How hard is it to learn swing dancing, and how can instructors best meet the unique needs of beginning dancers? Part 2 (of 2).
First of all, thank you all for your responses to Part 1, in which I explored the challenges of learning partner dance from the new student’s perspective. I was heartened to learn that so many others are passionate about beginning dancers! In this post, I will share my humble recommendations for the introductory/beginning dance teacher. These are outlined in the table below. Please note that I am focusing mainly on month-long introductory classes, not necessarily ½-hour “drop-in” classes. Recommendation 1: Apply motor learning principles. Motor learning is the process by which your ability to move in specific ways improves semi-permanently through repetition and practice. It’s colloquially known as “muscle memory.” The…
How hard is it to learn swing dancing, and how can instructors best meet the unique needs of beginning dancers? Part 1 of a 2-part series.
Teaching true beginners is different than teaching intermediate and/or advanced dancers As Rebecca Brightly recently wrote, it takes a while for most people to discover where they fit into the larger lindy hop scene. Like many others, I initially daydreamed about becoming a “rockstar” swing dancer/instructor. Through time, it became clear that my unique gift to the lindy hop world lay in the arena of teaching/encouraging beginning swing dancers at the local level. I also enjoy inspiring all sorts of fun shenanigans (and a few videos) in the process. I’ve greatly enjoyed teaching classes at Seattle-based HepCat Productions and Mountain View, California based Wednesday Night Hop. After teaching different levels,…
My Biggest Wish for New Dancers: A Rational Optimism
After teaching beginning dance lessons for three years, I believe that one’s attitude is the most important factor influencing whether or not one sticks with the dance. Let’s be brutally honest: learning to dance involves lots of mistakes and awkward moments. It’s an athletic and musical skill that is learned in the context of touching people that one might be sexually attracted to, for Pete’s sake! In order to stick with it, you must accept some fundamental truths: You will make (MANY) mistakes. Along the way, your brain will want to attribute those mistakes to some causal factor. You will be the sole common denominator in all the mistakes you…
Why I Dance (with arthritis)
I created this video ostensibly for a Jazz Video Contest in 2010, but in reality the idea had been kicking around my head for a while and I just needed an excuse to get out and actually complete my vision 🙂 It pretty much speaks for itself, but I will add a few notes for context below: Video Objectives To show that everyone can enjoy the swing dancing community, regardless of what challenge they may have in their life. Many people in the Seattle dancing community had no idea I had Rheumatoid Arthritis, so I also wanted to communicate my health situation to them in a way that would make…