Dance Floor Etiquete
September 28, 2009
Well here we are again, it’s week 3 and you’ll perhaps be pleased to know we are not introducing anything new this time, week 3 is to consolidate what we have learnt so far. We are currently learning to Line Dance and not learning Line Dances. The most important thing at this stage is to master the basic steps so that they become second nature, unfortunately that entails plenty of repetition and practice.
There are 2 subjects I’d like to cover this week, the first is footwear.
Footwear should have a smooth sole, small heel and securely fit the foot. A lace up shoe or boot which enables you to easily turn on the balls of your feet is recommended. You will see more experienced dancers in a wide variety of footwear but as a beginner it is best to stick with the recommended shoe or boot type. Trainers and flat ballet footwear aren’t recommended as they may cause an injury, i.e. strain on knees, calves or back, it is entirely your decision what you find comfortable to dance in the above is our professional opinion.
And secondly Dance Floor Etiquette, this isn’t a set of rules meant to spoil your fun, but a few common sense pointers about good dance floor behaviour so that everybody can have an enjoyable time.
Do…
• Line Dancing is danced in lines so you should try to keep in a line for the duration of a dance leaving space between you and your “neighbours”
• Apologise if you bump or collide with someone, even if it wasn’t your fault.
• Take smaller steps on a crowded dance floor, remember, the more the merrier!
• Remember we were all beginners once…
• Encourage novice dancers, try to be helpful.
• Keep your head up, smile and enjoy yourself.
Don’t…
• It’s not cool to stand on the dance floor to socialise, always leave the floor to chat.
• Chatting in a loud voice is distracting to both dancers and the instructor, do it quietly…
• Try not to own a particular spot on the floor, dance where there is a free space
• Never walk through dancers on the floor, walk around the outside or wait until the dance ends.
That about sums it up for this week, hope to see you all at the class tonight.
Happy Dancing
Dolly & Tony
Line Dance Beginners-Introducing turns
September 21, 2009
Hi, glad to see you made it back for the second week, 2 – 3,000 steps and around 400 calories during an hour of Line Dancing is about normal and because Line Dancing is an effective all over workout which tones and strengthens ankles, calves, thighs and buttocks, is it any wonder you may have noticed an aching muscle or two after your first class…
The British Heart Foundation say’s Line Dancing is beneficial to health and it’s recommended by doctors as it invigorates all major organs from brain to toes and can help improve posture, stamina, muscle tone and coordination. If you are making changes in your life regarding nutrition and exercise it is wise that you consult your doctor before doing so.
Week 1, we danced 3 different 32 step dances, all facing Dolly on the front wall and we introduced you to Grapevines, Struts, Jazz Boxes, Walks and Charleston’s. The music used was intentionally slow, that way you get more time to think about your feet and what they should be doing. Eventually they will do their own thing and that’s when you’ll find your mind will wander and you’ll go wrong, I noticed Tony did so several times…
The format each week will be roughly the same:-
- Recap moves and dances from the previous week
- Introduce and practice new moves
- Learn new dances which incorporate new and previously learnt moves
We will also mix things up a little by dancing to different music tracks which might not seem like much but even the most experienced dancers can find that a challenge.
This week we are introducing Lock Steps, Shuffles and Turns but we’ll be gentle with you, promise. Turns can create confusion and cause a dancer to lose their sense of location in the room which is why this week we will keep to left quarter and left half turns only.
Next week’s newsletter will recap what you have accomplished so far and cover dance floor etiquette, whilst we are pretty relaxed about most things it is good to know what is expected on the dance floor, especially useful if you dance at other venues…
Dolly & Tony
PS If you need advice on any aspect of Line Dancing please speak either to Dolly or Tony, you can talk to us at the end of the class or if you prefer by phone on 01603 – 861271, we are here to help.
Line Dance Beginners
September 14, 2009
Tonight is the first week of our new 10 week beginners course, we know how daunting that can be so we are trying something new this time, the beginners weekly news sheet is one item we have introduced to make things easier, hopefully it will help…
Welcome to Silverboots and your first week as a Line Dance beginner, we hope you’ll enjoy your classes over the next 10 weeks.
During week one you will be facing Dolly on the front wall at all times, no turns this week – phew!!! You should feel more confident not having to turn.
The steps we’ll learn this week are Grapevines, Jazz Boxes, Struts and Charleston’s and through repetition it will help you to remember the dance steps. Please take small steps (even though the music is slower in the first few weeks) that way you will find it easier when the music picks up tempo.
We could easily “teach” you a couple of Line Dances each week but our aim is to teach you to Line Dance first, the dances will follow once you have mastered the steps. Please feel free to sit out if you find things getting too much and join in when you are ready.
Although practice makes perfect you don’t have to stay on the dance floor all night, not everyone learns at the same rate or even the same way, some prefer to watch whilst others prefer to do and repeat so don’t worry if you can’t get it first time, it’s like learning to drive, it gets easier every week. Tony was a classic case of someone who couldn’t get it for a long time and very nearly gave up but look at him now…
Another concern people often have is worrying about people looking at them, the chances are they are simply following you because they think you’ve got it.
As the class progresses more experienced dancers will join in and quite naturally as a new dancer you’ll perhaps worry about putting them off or wondering if you’re standing in their place. DON’T, it’s your class and it’s unlikely they’ll be put off by what you do, to be honest when they do go wrong it’s probably because they are thinking about something else, it’s certainly not what you are doing…
Line Dancing is not so hard to learn if you do it on a regular basis, we all have things crop up and need holidays etc but if you want to master it it’s best to make it to class on a regular basis.
That about sums it up for the first week, remember it’s about having fun, getting fitter and learning to Line Dance and you’ll do that much easier if you have a smile on your face…
Tony with Peter Metelnick
September 12, 2009
Tony and Peter Metelnick
line dance beginners class feedback
September 11, 2009
The Monday night “taster” session was a great success with many new faces who from the feedback at the end of the class all said they really enjoyed it and would be back for more, lets hope so.
As our thoughts are very much with beginners at the moment we have added a list of the basic steps, it’s always good to practice the steps, and a page of advice for new dancers. It can seem daunting when everyone else “seems” to know what they are doing but that’s not always the case…
Monday September 14th the new beginners course get underway in earnest, if you are a beginner and have time try practising grapevines, pivot turns and shuffles and give your self a head start.
See you all next week
Dolly
Line Dance Beginners
September 6, 2009
Monday September 7th
45 minute “taster” session at Thorpe Marriott Village Hall just £1
If you know anyone who might want to give it a go or who used to do it and is looking for a chance to get started again this is the ideal opportunity for them to have a try…
This beginners session runs from 7.00 – 7.45 pm followed by Improvers / Intermediates 8.00 – 9.30 pm (half price class tonight)