Question on class syllabi

Out of curiosity, is it more common for a studio to offer a sequence like beginners, advanced beginners, bronze for group classes or to mix things up?

One studio I know of does the Beg-Beg2-Bronze sequence, but most of the Bronze people have been in there since the last ice age. And that makes it difficult for the newbies who are coming in from Beg2 because they have to play catch up.

Another studio does a couple weeks of waltz, then a couple weeks of cha cha, etc and the instructors tailor the content to the skill level of the attendees, usually the easier Bronze level steps, I think. I don't mind that but there's not much repetition and frankly I need to do things more than one class to get that muscle memory burned in.

Dunno, maybe those are just the evils of group classes. :|

nucat78 said:

Dunno, maybe those are just the evils of group classes. :|

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The best thing to do is to take a private lesson and tell the teacher what you been working in the group lesson and he/she to help you with the finner details and that why you will get that muscle memory and solidify the steps.

One studio here offers One dance a day for a month and that way at the end of the month you have a little routine to dance to.

I've seen all kinds of combinations. Most studios around here offer one-month classes for each dance. They teach one or two new patterns each class, but go back and review each time, so at the end you have a little routine of several patterns learned. These are mostly beginner classes and tend to have a pretty high turnover.

Another studio also does two-month classes at more advanced levels. My favorite was a 3-month class that covered the whole bronze syllabus for one dance, but those aren't being offered any more.

Our group classes are split between "Beginner" and "Intermediate." Each class will have a small routine taught over the course of the month. Typically two dances are taught over the month.

Beginner class is just that: the basic "baby steps" of the dances, with the basics as far as hold and technique -- just enough. Intermediate class typically comes from the upper bronze to low to mid silver. Sometimes the instructor will throw in a more upper-level step if the skill level of the class permits it.

Groups will teach you how to dance, but if you want to take your dancing further private lessons are an absolute necessity.

We participate in all of our studio's group classes, but mostly as assistants and partners to those who don't have partners otherwise. We still pick up something to add to what we already know, though. Every little bit of experience adds up.

jwlinson said:

Groups will teach you how to dance, but if you want to take your dancing further private lessons are an absolute necessity.

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Yes, I think all roads lead to private lessons eventually. Unfortunately, my dance budget is such that they're not an option yet. :neutral:

We participate in all of our studio's group classes, but mostly as assistants and partners to those who don't have partners otherwise. We still pick up something to add to what we already know, though. Every little bit of experience adds up.

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True! I recently had an epiphany where a little of this and a little of that suddenly clicked together and I understood a bigger concept.

My studio (which is in your area, or downtown, rather), has newcomer, social foundation which conform more or less to beginner and beginner 2, and to the newcomer and social foundation syllabi for that studio, and then has social bronze, beginner bronze and advanced bronze. The first one is taught out of the social bronze (easier) bronze syllabus, the other two are taught out of the advanced bronze syllabus, beginner class will work on say steps one through ffive, the advanced class 4 through ten. Teacher will tailor which steps they teach based on who shows up to class. Some variety too, particularly among the beginner/advanced bronze classes. These will occasionally have steps from the social bronze syllabus, and alos occasionally have the dancesport syllabus.

Guess I should explain that a bit more for those who don't know FA syllabi.

Start out at Newcomer (Beginner). Not to be confused with Newcomer Bronze entry level at their comps.

Then comes Social Foundation (Beginner 2 in levels you're using).

THen at Bronze level there are 2 or 3 syllabi, depending on how you choose to divide them. There is Social and Advanced (second, obviously, tends to be a bit more complicated). Then there's the dancesport syllabus, which is often called Dancesport extensions, as a large majority of the steps are a continuation of the advanced bronze step of the same number, ie, Tango 2 in advanced bronze goes for 16 beats (8 or 4 measures, depending on the song). The Dancesport Tango #2 Goes almost to end of that step, but instead of the final quick quick slow, adds a few more measures with a nice contra body, etc, making a longer, mroe complex, step.

Of course, each of the Bronze ones is also divided into newcomer/beginner(steps 1-3), intermediate(steps 1-5), advanced(steps 1-8) and full(1-10). Can't have anything easy.