She is indeed
Hey, I think I've identified a possible service here: "DT's smell awareness line": basically, you take SmellyGuy's phone, call DT's number, and she can clearly tell SG about his problem, for a small fee.
Everyone's a winner.
Dragons' Den, here I come.
No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. You've gotta have a system with stinkers. If you happen across one, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt the first time as it might be a 'one-off' stink attack. If, however, you detect a repeat offender who clearly has terminal armpits, please do feel free to phone me and I'll put them straight...for a small fee, of course.
Send him over to AT. He'll fit right in.
Thinks: Is he for real? Must have slipped through a rent in the space/time continuum.
I have and he was.BTW, any ladies here (I know Lory has), ever danced with Viktor? I believe he was an amazing lead. I know he was and is an amazing dancer to watch and some of his drops wow!!!
Last edited by jivecat; 7th-June-2011 at 11:19 PM.
I think it depends on pricing. In a low volume business you need high fees.
Based on my own experience I speak with a stinker at each class about once a year. Assuming there's 500 nights running that's a UK market of 500 stinkers a year. That's 10 a week. Assuming you'd get no competition, a fee of £500 per stinker would make you a millionaire in 4 years - for very little work, 10 phone calls a week!
If you're looking for a line-extension, there's the pervs - there's more of them. But why work so hard when you're going to be a millionaire in 4 years time from 2 phone calls a day?
far too many men progress to intermediate before they are ready (I'm sure a few ladies do too). Ceroc (I can't speak for other MJ classes), tells people that the intermediate classes are for those people who have done at least 5/6 beginners classes. People, probably men especially take this to mean that after 5/6 beginners classes they can move on. Then no matter how long they dance as intermediates they never quite click as good dancers. Maybe this is a factor in bad posturing etc when attempting drops.
In my case I was a beginner for 6 months and only attended my first intermediate class by accident (I have said this before I think). During what I thought was (known then), a double beginners class, the teacher suddenly announced that the second part would be intermediate.
I'm not suggesting that beginners don't advance for 6 months, but if there was a way to ensure they moved on when ready. The taxis know or should know the beginners, they could look out for people who move up a level too early.
Perhaps the problem is that what you need to know in order to be a "good" dancer is taught neither in the beginner or intermediate classes. None of the MJ classes I've been to have had the right atmosphere for people to learn things like that. So I'm not sure whether it's a problem with people moving up to intermediates too soon - more just that their dancing experience isn't giving them what they need to become "good".
I'm not sure whether it's taught in workshops, since I've never been to one, but apparently the beginners' workshops at my local venue do teach you some of the fundamentals of being a good dancer. I would guess that some of it is taught in taxi classes too (but I only ever did one of them in MJ ). Experience is going to play a big role, but I suspect that many people aren't aware that they're meant to be picking things up and therefore don't pay much attention.
By the way, I succeeded in stopping (many) men from doing leans in an unsafe way last night. Completely wrecked the flow of the dance by stopping to correc them, and I'm sure I seemed like a prick, but I've had enough of getting injuries.
Unfortunately, grip-for-dear-life man crushed my hand in preparation for a ladyspin and has caused my arthritis to flare up.
You are right.
But coming back to my point. Most intermediate moves are based on the beginner moves. Even drops. My feeling is that you should be able to do all the basic moves (I'm thinking of the leads here), automatically and without thinking. And only then progress to intermediate (it's the same for sport and life I guess, if you don't do the basics right.....).
Often within a few weeks of moving up to beginners, many intermediates while still not being good enough beginners, don't even bother to attend beginners any more. So not only are they inexperienced with the beginner moves but they forget them.
I'll probably get shouted down for this, but perhaps there could be be a small test, in front of taxis and or teachers to see if one is ready to progress.
Even with the regularity with which people injure me, I would say it's a person's right to be a bad dancer if that's what they want. It's just unfortunate that dangerous dancing is a consequence of bad dancing, but then perhaps part of being a good dancer is being able to protect yourself from that.
Absolutely, but do they have the right to inflict themselves on others. And one should also have the right not to have to dance with them.
The only person I am aware of "injuring" was on purpose. During a lesson she was standing in the row behind me. It was her first class and every time she stepped back her heel raked my ankle. 6 times. On the last one i turned and kicked her on the bum (having given her fair warning after number 5). Worked out ok though, we dated.
I think we should all be a little wary of experiences related on here. Dancing is a two way street. I have seen posts on here slaughtering leaders for various reasons and when I dance with their accusers I think to myself that perhaps they would do well to reinforce their glasshouse before throwing the stones.
I had a week off work recently, and took advantage of not having to get up early in the morning by bouncing around some venues near me that attracted really good dancers (capped at either end by a couple of fantastic freestyles - Twisted and Late Lounge, I think). Coming back to a crowded London Ceroc class night, I was shocked at how hard everyone was to lead - spaghetti arms all over the place, no sense of lead and follow. It annoyed me until I realised that if you'd done nothing but that venue, and advanced to the intermediate class after exactly six weeks, regardless of other factors, then there was no reason you would know about e.g. keeping good frame or how to follow well.
As far as I can tell, the only place that beginners get the kind of technique training, aside from workshops, is from the taxi dancers during the beginners' recap class. Very few of the teachers (that I've come across) cover it in their classes, and those that do teach it almost as an 'optional extra', to be brought in for the few moves that demand frame/connection, rather than something that should be present throughout the dance. So from that point of view, what kind of training do taxis get? I'm curious, does Ceroc doctrine cover the knowledge that they are expected to impart on their charges? (I can't speak about independent venues.)
Out of interest: I only lead, so I know what bad habits annoy me about followers who I feel have progressed too soon (lack of frame, dancing by trying to pattern-match rather than proper lead/follow). What are the main habits that annoy you about men who you feel have progressed to intermediate too soon?
Agreed - I still turn up for the beginners class, partly to warm myself up physically and mentally, and partly to try and improve every aspect of the beginners moves (does it work better on my left foot or right foot? How can I lead it with my body rather than my arms? etc...)
As for the idea that even drops are based on beginners moves, I'm not entirely sure I agree with you - it seems to me that there are a few technique points that drops require that you couldn't get from any of the beginners classes - foot position, say, or an understanding of why you need to bring your bent knee backwards (to avoid hitting the follow's head if she drops too far), or an understanding of the grips required. Hopefully any class that teaches drops should cover these, but I've seen a few too many classes (even drops workshops at weekenders) that don't...
Anyway, this is all from a leader's perspective, so it may look different from the other side...
Oh I only lead. I am a guy or at least have spent my life under that impression. But I was a taxi for 6 years so have seen it many times. Plus of course there is what the ladies say. It's not hard with enough experience to watch dancers and know their competence.
I don't think that taxis get any specific training. Isn't it based on ones dancing ability and knowledge of moves.
It used to be a rule that taxis could not dance with people of their own ability till the last half an hour or so. Has this changed? But I'm sure many start earlier and I think intimidates beginners who are scared to ask them for help.
Perhaps I should say that you can't hope to pull off a drop, lean or seducer without mastery of the basic moves. At least not correctly.
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