• Community Building - For Teachers

    When the Student’s Money Isn’t Worth It

    April 29, 2024 - By 

    If you’re a community leader or teacher in any capacity, you will eventually run across a student or attendee that exhausts you. In my experience, this is not about their skill level, ability, or financial situation – it is their attitude or behaviour. While a few people’s behaviour may reach the threshold of needing a ban, typically the individuals we are talking about today haven’t done anything ban-worthy; they’re simply… difficult. And sometimes, the difficulty in dealing with them means that it may not be worth it trying to retain them as a student or attendee. Here’s the three general…

  • Dance Discussions - Health & Safety - Social Dancing

    Envious Dancing

    April 20, 2024 - By 

    Dance can cause a lot of emotional responses. A lot of the time, we focus on the joy; sometimes we call these “dance highs”. But, every high has a low. One of those lows can be envy. What triggers envy? The triggers for envy can be subtle or obvious, and can look very different depending on the person. You might feel envy: This isn’t an exhaustive list; jealousy can take many, many forms. Sometimes, that envy can coexist with very real prejudices. For example, young women who are considered stereotypically attractive – especially if they are also a strong dancer…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Inspirational - Social Dancing

    7 Signs of an Ethical Event

    February 28, 2023 - By 

    There are so many events to choose from, which means there are some tough choices. For some attendees, part of that choice involves identifying organizers who appear to have the best interests at the community as part of their decision-making and planning. This list includes some of the things I consider to be good indications of ethical organization. While this list isn’t comprehensive, it includes some signs you can look for to get a sense for whether the organizer is building up and positively influencing the community. It also does not mean an event is unethical for not doing one of these…

  • Social Dancing

    The Limits of Compassion: Organizing in the COVID-19 Era

    July 10, 2021 - By 

    It’s no secret that I am very much for vaccination. I’ve worked with Dr. Hsu to write articles to give insight into the dominant view of the medical and public health professional sectors. I have gotten both doses of my vaccination, and am eagerly anticipating when I may dance safely with other vaccinated individuals. I also delete comments that I view as non-constructive or derailing from the premise of posts I make. Despite this, I do not “hate” anti-vaccination individuals, as passionate as I may be about my own position. Let me explain. The Problem of “Hate” People believe many,…

  • Dance Discussions

    5 Scientific Reasons Dance is the Best Hobby

    April 25, 2020 - By 

    Editors Note: This article is designed to be read start to finish the whole. way. through. 😉 We all love dancing! But, sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint why. Luckily, studies can tell us exactly why dance is the best hobby to have for your health, well-being, and community. #1 – Dance Beats Brain Disease Social dancing is the best activity for slowing down dementia – it was scientifically proven! In fact, dance is 76% effective at preventing dementia. That’s how powerful the rapid-fire decision makers in social dance – and especially for followers – is. I come from a family…

  • Dance Discussions

    A Case Against “Good, Clean Basics”

    February 11, 2020 - By 

    You have probably heard (or said) some variation of the phrase “I love beginners! All I care about is that my partner has good, clean basics.” We think that it takes the pressure off of novice dancers who are still getting their feet, and that it discourages pattern junky or rough behaviour. But, I think we may want to reconsider this phrase. The “Clean Beginner” Myth Beginners cannot have clean basics. Some may have cleaner or stronger basics, and some may be weaker. But, they’re not going to be ‘clean.’ Why? Put simply, they haven’t developed them yet. Very few people…

  • Dance Discussions

    Appropriation, Shaming, and Online Discourse

    November 14, 2019 - By 

    Today, I saw a video shared on Facebook. It was a girl dancing to a Bachata song with a guy. She and her partner were clearly having fun. She was also using a fair amount of twerking within the context of the dance. The person who had shared the video did so with the intent to illustrate how “inappropriate” the girl’s dancing was. The insinuation was that how she was dancing was disrespectful to what Bachata really is, and that people shouldn’t be allowed to dance like that. This particular video brings up more than one very difficult issue that we…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Community Building - Dance Discussions - Etiquette - Health & Safety - Inspirational - Inspirational Stories - Social Dancing - Workshops & Classes

    10 Things I Learned in 10 Years of Dance

    September 26, 2019 - By 

    I turn 30 today. I started dancing when I was almost 20 (except for the ballet class I got kicked out of at age 5). That means that I’ve been dancing just over 10 years. From my infancy in Salsa to my current status as a Brazilian Zouk organizer and teacher, it’s been a long journey. In those 10 years, my dancing, my role, and my outlook has changed and evolved. Things I used to think were clear are shades of grey. This blog (started in 2013? 14?) is a living testament to that; my first few posts are very,…

  • Performance & Competition

    10 Jack and Jill Questions Answered

    August 23, 2019 - By 

    You’ve seen Jack and Jill competitions. Maybe you’ve competed, maybe you think you may do one, and maybe you swear you’ll never do it. Regardless of which camp you fall into, it can be helpful to understand the nature and structure of a Jack and Jill. Here, I’ve compiled ten of the most asked questions I’ve heard about Jack and Jills. Should I compete? That’s a personal decision. Your attitude, expectations, and outlook on competitions should be your primary factors in determining whether or not to compete. The guideline I give my students looking at competing for the first time is…

  • Social Dancing

    5 ways to get into socials for free

    April 1, 2019 - By 

    Dance is an expensive hobby. We pay for shoes, training, and… socials. But, what a lot of people don’t realize is that there are many ways to get an entire night of dancing for free! Not all of these strategies will work at all venues – but hopefully at least one of them will help you in your pursuit of more affordable dance fixes. 1 – Have a friend help you in the back door Many socials have a second entrance that’s not patrolled. Even if the door is locked, a friend on the inside can help you pop open…

  • Community Building - Health & Safety - Social Dancing - Workshops & Classes

    5 things it’s OK to let yourself do as a dancer

    March 28, 2019 - By 

    For many of us, whether professional or amateur, dance is a passion that we devote a substantial amount of time, energy, and money to. We engage in training, travelling, and practising to make our dance closer to our perceived ‘ideal’. However, for some of us, we end up burning ourselves out because we push too hard too often. We start losing motivation (and then get mad at ourselves for that decreasing motivation), which can eventually cause some of us to depart from the scene entirely. One of the biggest contributors to this burnout is that many of us don’t permit ourselves…

  • Community Building - Etiquette - Health & Safety - Social Dancing

    Why Passive-Aggressive Feedback Doesn’t Work

    February 27, 2019 - By 

    Have you ever had an unpleasant dance? Maybe your partner squeezed your hand too hard. Maybe they were generally off-time and a bit rough. What did you do? Did you fix your face into an unsatisfied scowl to teach them a lesson? If you did, you have engaged in what I call passive-aggressive feedback. What is passive-aggressive feedback Passive-aggressive feedback is when a dancer uses body language (or, in extreme cases, even words) to indicate to their partner how unhappy they are with the present situation, but does not offer any constructive information as to what the issue is or…

  • Community Building - Congresses & Travel - Dance Discussions - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    Breaking the Dance Monkey and Dance Clique Cycle

    December 4, 2018 - By 

    A while ago, I wrote an article about the many reasons that professionals don’t always social dance. However, beyond that, there seems to be a fundamental disconnect both in how advanced dancers treat newer dancers, and the way that new dancers treat their dance idols. In many places, this has led to a strange dynamic where advanced dancers almost shun newer ones, while new ones create dance queues and demonize advanced dancers who are not super generous in their dances. As a social dancer in some styles and a professional in others, I’ve been on both sides of the divide.…

  • Dance Discussions - Following - Social Dancing

    In Support of Follow Empowerment

    October 18, 2018 - By 

    Over time, dance communities are moving towards a greater focus on follower empowerment. We are becoming more aware of the value followers bring to a dance, and the need to teach to both followers and leaders. But, some people are still a little bit foggy on what follower empowerment is. What follower empowerment is not As we explore what follower empowerment is, we need to remember that it is not about making followers more important than the leader, or insinuating that leaders are the bad guys. Rather, by giving more weight to the responsibilities and importance of the follower role, it actually reduces the…

  • Dance Discussions - Social Dancing

    Yes, that newer dancer may be “better” than you

    July 27, 2018 - By 

    For many, a fair dance world would be one in which hard work + time = a better dancer. The person who has taken two classes a week religiously for four years would necessarily be stronger than a dancer who has taken an occasional private or event workshop in the same length of time. In reality, this isn’t how things work. Why certain people get better faster Very often, people excel quicker than their peers for one of a few reasons: Physical conditions (which may include age, flexibility, strength, health, etc) Movement experience How they think Quality of instruction/dances Talent Accepting Progress…