Accidents

[Lou]

My nastiest was when I was just going from beginner to intermediate. The routine called for both a catapult and a tunnel. Guess who forgot which one she was doing at the time & went under when she should have gone round?

One black eye later.... :sorry

[Franck]

Originally posted by Lou
Guess who forgot which one she was doing at the time & went under when she should have gone round?

Little Miss Trouble???

I suppose that after this incident, you paid extra care and attention to the manÕs lead

Franck.

[John S]

A few weeks ago at the Dance Weekend in Wales, my partner (who was relatively new to dancing) was wiggling away behind me and I stepped on her big toe - she was wearing little strappy shoes with no protection - result was the complete loss of her toenail and considerable pain

It was the first time I had ever danced with her, and yes that's right - it was the last time too. (Terry, if you're reading this, I am sooooooo sorry, and I hope you're feeling better. )

I think it's the only serious dancing accident I have been involved in, and I certainly don't want another one like it! So, ladies, if you see me coming to ask you for a dance, before you agree, best check that you're wearing Doc Martens or hobnailed boots with reinforced toecaps! :sorry

[Franck]

Originally posted by John S
result was the complete loss of her toenail and considerable pain

Ouch...
That is really scary...
I have had the odd high-heel landing on my toes once or twice, and I am sure I have stepped on a few toes (my partnerÕs and other couplesÕ), but never with such dramatic consequences...

I hope she is ok, and still able to dance.
Out of interest, where you wearing any particular type of shoes?

Franck.

[Lou]

Originally posted by Franck

I suppose that after this incident, you paid extra care and attention to the manÕs lead

Franck.

This was a long, long time ago.... honest! I wouldn't dream of even thinking about not following a lead now!

I think it depends on where you learn. Or maybe it doesn't with Ceroc (but it definitely does with LeRoc). I learnt at a great place for total beginners, however, after about 6 weeks of the same old basic moves, I was desparate to learn something new. However, the gap in standard between their beginners class & intermediates was quite big & I think, if the above accident didn't happen in my first class, it wasn't long after! I soon learnt, mind...

This place had a good idea, which I've not seen repeated anywhere else. They would teach 3 basic moves in the beginners class, then once that was over, the beginners would move into another room to go over those moves, and learn another move in detail - whilst an intermediate class happened in the main room. Then both classes would join up for a practice/free dance. It did mean they got a lot of beginners staying on right up until the end or the evening.

[Franck]

Originally posted by Lou
This place had a good idea, which I've not seen repeated anywhere else. They would teach 3 basic moves in the beginners class, then once that was over, the beginners would move into another room to go over those moves, and learn another move in detail - whilst an intermediate class happened in the main room. Then both classes would join up for a practice/free dance. It did mean they got a lot of beginners staying on right up until the end or the evening.

This is indeed a great idea, and here (due to space restrictions, ie we donÕt have a spare room) we use the back of the hall for revision with Taxi-dancers. All the Beginners can join in during the Intermediate class and go through all the Beginners moves. This is not compulsory for anyone, and they can just have a drink and watch the Intermediate class instead, but you are right, it does help to keep Beginners until the end of the night and makes them better dancer...
Taxi-dancers are brilliant to have at any Ceroc night and make a huge difference.

Cheers,

Franck.

[filthycute]

Originally posted by Lou
I wouldn't dream of even thinking about not following a lead now!

Seen as i've never danced with myself i'm not sure but i think i'm every guys nightmare when it comes to leading....(don't take my word for it though ) Although there is someone in particular who i torment....(you love it really Fox ) But i did have a mishap which makes me think about my follow more....
I was in the middle of a very nice dance when i thought my partner was going to do the chair....ooops!! he was trying to put me down after the little lift but i had lifted my legs up, resulting in me lying on the floor and him desperately trying to not fall on top of me :sorry Sorry Roy now i tend not to do any of the airstep thingys....but i do have a soft spot for the half loop V. cool move me thinks

filthycute x x

[Dreadful Scathe]

The worst I think Ive inflicted on someone is an elbow square on the forehead - still not sure exactly how it happened, bad lead or what...dunno. Didnt phase her much though and shes danced with me since - I'm glad theres wasnt a lot of power behind it. Hate to think Ceroc would be forced to ask for first aid volunteers to be on duty when Im there .

[TheTramp]

Heh. This thread is scary. And I'm about to add to it big time. I played rugby at a pretty high level (London Welsh was the culmination) for many years, and did martial arts for over 7 years, and I've had more injuries in 3 years of dancing than in both of those put together. I hope that I'm not getting old

Broken wrist - dancing at Casbah, hit a patch of water, slipped, put my hand down (most people think I'd have been better off just breaking my fall with my face), broke my wrist. Danced on for an hour anyhow, then drove 150 miles before going to casualty. Danced 3 nights when I was in plaster.

Partly torn ligament in right knee. Damaged just before the airsteps competition at beach boogie. My entire leg from just above the knee to my ankle was black. Very nasty

Damaged peroneous tendon in left foot. Done again at beach boogie (I'm not going there again without comprehensive insurance). Had only been there 30 mins. Okie, so I was playing volleyball, and not actually dancing. But it was at a dance venue type place. One month off work. 2 weeks off dancing. Don't tell my boss!!!

Numerous elbows in the face, and knocked off glasses.

It's all worth it though. Isn't it???

Steve

[Jon]

Jesus Tramp you have been abit unlucky.

I won't tell your boss if you don't tell mine. I was off sick too with flu but started dancing again before going back to work! I call it Ceroc Physio

[Gadget]

I have managed to smash my glasses on a certain cobbled flooring at one dance, and there have been a couple of times I have caught them flying through the air. The most serious impact I have had was one of miss-timing of another couple and myself, where I backed into a lady as she was propelled into me. I think that the shock was greater than the impact though - I grovled profuseley and danced a couple of dances later in the evening with her.

On a slight tangent, the subject of pain tolerance has been discussed in fencing circles, and the conclusion was that we train to over-ride the body's instinctive reaction to being hit and so can generally ignore most minor collisions and impacts. I realise that this doesn't add anything to dancing, but I am curious to others views on whether martial arts training leads to better awareness (and so less collision when dancing in a compact space), or more arrogance (will accept taking a few hits and crowd the dance floor even more, resulting in my partner taking a few knocks as well) ?

I must confess that in the excitement of the night, I was a bit guilty of the latter :sorry - but it was not a conscious decision; more the Ceroc zombie in me 'hear music:must dance'...'hear music:must dance'...'hear music:must dance'.

[Gary]

Numerous elbows in the face, and knocked off glasses.

I got my glasses knocked off and bent out of shape enough times that I always wear contact lenses for dancing now.

[DavidB]

Originally posted by gcapell
I got my glasses knocked off and bent out of shape enough times that I always wear contact lenses for dancing now.

Contact lenses are not dance-proof. We did a cabaret a few months ago for Jive+ in Oxford. In the middle of the routine one of my contacts popped out. I carried on - I thought it wouldn't be a problem.

However....

Our last lift in the routine is an overhead lift with Lily sitting on my hand. She then straightens her leg so that I can hold her foot to get out of the lift. Unfortunately I'm so short-sighted that I couldn't actually see her foot! I just stuck my hand up in the air - I figured her foot must be somewhere near the end of her leg...

David

[TheTramp]

I figured her foot must be somewhere near the end of her leg...

Your knowledge of the female anatomy is second only to your dancing skills David!! So do tell, was it there??

I wish I could wear contacts, but unfortunately my eyes are too sensitive (just like the rest of me). So I'll just have to go on getting the glasses knocked off

Steve

[Emma]

There was a woman at Camber who on the first night of dancing got hit in the face with a ring. Her cheekbone was very badly cut open and her eye blacked. A couple of inches upwards and it would have been a very serious accident rather than an unpleasant disfiguring one. The lady who had hit her didn't even apologise - possibly didn't even realise that it'd happened. It's made me a lot more aware of what jewellery I'm wearing...Usually I wear a very heavy silver bracelet but I've decided it's better left at home when I'm dancing...wouldn't want to knock someone out (unless they were putting me into drops without asking, of course).

[Fran]

Originally posted by TheTramp

I wish I could wear contacts, but unfortunately my eyes are too sensitive (just like the rest of me). So I'll just have to go on getting the glasses knocked off

Steve

same here steve - I cant wear contacts either, when my mother visits she always drop huge hints like - "do you have to wear your glasses, you would look so much better with out them!" but the truth is I cant see without them and cant see the mans face clearly and miss the hand signals.

I have had them knocked off several times and damaged, but the funniest is when they "locked" with a dance partners glasses! we were stuck fro a few moments!!!!
some times they get in the way when I am blusesing:-( I am sure that Bill has had his face scratched with them - and if anyone else has, I am really sorry:sorry :sorry

When I first started dancing I was suffering from whiplash and having treatment at the local hospital - never told them that I was dancing but I am sure it helped me get better!!!!! Did have a bit of a panic when I realised that one of our teachers partners was a phyiso at the unit I was attending!! - I hid alot.

Fran

[Bill]

Well............what an injury list.

To the best of my knowledge I haven't damaged anyone i've danced with - probably because I try and avoid crowded dance floors and don't play volleyball ( or any other contact sports ! - bad back ! ). And as I prefer Blues the floor has more space and fewer flying elbows and feet....and I can keep my partner safe - that's the real reason I love UCP......honest !!

Only once I can think of when a partner drew blood - at a V& L workshop in Edinburgh and I was trying a move with Lorna ( :sorry )...having just agreed on how the move could go wrong...it did and I had a smack in the mouth. But being the man I was I smiled, walked slowly to the toilet and cried alone ........... I'm pretty sure it was an accident. But as it was Lorna.....it had to be my fault

[Jon]

On the whole jewellery isn't a problem but on occasion I have danced with people who wear rings. And not ones that are smooth but ones with jagged edges or diamonds in them. Ouch!!!!!. I even walked off the dance floor during the class once as I kept getting the same lady.:reallymad My fingers almost needed plasters!.

[Jon]

Alot has been said about accidents. But what really annoys me are those people who bump into you, stamp on your foot/leg etc and don't even appologise but carry on dancing as if nothing has happened.

I've been in agony before after being stamped on and no acknowledgement from the person who did it. I've had to escort my partner hobbling off of the dance floor after a large man has kicked her leg before, and again no appology.

Accidents do happen but an acknowledgement goes a long way to making you feel better. On the occasion when I have accidently knocked into another person after the dance I made the effort of going up to them and appologising and making sure theyre ok.

[Graham]

Well, I picked up a dance injury last night - the Chick drew blood when she stabbed me with her claw . I hope she gets them trimmed before we dance again!