Clapping in Classes

[MartinHarper]

I also hate it when teachers make you clap yourselves after doing every move - even if everyone's done it really badly. Silly point, I know, but it really bugs me. Other people, however, will love this.

I've only seen this in beginner classes, and I have to say it bugs me too. (bah, humbug!) I guess it's useful for bolstering confidence and the like.

[ChrisA]

I've only seen this in beginner classes, and I have to say it bugs me too. (bah, humbug!) I guess it's useful for bolstering confidence and the like.

I often do it at the end of a beginners review class. There's often a sense of them having worked well, and I think it's worth acknowledging the achievement.

I don't like the over-clappy, stylised, practically-every-move version that you sometimes find though.

Chris

[Rachel]

... I guess it's useful for bolstering confidence and the like.

So glad I'm not the only one! Does it really boost confidence, though? How? Something that's obviously lost on me!

I often do it at the end of a beginners review class. There's often a sense of them having worked well, and I think it's worth acknowledging the achievement.

Ah but that's ok - perfectly acceptable at the end of a class.
R.

[Zebra Woman]

Well deserved clapping is fine by me.

Don't forget the DJ ....

I think there is nothing nicer than a completely spontaneous round of applause at the end of the evening, if the you enjoyed what the DJ played. I have found myself doing that a few times

[spindr]

Teachers that say "Now give yourselves [i.e. me] a clap." after every move

Teach us something useful instead and we'll clap you at the end -- without being asked

[Lounge Lizard]

oh boy how I hate the clapping thing, unless it is genuine
At one venue I know of they ask you to clap the demonstrator at the start of the class...........why she has not done anything yet
and as for asking the dancers to clap the DJ, I hit the fade button before they can complete the sentence

however genuine and unsolicited applause at the end of a good set or class feels soooo good
p

[Graham]

I often do it at the end of a beginners review class. There's often a sense of them having worked well, and I think it's worth acknowledging the achievement.

I don't like the over-clappy, stylised, practically-every-move version that you sometimes find though.

Me too. I think it reinforces the sense of having achieved something. It is also fairly uplifting, to send them away feeling enthused.

[philsmove]

I think It very much depends on the teacher

Rohan - my Salsa teacher warms up the beginners this way, he does the an infectious enthusiasm, that gets the class “moving”
But I the a hate the rather droll “and give your selves a clap” said without sincerity

[Minnie M]

I hate it too - BUT for some reason it makes you feel part of the group, as you break away from concentration (supposedly) for about 10 seconds to see all the others doing the same.

Any forumite psychologists like to clarify more

[Daisy Chain]

I hate it too .

Any forumite psychologists like to clarify more

I always get the most appalling urge to bark and clap the back of my hands together like Sammy the Seal

...and sometimes, I am appalled to find that I have given into this urge.

Daisy

(A Barking Little Flower)

[baldrick]

I always get the most appalling urge to bark and clap the back of my hands together like Sammy the Seal

...and sometimes, I am appalled to find that I have given into this urge.

Daisy

(A Barking Little Flower)

Thank you for this, I thought it was only me

[Andy McGregor]

To paraphrase my 'mate' Julian Clary, "please give the DJ the clap which he so richly deserves".

[Whitebeard]

..... please give the DJ the clap which he so richly deserves .....

Much as I may grumble, I do hope you're being just ever so slightly fascetious (sp) there. And as for Julian, oh dear, he inhabits another world outside my comprehension. Bit there is a certain drollness about him which I like.

[Sparkles]

This thread has reminded me how much I hated the clapping thing when I first started Ceroc - I felt like such an idiot clapping myself for something I hadn't done well and I couldn't even pretend the applause was for someone else because usually my partner had been pretty terrible aswell and they were feeling as silly as me.
But now I'm wondering if I've been 'conditioned' and won-over (to a degree) by the clapping phenomenon?
There are times when a 'clap' or some form of positive acknowledgement is a good thing - especially in the beginners review class where I, like others have already said, use it towards the end of the class - particularly when the group has just managed to get the routien going twice through to music! I also find it useful if I am joining in the beginners class and have danced with someone a few times on the rotation who was nervous and not very good at the beginning but who improves over the duration of the class - I then feel it's quite nice when the teacher utters 'those dreaded words' to clap my partner and smile and say 'that was really nice', or some such thing. (I do hope this doesn't sound terribly patronising?? It's certainly only meant in an encouraging and friendly way!).
I've found it's something that I've just got used to. I was originally very irritated by it, but now it doesn't bother me so much. And now, if I feel silly, I just don't clap.

[Dance Demon]

To paraphrase my 'mate' Julian Clary, "please give the DJ the clap which he so richly deserves".

Ah !!! but Julian also says that he always enjoys a warm hand on his entrance..........

[Lynn]

...I then feel it's quite nice when the teacher utters 'those dreaded words' to clap my partner and smile and say 'that was really nice', or some such thing. (I do hope this doesn't sound terribly patronising?? It's certainly only meant in an encouraging and friendly way!).

Reminds me of once at a morning meeting as a student we were asked to turn to another person and say 'you're looking great this morning' - I turned round and the guy behind was really cute! I ended up muttering something like 'that's a nice jumper!'

Anyway, back to classes, a local salsa teacher here often does a 'line up' at the end of a beginners class, with him signalling steps, turns etc from the front. Its fairly simple, you don't need a partner so everyone can do it together whereever they are in the rotation and even if someone had been struggling with the moves in that class they can do the line up. So it ends the class with everyone participating and doing familiar, at least if you get some steps wrong, you can look at the teacher/people around you and find your place again. Works really well with beginners.

I suppose in a similar way clapping at the end is part of that 'shared group experience' and enhances that feeling of 'I learnt something!' even if the person hasn't got every move right, they have learnt something. But I agree that clapping too often, midway etc just makes it meaningless and forced.

[Whitebeard]

Reminds me of ......

The time, many moons ago when, attending a budgerigar show (and how our obsessions can change over time) on a hot summmer's day at a leisure centre near Coventry (the name is there, but out of reach), I paused by some wide open exit doors and gazed in some bewilderment at a large class dutifully following the instructions of an aerobics teacher. What morons I couldn't help thinking, like robots in the manufacture, slavishly following the instructor's apparently mind washing routine. And yet here I am (how our perceptions can change) all those years later, doing exactly the same thing and actually clapping at my own or my partners' efforts and, for all my native scepticism, enjoying being part of that experience.

[Miss Conduct]

I've only seen this in beginner classes, and I have to say it bugs me too. (bah, humbug!) I guess it's useful for bolstering confidence and the like.

To applaud yourselves in a class when a difficult move has been grasped quickly is a good thing, as is spontaneous applause , but I have witnessed lessons where the class has been told to 'give themselves a round of applause' after everything they've done. This then becomes pointless as no class completes every move well every time, it is also irritating to those not taking part. My personal feeling is that it can appear a little patronising too. I think some times it's a bit of a time filler and can become a habit with some teachers, I think however that new teachers are told to do this when they are trained. (?)

[Andy McGregor]

trained. (?)

Good point. How many of them are trained?

There are a number of good, experienced teachers who received no training. But how were their first few lessons? Might have been good, might not have been. This is something I've been pondering recently. I've now got 2 classes employing experienced teachers. I keep thinking I'd like to have a go at teaching, but how could I charge people to stand in the lesson while I get it wrong, or teach too slowly (or too fast!). But, where to people go, outside Ceroc (being 48, short, balding, not pretty enough, etc, I would fail the audition), to be taught to teach MJ? And do they teach you to clap?

[bigdjiver]

A good teacher will appraise the achiements and mood of the class, and initiate clapping at the right (nobody wants to be first), moment. Done right it is a great morale booster and class unifying activity. Done at the wrong time, very naff.