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" < [email protected]> 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 < > [email protected]> 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 [email protected] 01233 625 362 > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Callers mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >
