Thread
Index
Teaching and guns (was: Where are the RSCDS???)
Andrea Re
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)
> > 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.... Andrea, You are young, agile and have physical energy to spare. I know, I have watched you dance. What do you tell someone of 50+,say, who wants to dance? "Don't bother - you'll never master sufficient technique? You'll only slow us down? You'll make us look shoddy?" Instead of thinking of technique just thank the powers that you can do it to your own satisfaction. Many of us would love to but no longer can oor even never could. Will you deny us the floor? The head, the hands and timing are FAR more important than feet! They are a luxury for the, comparatively, few.
Ron Mackey wrote:
> What do you tell someone of 50+,say, who wants to dance?
> "Don't bother - you'll never master sufficient technique? You'll only
> slow us down? You'll make us look shoddy?"
Everyone should aspire to dance to the best of their abilities. For some (the
lucky few) this may mean »perfectly in all respects«; for others, »getting
there at the right time, socially«. Age may be a factor in this but often
isn't. As long as you're giving your best, and are enjoying yourself, nobody
can really complain.
On the whole, most people seem to have certain ideas of how much they are
willing to exert themselves (both mentally and physically); if they can have
enough fun while staying within the confines of these limits, then they enjoy
doing SCD. Push them to exceed them on a regular basis, and they will leave
in order to look for something less strenuous to do. This interplays with the
observation that, in many cases, better technique results in higher
satisfaction (because more things »just work«, less time is necessary for
explanations, more difficult dances can be attempted, etc.).
The trick, apparently, is getting people to find out that while they *think*
they're having lots of fun when they're just stampeding around the set like a
herd of hippos, that once they've got the hang of current SCD technique they
will be having even *more* fun. I don't have a foolproof method for doing
this.
Anselm
--
Anselm Lingnau, Frankfurt, Germany ..................... xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time
for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their
own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.
-- Octavia Butler
Andrea, Certainly Highland footwork is more difficult but I haven't found the footwork any of the other forms of dance you mentioned any more difficult than SCD. Irish is more taxing to be sure and marginally more difficult. Cha Cha approaches the aerobic level of SCD but who does Cha Cha for two hours? BTW I can think of more than 5 steps to be mastered in SCD. Why don't you give the list of steps you are thinking of and maybe others can add to the list. :-) Yours aye, Tom Mungall Baton Rouge, La, USA
> I agree with Andrea. Footwork IS important, it IS easy to learn (if you bother to), and should be emphasized. There's nothing worse than watching a demo team with sloppy footwork: toes pointed skyward, off-beat, shuffling (noisy) and out of sync with others. Conversely, nothing looks better than a group of people smartly keeping time to the music with neat footwork. I do not enjoy watching 'galloping horses,' 'chimpancers' slugs or snails (except for those physically unable to lift their feet properly, who are actually few and far between). After all, it's just as easy to dance 'correctly' than sloppily. It's all in IF want to do it correctly, and how much you care. Margaret Sarna Michigan Sorry, I would have replied earlier, but I was busy oiling and loading