strathspey@strathspey.org:1351

Priscilla M. Burrage

Learning dances: briefings, recaps, talk-throughs, walk-throughs

March 18, 1995, 6:47 p.m. (Message 1351)

When we first start to learn Scottish dancing, we all learn by walking 
and then dancing the dance as first, second, and third couple.  In time 
we learn to learn by some faster method.  Here a a few of them.  Not 
everyone will learn a dance by all of these approaches.  Not everyone 
will have the opportunity to try all of them.  (I'm not numbering       
them because I don't want to imply a sequence.)

     Walk through in all positions
     Walk through as first woman/man
     Start as fourth couple and watch, visualizing
     Listen to a complete talk-through, visualizing
     Memorize common discrete eight-bar phrases for future dances  
     Read the complete dance instructions -- before dancing
     Read Pilling  (My dictionary says "read" means interpret a symbol)
     Listen to an abbreviated recap at a social
     Dance with someone who talks you through the dance
     Dance with someone who says "I'll get you through it."  And then 
       doesn't say a word.  Just watch his facial expressions, shoulder 
       twitches, eye movements, small hand signals, and body turnings.
     Attend teacher training classes as a stooge
     Teach the dance
     Analyze the dance for the type of music needed
     Prepare a concise comprehensive brief for a social 

Some dancers like the walk-throughs so much and rely on them so much that 
they refuse to learn any other way.  Others have never learned by 
watching others, or have difficulty visualizing.  Some can visualize by 
watching other dancers, but can't translate that ability into comprehending 
the written dance instructions.  Some have memory problems.

Unfortunately most teachers teach only one way of learning a dance, the 
first one listed.

Any comments?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Priscilla Burrage	(xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx)
Vermont USA		(xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xxx)