On the Development of a Rumba Dancer
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Twilight_Elena
Well-Known Member
Joe said:
Oooh. Point.
Twilight Elena
alemana
New Member
true, but we're not talking (in the more recent posts) about what it takes to create a pool of adult amateur dancers. we've been talking about the kind of culture it takes to produce excellence - the cream of the crop. all i was trying to point out is that it's really not that mystical of a process, and that there are some similarities between the sports machine in the US and the Eastern European-dominated ballroom culture.
PureAbsurd
New Member
Interesting: many things described by fenixx sound awfully familiar to me... It has been two months as I'm going to this studio which is run by an E. European couple, and in many ways they do it all just like that. They have classes for very young children and some higher level classes for the teenish/early 20ish, which all have the focus on competing. Also there are some "adult" social dancing classes... I'm 28, and am kind of out of the competition classes age category, but they do not strictly enforce the age limits (some people are even older then me), and I'm useful as there's a clear shortage of male dancers 
There are some very good dancers at the studio now, and hopefully this system will be even more effective in a long run. They became a Fred Astaire franchise recently, but the only change which I've noticed so far was the price of the lessons going a bit up.
There are some very good dancers at the studio now, and hopefully this system will be even more effective in a long run. They became a Fred Astaire franchise recently, but the only change which I've noticed so far was the price of the lessons going a bit up.
discovery
New Member
fenixx said:In my experience, the flow of information did not seem premeditated at all. Some days you would be doing rumba walks all day in varying patterns while other days we were working on developing dynamics in our dancing. All the while, no matter what we were working on, we were constantly reminded of the fundamentals of footwork, posture, connection, etc. Sometimes the entire class was a reminder
Could you describe some of the classes that you have experienced as an example? I would love to watch a documentary on such a studio but unfortunately it does not exist. So in other words, could you offer us a sort of verbal documentary of a sample class? I think you are in a unique position to offer a view into this environment.
Well, at the beginning level the classes are pretty simple. The beginning student is usually taught only rumba, cha cha, and jive. Group class is usually an hour to an hour and a half in length. The students would come in and usually rumba then cha cha would be taught. Because most of the group classes are usually 2:1 (or even 3:1) girls to guys, a lot of solo excerise is performed. A typical class would start with rumba music and everyone doing the basic facing the mirror. The technique, timing, and posture would be emphasized. After such a warmup, then the students might be asked to separate, girls one side and guys the other, to go over the class routine. The steps depend on how long the students have been dancing, but it would usually be basic, under arm turn, 3 new yorkers, under arm turn, 3 hand to hand, spot turn (or under arm turn), and back to the beginning. Then a fan might be added to a baseball bat before the new yorkers. As each step is added to the routine they are drilled over and over as to what the technique needs to be. Most of this is done apart then they do it together with the 1st partner then 2nd (and 3rd) partner(s). After some time of this they might move onto cha-cha (which would have an almost identical routine) or they might stay with rumba, working on more technique with excerises such as rumba walks, side steps, working on the new yorker/hand to hand action, etc.
Again, what exactly is done in class is not as important as to how it is done. The teachers demonstrate a lot as well as go around and fix. The teachers will call out people who are not doing it right in front of the other students as well as call upon students to demonstrate in class. This sort of Socratic Method is very effective in making students readily aware of what they are doing correctly and what they aren't. Also, repetition helps develop the dancer faster. Many times, group classes keep going in an attempt to keep everyone interested. This is not so in most of these classes. The teacher might do just rumba walks all class or just the basic, and an entire month of class might not go far beyond a couple of steps. This is done to ensure that the students are developing the proper muscle memory. These actions need to become second nature and what better place to get your muscles conditioned than in class?
I hope my outline helps you understand what goes on in these studios. I must say it was hard to recall a single class because they all kind of blur together. If you want to know anything else, just ask.
Again, what exactly is done in class is not as important as to how it is done. The teachers demonstrate a lot as well as go around and fix. The teachers will call out people who are not doing it right in front of the other students as well as call upon students to demonstrate in class. This sort of Socratic Method is very effective in making students readily aware of what they are doing correctly and what they aren't. Also, repetition helps develop the dancer faster. Many times, group classes keep going in an attempt to keep everyone interested. This is not so in most of these classes. The teacher might do just rumba walks all class or just the basic, and an entire month of class might not go far beyond a couple of steps. This is done to ensure that the students are developing the proper muscle memory. These actions need to become second nature and what better place to get your muscles conditioned than in class?
I hope my outline helps you understand what goes on in these studios. I must say it was hard to recall a single class because they all kind of blur together. If you want to know anything else, just ask.
Great info. Thanks for taking the time to pen it down. Appreciate it. Spending a few months on just 1 dance, learning 1 level of steps, is not ridiculous, it is necessary.
If you would just write a sentence or two about a more advanced class, that would be great. Maybe pointing out the difference.... How does students get promoted to next level ? Students decide ? They have enough comp points ? Or spend x years in that level ?
If you would just write a sentence or two about a more advanced class, that would be great. Maybe pointing out the difference.... How does students get promoted to next level ? Students decide ? They have enough comp points ? Or spend x years in that level ?
cl5814 said:
Well, I have seen the basic taught many different ways, all with different levels of success with different people. When starting, the emphasis is on developing strong leg action while keeping good posture and body tone. So, the student is taught to get the leg under him quickly and not move his hips. On the forward step and the back step, the student is taught to step strong, keep the leg straight and the foot parallel (or SLIGHTLY turned out). This should not be different than what anyone else learns, but these students get it faster because they are asked to do it thousands of times in the time someone else may be asked to do it a hundred times. In the thousands of times, the students are constantly reminded of their technique and posture as they are watched and corrected by the instructors. The other students, besides being worked less, are inconsistent and their teachers are not strict enough to get the level of consistency achieved by these other students.
cl5814 said:
Promotion comes from the teacher. Students definitely have zero say and I can tell you none of these students (even the most advanced ones) have ever heard of points. There are usually a few beginner classes catered to different age groups and a few intermediate classes dedicated to different levels of commitment. The committed intermediate class are those who usually get promoted, while the other intermediate class students will stay intermediate. There are usually a few advanced classes as well, with the highest being a bit smaller and for only the top competitiors.
The more advanced the class, the more philosophical the classes become. In a typical hour, one (max two) dances are practiced, usually going over a lot of technique. Because every one of these students has routines the class usually focuses on exercises. Usually there are a host of solo and partner exercises that the class knows and depending on the subject of the class those are the exercises used. What is a typical exercise? A solo exercise might be a piece of open level side-by-side choreography. The piece would have a lot of elements and would usually illustrate some movement or use of music that is germane to the subject of the class. A partner exercise usually focuses on connection. It may be a fan combination in rumba, a run combination in samba, or a twist turn combination in paso.
At this level, all of the basics of technique, timing, connection, footwork, leg action, posture, etc. are still drilled but at the ultimate level. Because a certain amount of control and mastery is assumed, the teacher wants to see command of all of the elements. It is this command that turns dull movement into dynamic dancing. This is where the "philosophy" part comes in. Where does all of this movement come from? What should I be thinking about when I do x? Where is our center here? How do I continue my movement? These are the kind of questions addressed at this level and a bunch of scenarios in the form of exercises are fabricated to demonstate certain situations and learn how to deal with them.
just to support the point "it is the culture, not the class":
I go to a standard studio in NYC. It has a slightly different approach from the latin studios that fenixx has described: private lessons based, not group class based instruction. But the culture is the same.
one of the most important features studio offers is organized practice with all couples dancing on the floor at the same time (or taking turns). With your competition, as well as people you are looking up to, dancing at the same time as you, it provides the competitive atmosphere.
the culture, the attitude at this studio is what produces the top standard dancers in this country.
one thing I believe in, it is of course information that you need to become a good dancer, and plain "dance hours" you put in
dancing to the best of your ability for many hours you are developing your body. As a result it attains new muscles, new abilities, new sensitivity, new control. Which will make you understand more in your next lesson. you will not understand a lot about new technique until your body is ready for it.
I go to a standard studio in NYC. It has a slightly different approach from the latin studios that fenixx has described: private lessons based, not group class based instruction. But the culture is the same.
one of the most important features studio offers is organized practice with all couples dancing on the floor at the same time (or taking turns). With your competition, as well as people you are looking up to, dancing at the same time as you, it provides the competitive atmosphere.
the culture, the attitude at this studio is what produces the top standard dancers in this country.
one thing I believe in, it is of course information that you need to become a good dancer, and plain "dance hours" you put in
dancing to the best of your ability for many hours you are developing your body. As a result it attains new muscles, new abilities, new sensitivity, new control. Which will make you understand more in your next lesson. you will not understand a lot about new technique until your body is ready for it.
ACtenDance
Active Member
I suppose that teaching Standard in a group setting wouldn't be as beneficial as Latin group classes. At least that's my experience. Would you agree? I'd like to hear an explanation of a Standard equivalent to what fenixx is describing if anyone has ever come across one.
ACtenDance said:
what I described above IS the standard equivalent. It produces at least half of all the dancers from the US final and semifinal, so it must be the equivalent.
Some of latin studios that fenixx described also offer beginner kids standard classes. I suppose advanced standard classes are possible but probably more difficult to run. it is not the classes that make you good though. It is the culture of hard work.