I find it frustrating how many "intermediate" dancers can't do some very basic stuff in terms of partner dancing. It is a fine line to walk; I wonder how many people who would be put off by a slightly more challenging beginners class would actually become regular attendees at the class night? I suspect the number would be low.
I'm not suggesting that these things are taught directly in any major way, just that the moves selected in the classes are designed to help the people in the class develop the underlying skills. There would be some mention of them - particularly frame and tension - but this happens already. I don't see it as a huge change.
I'd pick one or two themes each week and select moves that teach the class themes. If you cover two of the above themes a week, in six weeks, you'd be in a class that works on each one two or three times. I'd also extend this approach to the intermediate class, where the moves selected are designed to learn specific basic skills for dancing - ideally extending the themes taught in the beginners class (some teachers already do this).
The key idea is to stop teaching moves and start teaching dancing. And to do so in a progressive manner, so people develop underlying skills that will improve their dancing.Not if well managed. At most of the classes I go to, at least half the people in the beginners class are "intermediate" dancers. In the review class, you normally have 2-3 taxi dancers and a raft of beginners. I guess the point of extending the dancing in the classes is to give people more opportunity to practice. Given we used to do four moves in the same length class, I don't see that it would force the number of moves to be reduced. Some of them would be taught less often, but in many cases, this is probably a good thing.
Drills: I'm suggesting these should be before every class, not just beginners. The progression you make practising basic skills every week (or more) is phenomenal.
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