Big Headed Beginners!

[TheTramp]

Or howsabout you offer to take him to the next available blues workshop as your fixed partner

And what happens when he says yes please?

[Feelingpink]

And what happens when he says yes please?

I'm assuming that Fletch will have the foresight to pack a 'spare' partner for when he can't handle the pace.

[ducasi]

Om a serious note i would 'suggest' a beginner is someone who has been dancing less then a year

Cool! Finally out of beginner-dom in just over a week's time!

(I would "suggest" that a beginner is someone who's just beginning. )

[Minnie M]

How about the complete reverse .....

Tonight I was at a new class of beginners (week 5 of a course) - 40's style dancing - I was helping on the door.

When the freestyle came I asked a few of the men to dance. For only 5 lessons I was very impressed. So when I asked the next guy to dance I commented on how well he was dancing for only 5 weeks .... he replied

I have been dancing for THREE YEARS ............ oh dear

[Donna]

oooooo Donna, do I know him

I love blokes like him let me at him


point him out if we are all in the same venue together, i'll scare him to death.

perhaps we should try double trouble that will stop him

Now that would be a great idea! Might make him shut up!

[Donna]

possible reply : 'wow you know all 600* moves... your good.

*just a figure peeps, just a figure!!!


or.... you could smile n carry on..

Nah I'd rather the second option. If he starts with me that is, I will say just that. Thanks littlemc-central.

[Little Em]

Nah I'd rather the second option. If he starts with me that is, I will say just that. Thanks littlemc-central.

no problemo!

Em x

[Asif]

I'd be interested to know how many people have come across beginners who think that after just a few weeks of trying MJ, they are much better than anyone else and are trying to tell those who ARE experienced 'HOW TO DANCE!'

There is this one guy (very strange though) who, after dancing for just 5 weeks, thinks he is ABSOLUTELY the best MJ in the UK! He has never danced before in his life. I watch him dancing with some of the experienced ones, and he stops in the middle of a track trying to tell them that they did wrong and how it should be done. I find this extremely annoying and even worse, nobody seems to be complaining to the guy who runs the venue about him!

Males are less likely to be in this position as females are (since we are the ones supposedly doing the leading). However, i do remember once being given a bit of a telling off once by a TAXI DANCER (i am one too but i would never act like this). I went to a venue i had never been to before (i didn't know anyone there). During the lesson the taxi dancer kept "correcting" my hand hold, body position, etc, and made me fell like a total incompetent. At the end she commented that i "wasn't bad but needed working on". Needless to say, i just smiled and didn't say anything. We happened to get partnered a couple more times and the same thing happened.

At the end of the class, i asked the female teacher for a dance. And it was great! This other taxi dancer couldn't believe it so came and asked me for a dance and i obliged .... she was terrible (paid more attention on what she should be doing instead of actually following me). For the rest of the evening, i just avoided her.

Another example - female friend felt uneasy turning down a guy who smelt of beer and was being a bit gropey. When i asked her to dance, she said No (even though she wanted to) because she has just turned down this other guy with an "excuse" that she was tired. I got her to get up and dance with me. I told her that she had every right to refuse him but shouldn't feel like she can't dance with anyone else now.

Moral of the story - if you dance with anyone who thinks they know better and are just annoying/offending/upsetting you, smile and finish off the dance. As you are now better informed of them, you can politey refuse next time. If you accept a dance, you are now giving your "permission" for their behaviour. If you know them well enough or think they will be able to take it, you could even then tell them WHY you are refusing a dance.

[Asif]

possible reply : 'wow you know all 600* moves... your good.

What.....ONLY 600!!

Can i come up to your venue and keep correcting what you do when you are teaching then??

[Little Em]

What.....ONLY 600!!

Can i come up to your venue and keep correcting what you do when you are teaching then??

oh your a bad 'un

if that wht it takes to get you into the Rugby venue then yes

[Cruella]

oh your a bad 'un

if that wht it takes to get you into the Rugby venue then yes

Perhaps you two could sit and discuss the moves whilst nursing your injuries on saturday. Even better would be to watch you dancing together avoiding each others bad shoulders.

[timbp]

I'd be interested to know how many people have come across beginners who think that after just a few weeks of trying MJ, they are much better than anyone else and are trying to tell those who ARE experienced 'HOW TO DANCE!'

I haven't had this problem. But then, I've never been to a venue where I'm a complete stranger (except when I was just beginning, but that doesn't count for this).

However, in class I tend to relax my arm while the teacher is talking -- zero tension. I take up the tension just before we start the walk through or dance -- as we're now taught not to use the 'C' to start, I find going from no tension to dance tension is a great signal for starting. (Of course, in freestyle, I just lead the lady onto the floor and start dancing.)

I've had several beginners comment on my lack of tension, and repeat to me what the teacher has said about tension. But I rather like that, as it tells me they can at least recognise the difference between tension and no tension, and I tend to look for them first in freestyle. The girls who don't comment are likely to have spaghetti arms.

Interestingly, there is one woman who has been dancing longer than I, and is a better dancer, but she doesn't seem to have realised that I only take up the tension just before I start the walk through or dance. Every time, she comments or otherwise indicates that I have insufficient tension; then the music starts, I provide tension, we dance. I think she believes I am providing tension because she's commented, not because I'm about to start dancing.

[Lynn]

So when I asked the next guy to dance I commented on how well he was dancing for only 5 weeks .... he replied

I have been dancing for THREE YEARS ............ oh dear

Oops! And you were only trying to be encouraging.

[Donna]

However, i do remember once being given a bit of a telling off once by a TAXI DANCER (i am one too but i would never act like this). I went to a venue i had never been to before (i didn't know anyone there). During the lesson the taxi dancer kept "correcting" my hand hold, body position, etc, and made me fell like a total incompetent.

Hand hold -yes as she may have felt uncomfortable with the way you were doing it or maybe it's just that you were 'at the time' doing it differently to others who she has danced with.

Body positioning -nope. This is taking it a bit too far as it's going into too much depth and is only something that is normally taught at private lessons or workshops.

Going into detail with someone who has just started dancing can put them off, as it's hard enough for them trying to focus on dancing moves without having to think of body tension or body positioning. It can make it appear difficult and so they will without a doubt lose interest and never come back. But, for a beginner who has never danced before in his/her life telling someone how this and that should be done is not on! It's only because they can't lead and are getting frustrated that they are using these excuses to hide their embarrassment.

Like little monkey said..

Sometimes I just smile. If I feel like a wee , I will make sure to grab an experienced dancer for the next track, and proceed to dance in a spot on the dancefloor where the beginnner in question can't fail to see me...

is something I would do to prove that they are wrong.

At the end she commented that i "wasn't bad but needed working on". Needless to say, i just smiled and didn't say anything. We happened to get partnered a couple more times and the same thing happened.

Were you an experienced dancer at the time? If so.. Oooh the cheek of it!

At the end of the class, i asked the female teacher for a dance. And it was great! This other taxi dancer couldn't believe it so came and asked me for a dance and i obliged .... she was terrible (paid more attention on what she should be doing instead of actually following me).

Ok sorry didn't see this bit. so.. Ah another self centred dancer who might as well be dancing around a pole.

For the rest of the evening, i just avoided her.

Good on you!

[Petal]

Hand hold -yes as she may have felt uncomfortable with the way you were doing it or maybe it's just that you were 'at the time' doing it differently to others who she has danced with.

Body positioning -nope. This is taking it a bit too far as it's going into too much depth and is only something that is normally taught at private lessons or workshops.

Going into detail with someone who has just started dancing can put them off, as it's hard enough for them trying to focus on dancing moves without having to think of body tension or body positioning. It can make it appear difficult and so they will without a doubt lose interest and never come back. But, for a beginner who has never danced before in his/her life telling someone how this and that should be done is not on! It's only because they can't lead and are getting frustrated that they are using these excuses to hide their embarrassment.

If i try to give beginners advice i try to do it in a positive way, not by criticising them. Like in life if i can't say anything nice i won't say anything at all.

.......but i was recently told by a beginner that i needed a really really strong lead and i didn't dance to the beat; to say i was shocked is an understatement. I know i'm intermediate dancer but i've never had this said to me in the three years i've been dancing until now.

But like others i'm planning to address this with the person very soon.





i

[TheTramp]

.......but i was recently told by a beginner that i needed a really really strong lead and i didn't dance to the beat;

It's amazing just how wrong some people can be....

[Donna]

If i try to give beginners advice i try to do it in a positive way, not by criticising them. Like in life if i can't say anything nice i won't say anything at all.

.......but i was recently told by a beginner that i needed a really really strong lead and i didn't dance to the beat; to say i was shocked is an understatement. I know i'm intermediate dancer but i've never had this said to me in the three years i've been dancing until now.

But like others i'm planning to address this with the person very soon.

Well he obviously doesn't know what rhythm is then does he?!

I'd have said something there and then. Just don't bother with him next time. I'm sure he'll do it to others yet and will get more stick.

[Petal]

Well he obviously doesn't know what rhythm is then does he?!

I'd have said something there and then. Just don't bother with him next time. I'm sure he'll do it to others yet and will get more stick.

I know he's done it once before, and he had the lady in tears.

[Petal]

It's amazing just how wrong some people can be....

[JamesGeary]

I've only ever gotten unsolicited advice from beginners.

Good dancer never seem to say anything. They usually just dance for a couple seconds the way I was dancing, then dance the way they think I should dance.