20 Jun
2015
20 Jun
'15
5:16 a.m.
Dale said, "Don't teach advanced techniques to new dancers. Forget the buzz
step."
Sorry, but I must disagree most strongly.
In an average evening of contra dancing you will spend nearly thirty minutes
swinging (if the dances are in the Modern Urban Contra Dance style rather
than the older styles).
I think it is incredibly unfair to a newcomer to make them suffer for thirty
minutes rather than teach them how to swing. They can also cause a lot of
suffering to whomever they are swinging with if they have lousy technique.
I would not agree that it is advanced either. I strongly believe that a
couple of minutes teaching the basics of a buzz step swing will give
everyone a much more enjoyable evening. Some of them won't get it, but for
those that do it can completely change their experience of the evening.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
20 Jun
20 Jun
10:28 a.m.
New subject: Buzz Step Swing
John, respectfully, I have to disagree with your disagreement. A simple walking swing
works just fine even when the other person is doing a buzz step.
The HUGE problem that I see with beginner lessons is that people stand around bored while
the teacher talks and talks. All the air goes out of the room. Keeping the beginners
moving is job number one.
So, I have them do a right elbow swing, to get the body dynamics right. Then maybe 30
seconds of talking about ballroom position, have them do a walking swing, a moment on how
to balance, and they are good for the night. Especially if they get to practice that with
three or four different people during the lesson.
I can move a competent newcomer from walking-swing to buzz-step swing during the dance,
just with "look at my feet."
Always appreciate the perspectives on this list though.
On Jun 20, 2015, at 5:16 AM, John Sweeney via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Dale said, "Don't teach advanced techniques to new dancers. Forget the buzz
step."
Sorry, but I must disagree most strongly.
In an average evening of contra dancing you will spend nearly thirty minutes
swinging (if the dances are in the Modern Urban Contra Dance style rather
than the older styles).
I think it is incredibly unfair to a newcomer to make them suffer for thirty
minutes rather than teach them how to swing. They can also cause a lot of
suffering to whomever they are swinging with if they have lousy technique.
I would not agree that it is advanced either. I strongly believe that a
couple of minutes teaching the basics of a buzz step swing will give
everyone a much more enjoyable evening. Some of them won't get it, but for
those that do it can completely change their experience of the evening.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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12:18 p.m.
New subject: Buzz Step Swing
Not everyone is physically able to do the buzzstep swing. While I include
the buzz step as part of my beginner lesson, it gets axed if I'm short on
time. Other dancers will teach them that.
What's way more important is teaching giving weight. A good-weight walking
swing is vastly more pleasurable than a bad-weight buzz-step swing.
Ron Blechner
On Jun 20, 2015 10:28 AM, "Lindsay Morris via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
John, respectfully, I have to disagree with your
disagreement. A simple
walking swing works just fine even when the other person is doing a buzz
step.
The HUGE problem that I see with beginner lessons is that people stand
around bored while the teacher talks and talks. All the air goes out of the
room. Keeping the beginners moving is job number one.
So, I have them do a right elbow swing, to get the body dynamics right.
Then maybe 30 seconds of talking about ballroom position, have them do a
walking swing, a moment on how to balance, and they are good for the
night. Especially if they get to practice that with three or four different
people during the lesson.
I can move a competent newcomer from walking-swing to buzz-step swing
during the dance, just with "look at my feet."
Always appreciate the perspectives on this list though.
On Jun 20, 2015, at 5:16 AM, John Sweeney via
Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Dale said, "Don't teach advanced techniques to new dancers. Forget the
buzz
step."
Sorry, but I must disagree most strongly.
In an average evening of contra dancing you will spend nearly thirty
minutes
swinging (if the dances are in the Modern Urban
Contra Dance style rather
than the older styles).
I think it is incredibly unfair to a newcomer to make them suffer for
thirty
minutes rather than teach them how to swing.
They can also cause a lot
of
suffering to whomever they are swinging with if
they have lousy
technique.
I would not agree that it is advanced either. I strongly believe that a
couple of minutes teaching the basics of a buzz step swing will give
everyone a much more enjoyable evening. Some of them won't get it, but
for
those that do it can completely change their
experience of the evening.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
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3:30 p.m.
New subject: Buzz Step Swing
Teaching a buzz step seeing does not and should not mean talking and
talking while the air goes out of the room. A good buzz step swing
mini-lesson should be mostly people practicing different sub skills as a
group, individually, or in couples.
On Jun 20, 2015 10:35 AM, "Lindsay Morris via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
John, respectfully, I have to disagree with your
disagreement. A simple
walking swing works just fine even when the other person is doing a buzz
step.
The HUGE problem that I see with beginner lessons is that people stand
around bored while the teacher talks and talks. All the air goes out of the
room. Keeping the beginners moving is job number one.
So, I have them do a right elbow swing, to get the body dynamics right.
Then maybe 30 seconds of talking about ballroom position, have them do a
walking swing, a moment on how to balance, and they are good for the
night. Especially if they get to practice that with three or four different
people during the lesson.
I can move a competent newcomer from walking-swing to buzz-step swing
during the dance, just with "look at my feet."
Always appreciate the perspectives on this list though.
On Jun 20, 2015, at 5:16 AM, John Sweeney via
Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Dale said, "Don't teach advanced techniques to new dancers. Forget the
buzz
step."
Sorry, but I must disagree most strongly.
In an average evening of contra dancing you will spend nearly thirty
minutes
swinging (if the dances are in the Modern Urban
Contra Dance style rather
than the older styles).
I think it is incredibly unfair to a newcomer to make them suffer for
thirty
minutes rather than teach them how to swing.
They can also cause a lot
of
suffering to whomever they are swinging with if
they have lousy
technique.
I would not agree that it is advanced either. I strongly believe that a
couple of minutes teaching the basics of a buzz step swing will give
everyone a much more enjoyable evening. Some of them won't get it, but
for
those that do it can completely change their
experience of the evening.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
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3 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
Jeff Kaufman via Callers -
John Sweeney via Callers
-
Lindsay Morris via Callers
-
Ron Blechner via Callers