recognise them as a teacher.

    * I'm not good enough
    * They deserve a rest
    *T hey could be showing how its done with someone really good
    * They could be helping someone more in need than I
    * My time is better spent giving some of the ladies sitting out a dance

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    Registered User Daisy Chain's Avatar
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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdjiver View Post
    *They could be showing how its done with someone really good...
    ....and therefore enjoy themselves.

    *sigh*

    Daisy

    (A Pessimistic Little Flower)

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Yes, it can be intimidating asking a teacher to dance, but the satisfaction you get from the dance far outweighs any negatives. A good teacher (like any good dancer) should accomodate your dancing level and challenge you just enough to keep you on your toes while not making you feel inadequate.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I'm still trying to get used to this one. From all points of view. It's disconcerting to find that people are nervous about dancing with me purely because I teach... but on the (thankfully rare) occasions when that happens, I need to remember the times when I've been nervous to ask someone because of how good they were.

    And try as I might, I still get nervous asking any of the Lindy 'rockstars' to dance... silly, but I suppose it's fairly human.

    Although, come to think, that's not nearly as nerve-wracking as teaching when one of them is in the room watching....

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by Achaeco View Post
    Dancers started to look at me in a different light i feel, i fact i was told at a Daverntry Freestyle "i thought you would be better than this". That was me finished.
    Expectation by association... that's a bit harsh . Don't think I ever had that one happen to me (long long ago when it might have been possible).

    Out of interest - did you mind not being as good a dancer (or at least believing you weren't as good) as your partner?

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I've always been too nervous to ask some teachers to dance.

    Especially those 'names' at some MJ events. I've never actually managed once to ask any of the WCS pros to dance with me....

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Must confess of being rather scared by my teacher when i first started

    Though shes really a lovely lady looks after the beginners, mingles and is a good laugh.

    She didn't quite get round to dancing with me but she managed to dance with all my friends and said 'I'll dance with you next week'

    So scared i was that I made sure I had dance partner for almost every song possible... took her several lessons of me dodging before we danced...

    They get over it in time... as i did.. still run for the hills sometimes but only if i don't think i can offer a good boogie....

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I always think of demo-ing as the poisoned chalice. Everyone will think your great no -one will want to dance with you.

    - Espcailly painful for the girls. Because I would say men have a greater teacher phobia than women.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    The fact that people might feel intimidated about asking a teacher or demo is surely the fault of the teacher and the demo. I go to a class where the teacher dances with everyone including beginners and therefore I can't imagine anyone feeling intimidated. By contrast, there are other classes that I have been too where the teacher either leaves straight after the class, or they only dance with their mates.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by jim View Post
    I always think of demo-ing as the poisoned chalice. Everyone will think your great no -one will want to dance with you.

    - Espcailly painful for the girls. Because I would say men have a greater teacher phobia than women.
    That may explain why I always seem to have to do the asking!

    When I started it was always female teachers, so there wasn't the scare factor as I never had to dance with them. But for me, I've always wanted to seek out the best dancers to dance with as that's how I'll improve, so haven't really worried too much about being scared. And at freestyles, I rarely know who I'm asking so I just out to enjoy the dance whoever I'm with.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by emmylou25 View Post
    That may explain why I always seem to have to do the asking!
    If your a good dancer, men will feel they can't do you justice, or alternatively them may feel very inadequate and fear comparision with the other leads you just danced with I.e the teacher.

    If your a bad dancer they'll just be terriefied that your going to do some wired ass s**t that they can't handle.

    I guess this is very much the same for girls. Although I tend to see women as more upwardly looking.

    Men have to lead and it's very hard to lead someone that's twice as good as you or worst still, someone who can lead better than you can .

    There's a thread there. Is there more pressure following or leading?

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I will say that in my first year of dancing, I was too shy to ask any of the female MJ teachers I came across for a freestyle dance, with the reasons being already stated earlier in this thread (in awe of person, .

    After that though, I just overcame that and danced with any and all MJ teachers back in Oz that I came across, and the same since I landed here in the UK. For example, I've had several dances with Tiggerbabe and the other lady demo-ers in the Ceroc Scotland scene, always a fun dance to be had . And I've also had the pleasure of dancing with non-Scottish female teachers such as Nicole Beckey when she and simon r were up here in Glasgow! Awesome to dance with, great fun, and it was just nice to have taken the opportunity to dance with the eventual UK Open Jive Master champion!

    On another recent occasion, I had a cracking dance with Ceroc Wales teacher Lindsay Chivers in the main room at Ceroc Southport BLUSH weekender - afterwards she said she had an awesome time dancing with me(!) - and its a very nice thing to hear a teacher complimenting your dancing. So I'm very glad I asked her for a dance even though we'd never been introduced til then!


    On the other hand though, since I've started WCS, I would say I am definitely intimidated to the point where I've come across the American WCS pros at Skeggy and Southport, and have not yet had the courage to ask them for a social WCS dance Its a double-whammy feeling for me - being a WCS beginner/newcomer and also in awe of any WCS teacher that I've come across the past few months.

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    I Was once nervous of teachers (honest) - admittedly that was before my first ever party..... when a master danced with me (without me knowing who they were) - After that I just got addicted to finding the buzz again of dancing with, and hopefully learning from better dancers.

    I have even challenged myself at weekenders / workshops to dance with as many teachers as I can find..

    My fear may still be there, but now it is stifled by the need to learn and / or desire for a wonderful dance. I see no point in cutting out good dancers just because they happen to have the label "Teacher". That really is cutting off your nose to spite your face!


    WT

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by scotttwin View Post
    The fact that people might feel intimidated about asking a teacher or demo is surely the fault of the teacher and the demo.
    Fault ? Intimidation is primarily the fault of someones pre-conceptions of a person. Unless someone sets out to be intimidating, unlikely in teachers or demos, it is not their fault just because someone is. Saying that, it is certainly true that by appearing more approachable by being seen dancing with everyone, will make it less likely that people will feel they can't ask. Some will still feel inimidated though, thats self-esteem for you.

    I'd say that on a class night there should be approachable people who will dance with beginners, but thats why taxi dancers were introduced in the first place.

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    Smile Re: Teacher Terror!

    I've used that term 'too good to ask' before many a time. Still do there are some that I just don't dream of asking even if I've had a great night.

    It seem to be the workings of dancing though. I don't ask them cause there too good. A beginner might not ask me for similar reason. I been told I don't get asked because to them am a good dancer. Though I realy don't believe them. Being good seems to be on how much experience the other dancer has.

    Being approachible and willing to dance with any random dancer seems to be where the "terror part" comes in.

    Only ever asked one teacher at southport and that was by accident thought the face looked firmilar didn't think it was one from the actual book....!

    I find it easy enough dancing with teachers in my own part of the pond. I woudn't find it as easy asking some random teacher to dance.

    Almost wanted to runaway from Samantha at Blaze ?3? ... "I can't wcs" couldn't really blues (forever learning) and the track that played felt like the slowest track in history.... Plus i was terrified/star struck

    Still was nice that she danced with everyone. Would i dance with her again? definately!!.... Simply cause she did her best to put me at ease on the dancefloor. Possibly would of felt less of a muppet if i wasn't casually watching her dance with Paul F beforehand If she didn't ask i wouldn't of dreamed of asking her.

    Terror in general can stop you from having great dancers.... Or perhaps its just am shy of what i deem to go be truely jawdropping awe inspiring dancers...

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    Fault ? Intimidation is primarily the fault of someones pre-conceptions of a person.
    I have to agree with this. I once had an incredible set of dances with a very lovely lady at a blues night in Sweden, only to find out later that she was one a top international professional lindy & blues teacher....

    So I asked her again a year later at a different event, and was suddenly terrified. Not a good dance, mainly because I was leading very very badly. Because I was nervous, because this time I knew who she was, and my brain had re-labelled her as a scary teacher. Hey ho.

    That feeling of intimidation was purely down to one person, and it certainly wasn't her. (I could always try blaming the person who told me who she was, but that would be almost as silly as blaming the lady herself)

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    Re: Teacher Terror!

    Quote Originally Posted by straycat View Post
    That feeling of intimidation was purely down to one person, and it certainly wasn't her. (I could always try blaming the person who told me who she was, but that would be almost as silly as blaming the lady herself)
    One of the first people to ask me to dance in Oxford was Yuko. I think she'd been demoing that night and I knew she was good. It was only a few weeks later when I saw her and Phil practicing together that I realised just how good. After that, it took me a long time to get comfortable dancing with her again, despite the fact she kept asked me. Now, I can dance well with her, but I still feel that I'm not particularly close to getting the best out of her... but at least now the limit's all about my ability, not my preconceptions.

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