March 13, 2006, 12:29 p.m. (Message 44667)
Sorry, I would have replied earlier, but I was busy oiling and loading my gun:) In reply to Campbell's e-mail I would say: 1) probably the long established classes don't welcome new members because, and rightly so, they can't be bothered with the Cumberland reels and the likes of it. If the group can't be bothered organizing beginners' classes, the group is to blame, not the teaching of steps. 2) SCD footwork is easy. No, let me say this better, SCD footwork is VERY easy, especially compared to other forms of dancing like ballroom, highland, salsa, etc. There are only 5 steps to be mastered and the most difficult one (PdB in my opinion) doesn't take years of classical training to learn. The proof of what I am saying is that /I/ can do it.... 3) The class does only what they are requested to do. If one doesn't tackle footwork and since they are beginners they won't know any better and they'll do as they are instructed, no more and no less. It is not so much a matter of keeping standards, but a way of getting from A to B in a dance without tripping over. Besides, the steps are EASY, so I don't see what the problem is in teaching them. I am not saying you should spend 20 minutes per class going over the "close behind" in skip change, but a few minutes per class (if it is a class we are talking about) won't hurt too much. Indeed, the instructions shouldn't be delivered with so much gravitas as if we were trying to describe a life or death situation, but even if in a lightweight manner delivered they must be. After all, if you were attending a pottery class wouldn't you want to be told how to handle clay? This is selling ourselves short!! Andrea (fae Dundee)