Pet Hate

[John McAulay]

I always leave mine on vibrate!
I find it gives me a more pleasant tone to my voice,
When I eventually answer it.
My number is 0705017274 call any time day or night!
Regards

[Sandy]

Originally posted by Heather
Why is it, that when some people reach a certain level of competency in Ceroc, they no longer feel that they should take part in the beginners class? Beginners need experienced dancers to help show them how to do the moves, otherwise it's like the blind leading the blind. Unfortunately, some people think that they are too good to dance with beginners or less experienced dancers and refuse to take part in the classes, preferring instead to sit at the side and try to conceal their boredom!!

Heather I'm with you. I haven't long moved up to the intermediate class but I absolutely love the beginners class, it is so much fun when you know the steps and when you can help out an absolute beginner, having the boot on the other foot so to speak.

Also as it is not so long since I was a beginner I can remember the terror of learning new steps and trying not to look stupid - still manage that mind you! But I think everyone should make everyone else feel at ease and that they are not alone in their mistakes. Dancing is so much fun and it's for everyone to enjoy, plus we want to keep new recruits, not scare them off.

My pet hate is when it is time to move on and just for a second your partner has "that" look - 'Christ not her'! I'm maybe being paranoid but it really does shatter your confidence.

Another little pet hate is when the good dancers only want to dance the good dancers. To be fair I understand wanting to dance with someone who is easy to "gel" with and not a clumsy oaf but come on guys we need the experience!

Ceroc dance lover

Cheers

Sandra

[Jayne]

Originally posted by sandra hart

My pet hate is when it is time to move on and just for a second your partner has "that" look - 'Christ not her'! I'm maybe being paranoid but it really does shatter your confidence.

Hi Sandra,

I recognise this! Although I've only really noticed it recently when I've been doing the beginners' class as a bloke. I don't know if the crucial variable is:

a) me,
b) my (lack of) ability to dance as a man,
c) the thought of dancing with a girl, or
d) that the girls are more guilty of using the "Christ not her" look.

What do other people think (preferably about the topic in general, rather than my dancing!)?

Jayne

[Emma]

Originally posted by sandra hart
My pet hate is when it is time to move on and just for a second your partner has "that" look - 'Christ not her'! I'm maybe being paranoid but it really does shatter your confidence.

Oh, yeah.. I know what you mean. I find it even worse when you ask someone to dance, and that look crosses their face before they say 'OK then'..and then they dance with you without actually looking at you at all.

When I first started dancing that could easily ruin my evening. Now I just go and find someone friendly to restore my faith in male dancers.

[DavidB]

Originally posted by Emma
and then they dance with you without actually looking at you at all.

Sorry ladies - but you are just as guilty as us men for not looking at your partner. It gets to the stage where you are surprised when the lady does actually look at you!

It can get funny to watch. Most men will not look the lady in the face, but will still look at her body to see where she is and what she is doing. Most ladies don't look the man in the face, but sometimes look for the other hand, especially for pretzels etc. So it can look like the man is staring at the lady's chest, and she is looking at his bum...

David

[Sandy]

[Hi Jayne

I feel I have to add that the majority of guys are really nice and very helpful and hopefully if any of the offenders are reading this they will get the message

I guess we are all there because we love to dance and have fun and that's what's most important.

Cheers

Sandra

[Stuart M]

Originally posted by sandra hart
My pet hate is when it is time to move on and just for a second your partner has "that" look - 'Christ not her'! I'm maybe being paranoid but it really does shatter your confidence.

Call me suspicious, but I always get the feeling, whenever the class is rotated and some guy/gal is left without a partner, that someone has indulged in a bit of "skipping" to avoid someone they hate dancing with.
You usually learn just as much, if not more, with a bad partner (or someone you just don't like!). If nothing else, it allows you to concentrate on your own style, or make you concentrate on the teacher rather than have a blether!

Another minor irritation: the gals are probably more to blame for this - those who, when the class is rotated and realise they're off the floor, simply jump off straight away. It makes it impossible for the guys towards the end to count their next partner. C'mon ladies, it's only a small brain we have and the counting's hard enough :sorry - help us out a bit!

[Emma]

Originally posted by Stuart M



Another minor irritation: the gals are probably more to blame for this - those who, when the class is rotated and realise they're off the floor, simply jump off straight away. It makes it impossible for the guys towards the end to count their next partner. C'mon ladies, it's only a small brain we have and the counting's hard enough :sorry - help us out a bit!

Oops, I've done that..it never occurred to me that the men at the end of the row would have trouble counting...I'll try to remember not to do it again.

I'll say one thing for Ceroc, it doesn't half improve your counting skills, especially numbers under 10!

[Amanda]

Originally posted by Stuart M

Call me suspicious, but I always get the feeling, whenever the class is rotated and some guy/gal is left without a partner, that someone has indulged in a bit of "skipping" to avoid someone they hate dancing with.

....surely not Stuart..!

Amanda

[Sandy]

Originally posted by Stuart M

Call me suspicious, but I always get the feeling, whenever the class is rotated and some guy/gal is left without a partner, that someone has indulged in a bit of "skipping" to avoid someone they hate dancing with.
You usually learn just as much, if not more, with a bad partner (or someone you just don't like!). If nothing else, it allows you to concentrate on your own style, or make you concentrate on the teacher rather than have a blether!

Another minor irritation: the gals are probably more to blame for this - those who, when the class is rotated and realise they're off the floor, simply jump off straight away. It makes it impossible for the guys towards the end to count their next partner. C'mon ladies, it's only a small brain we have and the counting's hard enough :sorry - help us out a bit!

Hey Stuart I been there when a guy has walked off the floor and the women on either side have already grabbed their guy and left me to walk off like a lost cause!

Another thing that has happened is at the end of the class the guy walks off as soon as the teacher says right you can free dance and leaves you there half way through a song! Maybe they all know something I don't


Anyway I still love it and still come back for more so guys give me a break - stick with it, please!

Sandra

[Stuart M]

Originally posted by sandra hart

Hey Stuart I been there when a guy has walked off the floor and the women on either side have already grabbed their guy and left me to walk off like a lost cause!

Another thing that has happened is at the end of the class the guy walks off as soon as the teacher says right you can free dance and leaves you there half way through a song! Maybe they all know something I don't

Keys!

I wasn't saying guys or gals were any more or less guilty about "skipping" - that one cuts both ways, I know that only too well from my early "I'll never crack this bloody dancing thing!" days.

Even the point about drifting off the floor early, spoiling the count, wasn't picking on the ladies - it's just that you usually outnumber the guys. I'm sure we'd be just as bad...

However, I'll confess to being guilty sometimes of the "walk off after the class" thing...:sorry

[John McAulay]

Well Sandra Hart
Having danced for almost 4 years now, I still can remember the terror of those first 6-8 weeks as a beginner.
Then a very nice lady (not a TAXI) took me aside and helped me through the pain barrier.
It is for that reason I take part in every beginners class, there is a debt on experienced dancers to give back what they themselves were given.

The ÔÕChrist not her lookÕÕ I understand very well, when people have been dancing for months if not quite a year
You expect them to improve!
But if they use their long nails or thumbs as a vice to contain you, or always wear hand cream, or expect you to drag them about the dance floor, make little effort or no effort to enjoy themselves. Its no wonder we think Oh not her!

Its works the other way as well, I see blokes try moves week in week out where amputation would be more comfortable than the moves the guy tries to perform, this is not limited to beginners

And now we get to my main gripe at your comments:
I like all other male dancers am there to enjoy myself dancing, that means dancing with the best dancers I can find.
To that extent I even have Ô Our TuneÕ with more than one dancer, when that tune plays we will look to dance with each other. Sad maybe but we enjoy it that way.

I will how ever never refuse to dance will any one who ASKÕS me to dance (as is the CEROC ethos) if as a lady you donÕt get over the hurdle of not wanting to ask, but waiting to be asked. You may never dance with the people you are looking for, make the leap just ask.
Regards

[Bill]

It would seem that in a lot of Ceroc clubs many of the more experienced dancers miss the beginners class and arrive for the freestyle and the intermediate class. I can understand this but I generally feel that doing the beginners class gets me warmed up and ready for the evening.

It can also be, as Franck said on a different thread, a good chance to try out little bits of style as well as getting to know folk. However, I can understand why some people wil lsit out , at least occasionally. For most of us the class becomes a social event and may be the only time we meet most of us see each other. I'm very guilty of not spending time chatting to other members but I love dancing so much it's difficult to stay off the floor

As John says, there are songs that become 'special' or you get used to dancing to with a partner and so when it starts you look for that person. Maybe that is sad but it can make the evening having that 'special' dance.

It is also very important for newer women to approach the men for a dance as there are almost always more women than men so it can be easy to become hidden amongst the less inhibited women



Sometimes at a class there is only freestyle for less than an hor and a half so if you dance non-stop you might have 30 dances or so. At Aberdeen we might have over 50 women so it becomes impossible to dance with everyone, no matter how we try :sorry

Maybe if more folk arrived early as we used to in the 'old days' at the Palace then we can have 15/20 mins of dancing before the class starts. I found that was a great way to try out the moves from the previous week.......when I coudl remember what they were

Keep on dancing........................

[Sandy]

Originally posted by John McAulay
Well Sandra Hart
Having danced for almost 4 years now, I still can remember the terror of those first 6-8 weeks as a beginner.
Then a very nice lady (not a TAXI) took me aside and helped me through the pain barrier.
It is for that reason I take part in every beginners class, there is a debt on experienced dancers to give back what they themselves were given.

Hey John

I always get a bit worried when people call me by my full name! I know I'm in trouble!

Hey I did say in my second thread that it was only the minority and yes there are some very nice people out there who want to help.

The ÔÕChrist not her lookÕÕ I understand very well, when people have been dancing for months if not quite a year
You expect them to improve!
But if they use their long nails or thumbs as a vice to contain you, or always wear hand cream, or expect you to drag them about the dance floor, make little effort or no effort to enjoy themselves. Its no wonder we think Oh not her!

There was me thinking that guys liked women to "pin them down" and even drag them about! Maybe it takes some folk a little longer than others to be so nifty on the dance floor!

Its works the other way as well, I see blokes try moves week in week out where amputation would be more comfortable than the moves the guy tries to perform, this is not limited to beginners

And now we get to my main gripe at your comments:
I like all other male dancers am there to enjoy myself dancing, that means dancing with the best dancers I can find.
To that extent I even have Ô Our TuneÕ with more than one dancer, when that tune plays we will look to dance with each other. Sad maybe but we enjoy it that way.

Main gripe, oh oh! Sad, aint nothing sad about dancing to our 'Our Tune', I'm all for it! I'm all for dancing with favourite partners - for part of the night. Just call me greedy - I want a share of the good dancers!

I will how ever never refuse to dance will any one who ASKÕS me to dance (as is the CEROC ethos) if as a lady you donÕt get over the hurdle of not wanting to ask, but waiting to be asked. You may never dance with the people you are looking for, make the leap just ask.

Hey , looks like you could be a busy boy in the future!

[Franck]

To rain on everyoneÕs theory re. skipping during the classes; watching from the stage, it appears to be a total inability to count on both the men and the womenÕs part. More often the guys will be chatting to each other or to the women walking past, and the women will just follow blindly the woman in front and not bother to count!
Teachers (ie me) are also at fault for not calling the number clearly or often enough, so most people have no idea how many women / men are to move round.

As for the Òoh no, not her / himÓ look, I think, this is paranoia, most people are very nervous during the classes and smiling is the last thing they are able to do when a new partner is approaching. They are probably thinking they are unable to do the move and are worried they will be found out!

It is really important (from a teacherÕs point of view) to relax everyone (hence the many bad jokes during the class ).
It is also important (as Bill pointed out) for women to get up and ask the men, you might find that the man whom you thought had ÒthatÓ look was actually just a bit shy, and will be very grateful (and flattered) to be asked to dance!!!

Franck.

[Sandy]

Originally posted by Franck
To rain on everyoneÕs theory re. skipping during the classes; watching from the stage, it appears to be a total inability to count on both the men and the womenÕs part. More often the guys will be chatting to each other or to the women walking past, and the women will just follow blindly the woman in front and not bother to count!

Hey any ladies out there, what do you think about this. I personally don't think it is a lot to ask the guys to count the women walking past, after all, at this stage, they are just standing there, 99% of the time they don't have to do the walking round bit. But don't get me wrong it's all worth it in the end for a night at Ceroc!

Teachers (ie me) are also at fault for not calling the number clearly or often enough, so most people have no idea how many women / men are to move round.

As for the Òoh no, not her / himÓ look, I think, this is paranoia, most people are very nervous during the classes and smiling is the last thing they are able to do when a new partner is approaching. They are probably thinking they are unable to do the move and are worried they will be found out!

OK point taken - but only for beginners!

It is really important (from a teacherÕs point of view) to relax everyone (hence the many bad jokes during the class ).
It is also important (as Bill pointed out) for women to get up and ask the men, you might find that the man whom you thought had ÒthatÓ look was actually just a bit shy, and will be very grateful (and flattered) to be asked to dance!!!

Franck.

Well I am capable of admitting when I am wrong so I will get back to you on this after the next few classes !.

Cheers

Sandra

[Graham]

Jayne: I expect it's because you're a girl. Since so many women just do the following the leader thing during the rotation, they often seem to be shocked/surprised when they arrive at their partner (or is that just me?) and I imagine that when they get a female lead they have a bit of a panic that they're in the wrong place.

Actually I often seem to have to rugby tackle my new partners to stop them running past - it MUST be just me!!

[Jayne]

Originally posted by Graham
Jayne: I expect it's because you're a girl. Since so many women just do the following the leader thing during the rotation, they often seem to be shocked/surprised when they arrive at their partner (or is that just me?) and I imagine that when they get a female lead they have a bit of a panic that they're in the wrong place.

Actually I often seem to have to rugby tackle my new partners to stop them running past - it MUST be just me!!

Hi Graham,

You're probably right - it's just because I'm a girl.... I think I used to react in the same way when I first started, now that I think about it...

BTW - where's the line in the rugby tackle that separates the stopping a partner and dancing with her???

Only joking Graham! You dancing on wednesday? Hope to see your tan....

Jayne

[Graham]

Originally posted by Jayne
BTW - where's the line in the rugby tackle that separates the stopping a partner and dancing with her???

Are you saying dancing with me is like being rugby tackled!!??? :reallymad

Only joking Graham! You dancing on wednesday? Hope to see your tan....

Yes - see you there!

[Graham]

Perhaps I should change my avatar to Mr Grumpy, but I thought of a couple more pet hates:

Smoking in the dance hall
Use of aerosol smelly stuff in the toilets