Disappointed at my first showcase video

[HoboChilli]

My studio finally released a DVD of our showcase. It is my first one. I've been attending my studio regularly Since January. I only had about 2 and 1/2 month to choreograph and practice our routine with my instructor.

On the video, I noticed I looked very stiff and not as animated and energetic as my instructor. I know when I look at it, I'm comparing it to all the So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars videos. Plus, my instructor have danced her entire life since she was in elementary school. She had also got a dance degree at one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. I know I should be looking back at the progress I've made since I first started. I just wished I could be as entertaining as my instructor and have just as good technique. I don't know if its because it is my first showcase and the pressure of performing in front of a lot of people caused me not to perform as I hoped.

My instructor is excellent. She motivates me constantly being her cheery self. We spend our usual private lessons on patterns. Will asking her to incorporate some emphasis on technique in each private lesson improve my self faster?

Am I asking for too much from my self? To me, being able to remember a pattern and doing it on the dance store is just half-assing it. I feel I need to be just as good in technique. I don't want to think I know a pattern but in reality having my muscle memory learning bad habits that are hard to break later on.

[Corne]

Congrats on your first showcase. Well done.
Since i have never seen a video of myself dancing i would leave the reviewing your video comments to the more experienced.

[Terpsichorean Clod]

My studio finally released a DVD of our showcase. It is my first one. I've been attending my studio regularly Since January. I only had about 2 and 1/2 month to choreograph and practice our routine with my instructor.

On the video, I noticed I looked very stiff and not as animated and energetic as my instructor. I know when I look at it, I'm comparing it to all the So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars videos. Plus, my instructor have danced her entire life since she was in elementary school. She had also got a dance degree at one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. I know I should be looking back at the progress I've made since I first started. I just wished I could be as entertaining as my instructor and have just as good technique. I don't know if its because it is my first showcase and the pressure of performing in front of a lot of people caused me not to perform as I hoped.
Don't be so hard on yourself. You really shouldn't expect yourself to look like someone who's been dancing most of her life. Still, it's good that that is motivating you to try to dance like she. Everyone here on Dance Forums is trying to do that, too. What keeps us sane is remembering that it will take us a lifetime.

By the way, I have only your description to go by, but I think your instructor should have tried harder to dance to your level.
My instructor is excellent. She motivates me constantly being her cheery self. We spend our usual private lessons on patterns. Will asking her to incorporate some emphasis on technique in each private lesson improve my self faster?

Am I asking for too much from my self? To me, being able to remember a pattern and doing it on the dance store is just half-assing it. I feel I need to be just as good in technique. I don't want to think I know a pattern but in reality having my muscle memory learning bad habits that are hard to break later on.
How about taking the most basic figure and telling her, "I want to spend the next month (or longer) trying to dance this one pattern as well as you." Then take the technique you've learned through working on that basic step and apply it to the other figures you know.

It sounds like you're already off to a very good start!

[blu]

My studio finally released a DVD of our showcase. It is my first one. I've been attending my studio regularly Since January. I only had about 2 and 1/2 month to choreograph and practice our routine with my instructor.

On the video, I noticed I looked very stiff and not as animated and energetic as my instructor. I know when I look at it, I'm comparing it to all the So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars videos. Plus, my instructor have danced her entire life since she was in elementary school. She had also got a dance degree at one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. I know I should be looking back at the progress I've made since I first started. I just wished I could be as entertaining as my instructor and have just as good technique. I don't know if its because it is my first showcase and the pressure of performing in front of a lot of people caused me not to perform as I hoped.

My instructor is excellent. She motivates me constantly being her cheery self. We spend our usual private lessons on patterns. Will asking her to incorporate some emphasis on technique in each private lesson improve my self faster?

Am I asking for too much from my self? To me, being able to remember a pattern and doing it on the dance store is just half-assing it. I feel I need to be just as good in technique. I don't want to think I know a pattern but in reality having my muscle memory learning bad habits that are hard to break later on.

Congratulations. :)

First of all, being able to take private lessons regularly from a seasoned dancer will make you a better dancer quicker than you would think.

Secondly, I think everyone is their own worst critic. You should, instead, be motivated to get better and be proud you accomplished so much in such a short time.

Third, technique is the hardest thing for me, too (and everyone else, I'd imagine). You will get it. Just keep trying!

Practice does make perfect! :D

[White Chacha]

I remember seeing a video of myself after an early showcase. It was devastating. For a week I was sure I'd quit. Four years later, I'm still at it :-)

[fascination]

Don't be so hard on yourself. You really shouldn't expect yourself to look like someone who's been dancing most of her life. Still, it's good that that is motivating you to try to dance like she. Everyone here on Dance Forums is trying to do that, too. What keeps us sane is remembering that it will take us a lifetime.

By the way, I have only your description to go by, but I think your instructor should have tried harder to dance to your level.

How about taking the most basic figure and telling her, "I want to spend the next month (or longer) trying to dance this one pattern as well as you." Then take the technique you've learned through working on that basic step and apply it to the other figures you know.

It sounds like you're already off to a very good start!yes...to all of this sound advice

[contracheck]

My studio finally released a DVD of our showcase. It is my first one. I've been attending my studio regularly Since January. I only had about 2 and 1/2 month to choreograph and practice our routine with my instructor.

On the video, I noticed I looked very stiff and not as animated and energetic as my instructor. I know when I look at it, I'm comparing it to all the So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars videos. Plus, my instructor have danced her entire life since she was in elementary school. She had also got a dance degree at one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. I know I should be looking back at the progress I've made since I first started. I just wished I could be as entertaining as my instructor and have just as good technique. I don't know if its because it is my first showcase and the pressure of performing in front of a lot of people caused me not to perform as I hoped.
Your experience is quite NORMAL. Were you expecting a miracle? You did well. At least your mind did not go blank and did not know where you were on the floor and what your next steps were. Reviewing your own tape with your coach is one of the most powerful lesson because you will not forget about your errors; it will give you the resolve to fix thse errora ta all cost. In this way, we iron out our unsightedly steps and make progresses inch by inch at snail's pace. I asked an active (i.e., not retired) Blackpool Latin finalist the other day to watch my Paso competition showcase tape and coach me how to make my Paso perfect. He even demonstrtaed Paso in Blackpool Congress with Mrs. Fletcher. He looked right into my eyes and said, "I have been dancing for 30 yrs under world's best coaches, but my Paso is still not perfect." I beleive that you may have to perform a thousand showcases to be satisfied with your performance.

[sewbusy]

My general rule of thumb for watching myself: unless you are used to seeing yourself on tape, it's always a shock! Watch it at least 3 times. Once you get used to seeing yourself you will feel better. And I did my first showcase after 4, 1/2 hour lessons. It was a Swing. Talk about stiff! But after watching myself on subsequent videos for 2+ years now, the shock has worn off and I can be more objective.
Give yourself time, lots of it. And like Ed told me, let the technique create the dance (story, styling). When he is judging, he said if he is looking at two people with equal technique, he will choose the one who's dancing matches the music. So work hard on technique but let the music move you on the floor. And I'm preachin' to myself here, also!
Good for you! Moving out of your comfort zone to experience dance!

[Josh]

We all feel this way. How about asking your coach if she ever felt that way... guess what her response will be.. :-)

My advice would be to forget this video. Then, wait until after your next showcase. Watch that video. You will feel disappointed again. Then bring out the old video (your current one), and watch it. You will suddenly feel a little better about yourself and your dancing. :-)

The point is, we are NEVER happy with where we ARE, but if we can compare where we are to where we were, then suddenly we see progress and that motivates us to look and dance even better for the next video/comp/social/whatever.

As for emphasis on technique, that's really what private lessons should be about. Of course, to have some context for study figures are learned, and rightly so. But patterns can be learned in a group class, or even by watching videos. There's nothing spectacular in that. There could be a couple of things happening in your case:

Your coach may not be a very good teacher, though she's a good dancer--unlikely if your description of her is accurate, but possible
You are actually learning some technique, but that technique has not "set in" yet and has not been identified by your coach as "technique", so you don't recognize it as such--remember that technique at your (beginner) level will only take you to the next level, not allow you to jump 18 levels and be in that place where you want to be in your mindThe technique required for you to be where you want to be (again, you must be realistic here) will come, and your teacher is probably trying to give you enough figures so that you can actually dance a bit and have a context for study. For example, when you first learn a latin dance a teaching emphasis on footwork should be limited to making sure the student steps on the balls of the feet. Then, we talk about turnout. Then, pointing and foot articulation is introduced. These concepts come gradually--I would never even mention ankle articulation or foot strength if a student is still taking even one single heel lead in a latin dance in a whole hour.

The reason for this gradual progression is obvious, but it eludes us sometimes when we want to be good yesterday. The mind can only handle so much conscious thought at a time. Add physical activity to that and it becomes even harder. If I told you to circle your left foot clockwise, wiggle your right toes, open and close your left fist, and make a waving motion with your right hand, you couldn't do it the first time. But do any one of those things on its own, and you can do it with ease. Keep doing that one thing over and over, and eventually it will become muscle memory, and thus you free up conscious thought, and you can work on another physical activity while doing that one. Repeat this process, and soon you can do all four simultaneously without thinking about it--that's the secret of beautiful dancers that eludes many beginners--they're not thinking about it, because their body just moves that way, from constant repetition.

I'm sorry, call me Mr. Tangent. Oye...

[waltzgirl]

My advice would be to forget this video. Then, wait until after your next showcase. Watch that video. You will feel disappointed again. Then bring out the old video (your current one), and watch it. You will suddenly feel a little better about yourself and your dancing. :-)




Better yet, watch the old tape first, then the new one won't be so disappointing. You'll see the progress right away and have something to be pleased about. That's what my pro advised me to do and it really helps.

[SPratt74]

I think that you are being much to hard on yourself. I only had three months to prepare for my first showcase. I wasn't able to get into the studio as much as I'd like to have done. I did two solos, and probably spent a good six hours on each if that during the whole three months. I could only take the lessons as I could afford them. So, to me, I did really well. The fact that I could even remember the steps to me was amazing!

I would say to think about all that had gone into it first before comparing yourself to the, So You Think You Can Dance dancers. I think that for a first showcase, you should just look at it as a learning tool and keep it to remember how far you have come for your next video. Some of the dancers on the show are professionals anyways, so there is no reason really to compare yourself to them right now. If I did that, then I would probably not be to happy about my dancing. But I for one, will not compare myself to other people dancing, because I know what I've gone through to get this far, and I'm proud of myself for that.

In fact, what I plan on doing with my video is that I'll show it when I have another video of my current dancing. Then they can see the difference in how far I've come. That in itself will be exciting for me! ;)

[HoboChilli]

Thanks to everyone for the upbeat motivation. I should be enjoying the process; the journey. The end result happens in an instant; a blink of the eye and its all over. Its the journey that tells the story where I've been and whom I've become.

Thanks again.

[waltzgirl]

Even if you're comparing yourself to the "stars" on DWTS, keep in mind that they generally have a *minimum* of training about fours hours a day for at least four weeks before the show starts, or at least 80 hours of training. You'd have to be taking 3-4 lessons a week over 6 months to equal that. If you're not, that comparison is really unfair to you.

[danceronice]

I have three weeks to prepare for my first showcase, assuming it'll even be ready for when it's supposed to be ready. (If that pro is reading this, as he well may be: I have total confidence in YOU. It's me I'm worried about.) It's bronze-level Am. rhumba, so it's not like it's rocket science, but still.

As for videos--well, I cannot watch the video of my first comp in February at this point. It makes me want to curl up and die. My poor pro (at the time) is trying--one of the things I admire about him is I have never seen him "dance down" with a student during a comp, he's always giving it everything he has and he was trying to do that with me--but he's basically having to shove me and pull me across the floor. I'm obviously petrified. It DID make watching the video from Manhattan much easier, as by comparison I look SO much better. I'm still not very good, but I'm improving. The next video will hopefully be even easier to watch, and so on.

[Josh]

It's bronze-level Am. rhumba, so it's not like it's rocket science, but still.

As for videos--well, I cannot watch the video of my first comp in February at this point. It makes me want to curl up and die.

Well, to be honest, bronze american rumba is essentially no more or less challenging than any other level or style of rumba--in fact, it is often quite more challenging, as this is the level where you (hopefully) pick up your fundamental technique, much of which carries over to other latin dances, and even smooth/standard.

I had to examine some old choreography from a show I did a while back, and it made me cringe--I know the feeling... so vain we are, dancers ;-) (lol, not really--we just want to look good--and who can blame us for that?)

[waltzgirl]

My poor pro (at the time) is trying--one of the things I admire about him is I have never seen him "dance down" with a student during a comp, he's always giving it everything he has and he was trying to do that with me--but he's basically having to shove me and pull me across the floor.


IMO, it's better that a pro does dance down when dancing with someone considerably below his level. If he's outdancing the student, I think it makes the student look worse by comparison, worse they may really be. One of the things I like about my pro is that he can match the level of his student and still look good.

[Zhena]

Today we did something that I hope will make things easier for my daughter. She is going to do a showcase with DH in a couple of weeks. They practiced a little yesterday, and today she came over just so she could practice some more. So I thought it was a good time to do some videos. I warned her she wasn't going to like the video. First they ran through the routine 3 or 4 times, then they did it for the camera. As predicted, it didn't come out very well. I pointed out where she was looking down (her worst problem) and where she was obviously enjoying herself and looking good. Then they did a couple more run-throughs before doing it for the camera again. She could see the improvement and what she still needed to work on. After a couple more run-throughs they did a final one for the camera. It was so much better than the first! She has the steps down, and just has to work on the presentation, and now she can see what a difference a smile can make. She still plans to have one more lesson with DH before the showcase, but she is now comfortable with the routine and much less nervous. I wish I had thought to do this before my first showcase ...

[danceronice]

Honestly? I want to be pushed. Especially presentation-wise--you can make the most basic-level steps look awesome if you give it some flair. Saved my butt in one routine (where I FORGOT THE STEPS but just kept performing and smiling until Chris could get me back to the start.) Also, I saw some pros at Manhattan (I will name no names, as A) I don't know them and B) I wouldn't if I did) who looked like they were phoning in. They were obviously bored dancing, say, Newcomer or Bronze and were just dancing, not bothering to perform. And that looks far worse. Like social dancing with someone you don't particularly like, really. None of our pros ever really dumb anything down, particularly the presentation, and it looks so much better.

And by not rocket science, I mean most of it's the actual bronze rhumba closed routine. Which I really should know by now, in terms of having the steps memorized. Eight bars of an intro, no matter how fast, shouldn't take me THAT long to learn. (Of course I haven't seen what the end's gonna be for sure, either.)

[SPratt74]

Today we did something that I hope will make things easier for my daughter. She is going to do a showcase with DH in a couple of weeks. They practiced a little yesterday, and today she came over just so she could practice some more. So I thought it was a good time to do some videos. I warned her she wasn't going to like the video. First they ran through the routine 3 or 4 times, then they did it for the camera. As predicted, it didn't come out very well. I pointed out where she was looking down (her worst problem) and where she was obviously enjoying herself and looking good. Then they did a couple more run-throughs before doing it for the camera again. She could see the improvement and what she still needed to work on. After a couple more run-throughs they did a final one for the camera. It was so much better than the first! She has the steps down, and just has to work on the presentation, and now she can see what a difference a smile can make. She still plans to have one more lesson with DH before the showcase, but she is now comfortable with the routine and much less nervous. I wish I had thought to do this before my first showcase ...

I am so impressed with this idea! I can see why you would do this. Because you can see what you are doing, and I can even see where it might calm down your nerves knowing how you are going to look before a performance (especially a first performance).

And I agree, smiling makes someone more fun to watch. I had so many compliments given to me after my first showcase because I was smiling the whole time during my performances. That's what the audience complimented me on the most. The second was my dress lol. But that's what the audience notices. They said to me that I was one of the few that looked like I really enjoyed myself. That was amazing to me after the short amount of time I had to put into it. So, good for you for pointing out things like that, because that does make a difference. ;)

[HoboChilli]

Is it advisable to get a second pro for private lessons? Will it confuse me more than help me since every instructor teaches differently?

[Corne]

Is it advisable to get a second pro for private lessons? Will it confuse me more than help me since every instructor teaches differently?

From time to time i think a coaching session is fine. But 2 instructors for the same style at the same time, is a bit much. Will just confuse me in not knowing what i am suppose to practice between lessons....oh dear, no not for me. :nope:

[waltzgirl]

Is it advisable to get a second pro for private lessons? Will it confuse me more than help me since every instructor teaches differently?


It depends on what you want the second pro for. Some people do smooth or standard with one pro and latin or rhythm with another, choosing pros who specialize in each.

It can be useful at some point to take some lessons from a pro of the same gender. You can often get more in-depth teaching on lead or follow and styling from someone who regularly dances the same role you do.

I think some chains regularly have students take lessons from two teachers, supposedly because they think two perspectives is useful (but I suspect that is because they have a lot of teacher turnover and want to make sure a student stays connected with at least one teacher so they don't lose business).

[HoboChilli]

The pro I'm thinking about getting some private lessons from has over 35 years of coaching many instructors and competitors. I have no idea what it means but she uses the natural Law of Motion. I mainly want to improve on my posture and technique with this coach/pro.

[waltzgirl]

The pro I'm thinking about getting some private lessons from has over 35 years of coaching many instructors and competitors. I have no idea what it means but she uses the natural Law of Motion. I mainly want to improve on my posture and technique with this coach/pro.


Some people also take lessons from an outside coach along with their regular pro (that is, both the pro and student go to the coaching together and the coach works on them as a couple). I do this from time to time and find it very helpful. But when I've taken workshops with other pros, I've found it difficult to incorporate what I've learned back in my lessons with my pro. I find it hard to explain what I've learned, sometimes it doesn't fit with my pro's style or with the progression of learning he has planned for me, etc.

But it couldn't hurt to take one lesson and see how it goes. What does your regular pro think of the idea?

[SPratt74]

Is it advisable to get a second pro for private lessons? Will it confuse me more than help me since every instructor teaches differently?

I had two pros at one time. It was a bit confusing. Thankfully, I took good notes. But to me if I were to do that again, I would have one focus on one thing and the other focus on something different. Sometimes I was given conflicting information. But other times, I was given insights on things from two different perspectives. So, it has its ups and downs. Right now, I'm enjoying having just one pro.

However, I will say this. I do think it's a good idea to take lessons from the same gender. I might do this with another pro that works at the studio. I don't think that he'll be against that, and probably will think it's a great idea! (This is only if I get the money to do that again.)

And to me, I probably should have waited until I danced more to take from two pros. I do think that you should check out the different pros to see if you still want to take lessons from the same one though. But seriously, unless you really want to start competing right away or whatever your goal is, I'd just check out the different pros first, and wait to take from two pros later on. But each person is different though, and will have different goals to set. You might need two pros while others might not. ;)

[danceronice]

I have two pros and do Rhythm with one, Smooth with the other--but the rhumba showcase I'm doing, I'm doing with the pro I normally do Smooth with. There was a momentary "bwuh?" doing steps with him leading where I'm used to the other pro (they feel very different--both clear leads, telling me the samet hing, just they're 'talking' to me differently) but overall it works, better than trying to take Rhythm and Smooth from the same pro as I had been doing--sometimes there was just no way to get EVERYTHING in.

I definitely want to take lessons sometime from some of the female pros at the studio, especially in Smooth. As soon as I have spare money/time for an extra private I'd like to hear about following and frame from someone who does my part. (And who's used to dancing with my Smooth pro!)

ETA: I'm doing this for competition. It might be a bit much for someone who was primarily interested in social dancing. Then again, I didn't start ballroom with a mind to competing, either.

[HoboChilli]

How do all of you go through a typical private lesson? I'm thinking of asking my instructor that every lesson should incorporate rehearsing old patterns, learning new patterns, and also working on improving technique. 15 - 20 minutes for each section.

So far we've been rehearsing old patterns and learning new ones in every lesson. The only time we've worked on technique is when I had a lot of detailed questions; usually when I express a pattern or movement felt awkward.

Or maybe as one poster suggested having my instructor watch me dance solo for 15 - 20 minutes each lesson.

[waltzgirl]

We usually start dancing one of our routines--until he notices something that needs fixing/improvement, then we stop and work on the technique of it. So we rarely get very far through the routine ;) !

He always likes it when I bring in technical questions I've come up with when practicing. Occasionally, I'll ask to be taught a pattern I've run across in social dancing but couldn't follow very well.

[cornutt]

My general rule of thumb for watching myself: unless you are used to seeing yourself on tape, it's always a shock!


Musicians have a phrase that describes this phenomonen: "Playback's a b**ch!" There is no harsher critic than the tape.

Hobo, I'm not sure how long you've been dancing. But you have to realize that when you are getting ready for a showcase, the focus of instruction is inevitably going to be on learning the choreography. Showcases are a good thing to do, but from it you have to take away lessons not on just what you danced, but on how you danced it. The idea, long term, is to use the showcase as a detection device to find the weak points in your dancing, and then as a motivator to improve them.

So the showcase has been a big step forward in your dancing. Now is the time to start widening the focus in your lessons. I'd suggest that for the next several lessons, you spend no time on learning new steps, and instead spend the time on improving both the execution and the feel of some of the steps that you do know. My take is that dancing doesn't really become fun until you reach the point where your steps flow smoothly enough that you don't have to consciously think about the details of movement all the time.

[HoboChilli]

Maybe I should buy a camcorder and tape my self at every lesson. Then afterwards my instructor and I can both review it. The more I watch my self on tape, the less shocking it will be when next showcase rolls around.

[etp777]

we work technique every lesson without fail. Generally we'll do 2-3 dances per lesson. To start, she'll just put on a song (or we'll count it) and just dance for a song or so. I try to do all the bronze moves I konw (2-5 patterns), and some basic stuff to link them. Then we'll work on technique in something I already know, maaybe dance a little longer until she sees something, work on technique some more, etc. Then we'll at least start on a new pattern. Then reepeat this all with the next dance.

Some variety in there, won't always add something new (last private with main teacher actually added three new steps, or two and a half, anyway :D ), sometimes we won't ever get past the first dance, will work jsut one dance all lesson, but regardless, there's ALWAYS work on technique. And not just practicing and tweaking things I've already been taught, but adding on new technique too. Like slowly evolving basic idea of heel and toe leads into toe, inside edge of foot, or heel to heel, outside edge, roll through, whatever. But, this is 9 months in, and as said, not sure how long you've been dancing. To start, we didn't do much in way of technique. Was just getting comfortable with the dances, and learning steps to a decent comfort level, because then she could go back and use the steps as a tool to show the different techniques, and where they applied, etc.

[samina]

How do all of you go through a typical private lesson? I'm thinking of asking my instructor that every lesson should incorporate rehearsing old patterns, learning new patterns, and also working on improving technique. 15 - 20 minutes for each section.



fwiw, we are never so regimented. we have an arc of what we're working on overall, but we don't break each lesson down into sections like that. after all, when you hit a wave of progress in learning or applying something new, you want to stay with it...

it's so hard for me to end those lessons because i always want MORE time. and sometimes it takes a bit of continued focus to generate the degree of concentration or depth required to "get" something. it would kill me to stop & start just to conform to an outline of what i think i should be working on.

[etp777]

That's very true Samina. We definitely go with things, and if something still eneds work, or altneratively, is going so well as to be almost unbelievable, won't suddenly say, oops, time is up for that section. We'll keep working on it. That's actually part of reason i plan on asking question i have on rumba right at start of lesson today, even if we start with Waltz (suspect those are two we're working on today). All my various twinkles need lots of work, and suspect that if we start with waltz, that may be all we work on todya. :D More than enough work just there to keep my teacher busy for 45 minutes.

[SPratt74]

How do all of you go through a typical private lesson? I'm thinking of asking my instructor that every lesson should incorporate rehearsing old patterns, learning new patterns, and also working on improving technique. 15 - 20 minutes for each section.

So far we've been rehearsing old patterns and learning new ones in every lesson. The only time we've worked on technique is when I had a lot of detailed questions; usually when I express a pattern or movement felt awkward.

Or maybe as one poster suggested having my instructor watch me dance solo for 15 - 20 minutes each lesson.

Well, what we did is that we had to go through the learning process to see which way I wanted to go. It also gave him a good idea as to what he needed to work with etc. He knows what goals I want to accomplish, and is now working with me on competition routines. But again, discuss with your pro as to what your goal is. And make sure you know what style you want to focus on before you spend lots of money taking lessons over something you don't want to learn. But mind you whatever you take will be good anyways especially when it comes to social dancing. For example, I know that I can now dance comfortably on a social dance floor by learning the different styles even though I'm only focusing on one style right now, and I'm perfectly fine with this. ;)

[SPratt74]

:D More than enough work just there to keep my teacher busy for 45 minutes.

Lol! I keep trying to tell my instructor that's why I pay him the big bucks lol! The problem with me is that I can come up with new questions and new problems enough for him to probably want to strangle me by the end of our lessons lol. I know he's shaken his head plenty of times at me lol. But I'm like well, if I don't say or do it, someone else might then what are you going to do lol? Thankfully I can get him to laugh over it, and he doesn't take it all so seriously now lol.