I have taught many group classes. I've underestimated it to be around 3,000 group classes. Beginners to advanced, 3 to nearly 300 people, teacher training, formations, weird gigs at corporate events, high schoolers, collegiate... you name it.
And like a sailor at sea, there's calm days that go according to plan, and there's disasters that you train for, and then. There's the perfect storm. The class that you knew existed and had heard of in legends, but never experienced yourself.
Until now.*
*Yes, all of this really happened. No, you weren't in it. It happened years ago and I've had notes on it forever.
I was teaching a beginning level class that had a modest turnout most weeks. Most participants were taking private lessons, so the group class was mostly focused on reinforcing the basics.
This week, I had noticed a few unfamiliar couples hanging around in the lobby before class, so I was expecting some absolute beginners.
Possibly to my detriment, I feel very comfortable teaching beginners because I've taught so many over the years. I teach at a local university's ballroom dance club and have experimented on them for 10 years to see what methods get the majority of attendees moving and grooving in the least amount of time.
[YES, THE GIG IS UP. I'VE USED YOU FOR RESEARCH. SORRY, LOVVE YOU, UMNBDC! KATE, OUT!]
Getting large groups of people DANCING and figuring out what "takes" is fascinating! I've honed and edited and perfected and had good results. In other words, my confidence going into class was unshaken by the circumstances.
Back to class, my regulars show up, along with a few new couples. I start class.
It's Swing, btw. Just single time swing. [NO, THAT'S NOT LINDY.]
I literally have always started classes by walking. Forward, back, side steps. Boom. Done. EASY. Sighs of relief all around.
My general formula for class is:
- walking
- foot placement (side, side, back, forward) - everyone is dancing with themselves
- timing (slow slow quick quick, but with synonyms! one two, one two, one one; one two, three four, five six; sl-ow, sl-ow, quick quick; side, side, rock step; boop-shoopy, dop-shoppy, bip bop; etc.) - still dancing with themselves
- demonstration of the subject at hand
- quick tips for great success
- partner up! giddy up!
- dance a lot with music and switching of partners
- troubleshoot, then dance some more
- do a move by starting the whole process over (skipping the walking bit)
We begin doing the basic.
Six people walk in.
Not one or two, which I'm used to.
SIX.
Cool cool. The ocean is getting a little rough, but nothing I haven't seen before.
More basics, but let's count out loud together!
We partner up.
There's more guys than girls, but that's no problem. I tell the leads to do their part as if a partner was in front of them.
OH, that guy in the corner is NOT getting it. Like, NO. NOT DOING IT.
And this guy, right here, dancing with me, THINKS he's got it, but like, NO.
And his wife leans over, from where she's dancing with someone else, to tell me, that he doesn't got it.
WE'RE TAKING ON WATER, SAILORS.
"GENTLEMEN ON YOUR SIDE! LADIES ON YOUR SIDE!" I yell to bail out water.
Let's go back. The basic needs some work.
But no one wants to feel like they're being remedial. Or remediated? The seas are taller than my boat, but I am undeterred.
So I disguise more basics as "adding rotation". But MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO ROTATE IF YOU'RE WORKING ON MOVING YOUR FEET IN GENERAL.
We count together.
We stomp our feet in rhythm, to make sure we're doing weight transfers.
We partner up.
I'm playing fun music REALLY LOUD and counting people in TOO QUICKLY after switching partners, so a different lady doesn't have enough time or volume to teach each one of her new partners. I am sailing into the eye of the storm.
Everyone I dance with is smiling and having a great time, but holy crap, it's still a mess out there.
One guy cannot hear the music. Or my very loud voice counting, which seems impossible. I tell the guys to copy off their neighbors, or at least pick a rhythm and stick to it. I have made it through the eye, but now am into the other side of the storm. I AM NOT AFRAID.
That first guy is not going to get it. I've made peace with that. I'll tell everyone how to cheat and still make their partner happy.
I did three other exercises I'd never done before to get across the point of the basic (aka: move your feet).
Guys.
We are 25 minutes into class and still doing the basic.
I decide to move on, because sometimes the next challenge solidifies the previous one as "easier".
We do the underarm turns. Literally 8 times for the ladies. And another 8 times for the men.
I don't know if you're recalling the lead's part for underarm turns in Swing, but it's the basic... while lifting one arm.
Yes, I made them do MORE basics.
We made it to shore. It was glorious. The fact that I tricked them into more basics, not the actual basics themselves. Those were still mediocre.
At the end of the 50 minute class, everyone was doing... something to music. It might not have been exactly Swing, but they were having fun and didn't want to stop when the music did. And while I'm a sucker for righteousness in the ballroom, I'm also a fan of having a good time.
