March 14, 2006, 7:23 p.m. (Message 44708, in reply to message 44703)
xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xx.xx wrote: > My feeling > is get them in by lowering the bar as far as possible, certainly below > any sense of having to master footwork first. Once they are in, they > will begin to look around and rather enjoy the superior footwork of > those around them. Then they will look down at their own hippo feet > and feel slightly embarrassed and want to improve themselves. I totally agree with getting new dancers moving, enthused, and actively dancing without a "huge" or "laborious" technique session, initial. HOWEVER, I do believe that some aspect of the elegant style of this dancing, much of which comes from its precise footwork, should always be a part of each class. One if the reasons I believe this is that bad habits are very easily formed. I know that it is more difficult to break bad habits than it is to form good ones to begin with. Simon Vancouver