What's in your notes?

In another thread, several people mentioned taking dance notebooks with them to lessons or dances. Does anyone care to share what kinds of things they take note of? New steps? Points of technique? Practice to-do lists? Anyone?

http://www.ballroombliss.com/InfoHelp/Resource/stepnote.htm

Hey, Jenn...yeah, I do. My teacher laughs at me, but one day admitted he used to do the same thing. I use my notes 1) to keep a record of my lessons, 2) to write down steps that bamboozle the hell out of me (that I'll never remember when I get home to practice) and 3) to write down questions for my teacher that I've had when I've been practicing @ home. It's invaluable and when it went missing for two weeks, I felt lost. It's also really, really good for looking back and charting your progress. In the entry for my first lesson it says "alemana"...a turn...how funny is that?

Another entry has little foot steps for a rumba fan... it's very cute and the pictures provide me with a good laugh when I've got a move down pat...it's also encouragement to think that a fan in rumba or a Texas Tommy in swing looked soooooooooooo complicated once and now I can do them blindfolded.

I number and date each lesson too (only because i'm obsessed with recording stuff), but it helps keep track of how many lessons you've had. For example, I'm up to lesson number 30 with this particular teacher...it also helps keep (sort of) track of how much you've spent with a teacher.

I keep the notes for most of the classes seeing as you learn something new in every one. I keep it in my handbag and when I'm on the train or waiting in line or something, I just whip it out and read...

Hope this helps...I LOVE MY DANCE BOOK (and my dance book loves me) !

In my dance notes, I record the following:

~ date
~ type of dance (belly, tap, jazz, Irish, etc.)
~ the instructor
~ name of dance
~ name of choreographer
~ name of song to dance to
~ the dance steps/choreography

I tend to reference my notes before the next class so I can remember what I've learned and practice some.

Okay. I'm hooked. I missed all my lessons last week because of comoany and holidays, and now I'm lost. I wish I'd had that notebook. So I'll buy one today and take it with me to my lessons tomorrow.

You've got to get a book, Jenn!! It will become as necessary dancing accoutremant as your shoes!

Trust me. I feel totally lost without it and you know what, it's kinda like reading a diary years later, you can't help but smile to discover just how far you've progressed!

I always use a notebook and tape record each private.

We review the previous practice session tape at the next private. I write down the things that she says "needs some work," and scratch them off as we go through them, recording again and taking more notes. I have notes that go back ten years . . . I erase old tapes!

I always recommend that my students have two books... one a composition book to take to al your lessons, classes, camps, and workshops etc.

The other a small palm-sized mini spiral-bound notebook to take to your social dances. This one you can jot down neat things you see other people do to ask your teacher about. Write about the good and bad dances that you experienced that night.

Vince A said:

I always use a notebook and tape record each private.

We review the previous practice session tape at the next private. I write down the things that she says "needs some work," and scratch them off as we go through them, recording again and taking more notes. I have notes that go back ten years . . . I erase old tapes!

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Tape record as in videotape, I assume? Hmm. Ther4e's no reason I can't do that as well.

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Hi kingeri2! Welcome to the forums. Yes, your post worked. I hope to see many more.

Welcome.

Jenn

Always wondered what people put in notebooks at dance studios. :lol:

youngsta said:

Always wondered what people put in notebooks at dance studios. :lol:

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You mean it's not the phone numbers of the cuties in their dance classes??? :shock:

See that would have been my guess too SD!

And here I'd always been so impressed that they needed entire notebooks! :shock: :lol:

Now we know what the videotaping is all about, too!

Seriously, videotaping privates really helps. We don't do it often, but every time we have the lessons learned from reviewing it later were certainly worth the effort.

I also got in the habit of writing notes immediately after lessons in my Palm device (I use a keyboard). It's not so much what I write down that works as it is the process of writing down the thoughts, so any notebook structure would make the same impact. I'll write down details of key points like weight placement or foot position details that I might forget later. Every time I've done that the lesson "sticks" better afterwards than when I don't take the extra time.