• Workshops & Classes

    When Fixing Problems Goes Too Far

    March 22, 2017 - By 

    When I was a new teacher, I had a student who began as a very ‘heavy’ follow. She used so much resistance that I would be exhausted after one dance with her. After a few months of regular practice, she became a ‘lighter’ follow. It was a beautiful connection. But, she didn’t stop there. She kept trying to connect more lightly. After all, the response to the initial ‘lightening’ was very good – so more must be better, right? The Overcorrection Conundrum This is a habit that I’ve seen quite frequently with dedicated but less-experienced partner dancers. First, they get a piece…

  • Beginner-Friendly - Workshops & Classes

    Practice Partners: the Good, the Bad, and You

    March 1, 2017 - By 

    Practice partners are a frequently underused resource in dance education and practice. Some people fear that a practice partner will entrench bad habits. Others feel like they can’t ‘learn enough’ working independently without a teacher. Others just get flat-out bored. But, those who have one (or two, or three) swear by them. Are you ready for a practice partner? Most people immediately start thinking about who they would ask to be their practice partner. But, the first thing to ask is if you would make a good practice partner. Until you are ready to really commit to having a practice…

  • Dance Discussions - Workshops & Classes

    The Twin Curses of Greatness and Incompetence

    January 10, 2017 - By 

    There are two groups of dancers most of us have heard of: the incompetent dancers who think they’re amazing, and the brilliant dancers who can’t understand the struggle of others. On face value, these two groups couldn’t seem more different. One group is typically very good at what they do, and a pleasure to dance with. The other is full of ego and a sense of superiority – even though most dancers would rather avoid them. But if we dig a bit deeper, they’re two sides of the same coin. They’re both based on an inability to understand their relative…

  • Dance Discussions - Workshops & Classes

    The Overeducation of Social Dancers

    December 1, 2016 - By 

    I love how many dance communities have a strong emphasis on technical foundations. It’s something that advanced dancers always loved, but social media made the importance of technical education more prominent. Dance scenes are growing and expanding. Some students take many classes a week, or invest thousands of dollars in privates. But, are we overeducating our social dancers? Defining Overeducation For the purposes of this article, overeducation has less to do with ‘taking too many classes’ than with an overemphasis on one facet of dancing at the expense of other equally-important components. For example: if you take 200 hours worth of dance training and 199…

  • Community Building - Social Dancing

    The girl who thought she danced better than she actually could

    October 14, 2016 - By 

    I was once the girl who though I danced better than I actually could. And you know what? Most of you probably were, too. Several of you probably still are. Yes, there are a few people who are (sometimes too) humble. I’ve had students where I just wish they could get a shred of self-confidence to go with their dancing. But, I’d say it’s not the majority. Most students go through a period of know-it-all-ness. It’s just the way things work. (I like to refer to this as the ‘teenager’ dance period.) So, let’s go through a personal case-study of me, who thought she could…

  • Following - Leading - Social Dancing

    Dancing on Default

    June 28, 2016 - By 

    Have you ever felt like your leading is a bit ‘boring’ and is stuck on autopilot? Do you default to the same movement set, regardless of music? Follows, do you ever find yourself just ‘going through the motions’ on a step? If this sounds like you, you may be dancing on default.

  • Beginner-Friendly - Following - Leading - Social Dancing

    The Art of Subtle Movement: “But it doesn’t feel like I’m dancing!”

    June 23, 2016 - By 

    When I started dancing, I really wanted to move my body. I saw advanced dancers moving effortlessly around the floor, and I emulated them. So, when I went to class, I moved my body. A lot. I took giant steps. I flung my hair around as much as I could. I stuck my arms out all the time. I tried really hard to make my hips move on every step.  In general, I was over-dancing.

  • Beginner-Friendly - Congresses & Travel - Workshops & Classes

    Workshop and Dance Class Best Practices

    June 21, 2016 - By 

    Workshops and classes are one of the building blocks of the dance community. They’re what allow us to grow, learn, and be exposed to new concepts most effectively. They support new generations of dancers, and hone the tools of more experienced dancers. But, it’s also important to make sure that we’re using workshops and classes effectively. This is both in terms of what *we* take out of the workshop – and what we can do to help others who are learning in the same class.

  • Beginner-Friendly - Dance Discussions - Inspirational

    “I wish I started dance when I was 5”

    June 3, 2016 - By 

    Did you grow up dancing, or with a deep desire to dance? If you didn’t, do you ever have that distinct, deep wish that your parents had made you take dance when you were a kid? I mean, seriously. If you were classically trained, everything would be SO much easier. It really would. But… would it really have been the right decision? Would you still be dancing?

  • Etiquette - Social Dancing

    The Importance of Patience for Mistakes

    May 24, 2016 - By 

    It is important that everyone learn how to dance safely, and how to take care of our partners. It is important for leads to learn how to properly and safely lead, and for follows to learn how to properly and safely follow. However, our quest for learning this material shouldn’t come at the expense of our patience for others. 

  • Etiquette - Social Dancing

    The difference between not taking lessons and being a ‘dangerous’ dancer

    May 18, 2016 - By 

    I understand why people say they will not dance with people who ‘do not take lessons’, but I disagree with them when they say it is because those people are ‘dangerous’. It’s impossible to judge whether or not someone is a dangerous dancer by whether or not they take classes. Is there a correlation between not taking classes and danger level? Possibly, but it isn’t always that simple.

  • Beginner-Friendly - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    The difference between ‘Floor Teaching’, ‘Asks’ and ‘Co-operative Learning’

    May 13, 2016 - By 

    A couple days ago, I wrote an article about how teaching on the floor is almost always inappropriate. Out of many conversations, there were a couple common threads that kept appearing: What if I feel I’m in danger, or something is hurting me? What if it’s a social after a class, and/or I’m practicing and figuring out a new movement with a friend? What if it’s someone where 5 seconds of advice could calm them down and make the whole dance better? To me, ‘floor teaching’ does not apply to any of those scenarios. To me, they were completely different concepts…