[Callers] What to do with a really bad new dancer?

[Kalia Kliban via Callers]

On 3/6/2017 12:13 PM, Marie-Michèle Fournier via Callers wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>    Lately a new dancer has started coming to our dance and he is bad
> enough that he will often make the set break if the dance is moderately
> challenging.
<snip>
> I'm sure other dances have had experience with similar
> troubles, does anyone have advice on how to deal with this so that other
> dancers still have a good time yet we are nice to this problematic dancer?
> Thank you
> Marie
> ContraMontreal

This is a really tough issue.  A lot, for me, would depend on the 
attitude of the dancer.  Does he really love it?  Does he engage in a 
friendly and appropriate way with the rest of the group?  Good attitude 
and motivation can mitigate _some_ of the problems.

Are there dance communities with actual policy about dancers who are 
problematic not because of behavior but because of skill level?  I'd be 
curious myself to hear how others have dealt with this.

There do seem to be some folks who the regular teaching just doesn't 
reach, but every now and again those folks, through sheer persistence 
and enthusiasm, can finally get it.  Not everyone's learning curve is 
the same.

If there's a particular move (or moves) that's consistently losing him, 
perhaps a set of carefully chosen, diplomatic dance angels could do some 
slow and thorough coaching, off the dance floor.  The physical 
difficulties sound like less of a barrier than the issues with 
processing instruction, and it's possible that some well-crafted 
individual attention could get him over the hump into being a more 
functional member of your dance community.

Kalia Kliban (ever optimistic)