14 Mar
2006
14 Mar
'06
3:17 a.m.
Hi Tom,
I agree with all but two of these. Here's why I disagree:
2) Beginners have a delay in their reaction times to calls. They have to
process the call, translate it to what they know before they can tell
their bodies what to do. This is unlike an experienced dancer who has
muscle memory tied directly to the ears (or something like that). 8^)
When I have called to dances with a high percentage of beginners, the
dances with 8 count swings, by the time the dancers get into swing
position and start turning, they can't even get around once sometimes. 8
count swings also indicate a higher piece count in the dance and make it
more difficult. I have had better luck with 12 count swings when dealing
with beginners.
8) I am convinced that (with rare exceptions) when you teach someone
anything about the swing, they only can move up one notch along the
learning curve. They can only keep one instruction in mind when they are
practicing the swing. It took me a long time to learn how to buzz step
well and to incorporate it in such a way that didn't cause discomfort
for my partner. Since the swing is one of the first, hardest and most
common moves that they learn, it needs to be easy and quick to learn.
That's why I teach the walking swing. They have enough to learn about
posture, frame and dealing with eye contact. Why burden them with extra
information when they already know how to walk forward and it will work
just as well? By all means, let them know that the buzz step exists and
show them what it looks like. But also let them know that they don't
have to do it for a swing to be fun. I can show someone how to do a
walking swing in less than 30 seconds and have them dancing and their
mind will be clear enough to learn the other calls that they are being
taught. I have seen too many people befuddled by the buzz step and in a
daze while the first dance is being taught.
Hmmm... I guess that number 8 touched a nerve... 8^)
Happy Dancing,
Chris
http://www.chrisweiler.ws/
Tom Hinds wrote:
It occurred to me that many of the behaviors on this
list are due to
insecurity (dancing with other beginners, waiting to be asked etc.) That got
me to thinking about what callers can do to make sure the beginners have a
good experience. So, I've come up with my own list for callers. These items
may contain items that some may not agree with. But this may generate some
good discussion.
10 things a caller can do to help beginners have a good experience:
1) Prepare a logical program that starts easy and builds.
2) Like a professional dance teacher, warm up muscles slowly. Use dances
with 8 count swings (max) early in the evening. Keep the first couple of
dances shorter. New and not so new dancers are entering the hall and you want
them up and dancing sooner rather than later,
3) Be prepared well enough so that you don't have to use cards. Watch the
dancers. Watch the dancers.
4) Encourage everyone to dance with everyone else. When a dance ends,
suggest that those who just danced ask those sitting out for the next dance.
5) Demonstrate what smooth dancing looks like (especially if many newbees are
skipping).
6) Teach safe dancing - like proper allemandes. If you see dancers dancing
out of control take measures to make sure that they don't hurt anyone.
7) If you make a mistake, admit it. Often if something doesn't work, the new
dancers think it's because of them.
8) Teach the buzz step swing in the beginning workshop. Teach it well.
9) If a dance has a tricky move, show the dancers how to perform the move
with finesse. If the dance has a challenge in the timing department,
communicate to the dancers how to be on time.
10) If you call a challenging dance and the new dancers look a bit confused,
tell the crowd that that was a very difficult dance and that they handled it
very well (this one from Ted Sannella). If the dance was so challenging that
sets broke down, tell the dancers that you picked a bad dance (in other words
it's you, not them).
Tom Hinds