Ego and Swing Dancing
When you go to a swing dance camp, the first thing you will realise is that people will complain about the classes, and more specifically, the class level.
The beginners tend to moan that other beginners are so terrible, thus it's frustrating when they have to learn a whole new dance language with another novice.
The intermediate-advanced dancers will be moaning that most of the leads/follows actually belong to the beginner-intermediate classes, and then of course the advanced dancers will be saying 'Gosh she/he isn't good enough to be in the advanced class! Who does he think he is? What the hell was he thinking!'
In the end, there is always class inflation. The not so good dancers want to be in the good class, so that they can practice with people that know what they are doing. Some other not so good dancers are just not good enough to see that they don't know what they are doing, so they think they are better than they are. Other terrible dancers just blame their partners and think that they are the best.
I have learnt to keep quiet at class and not blame anyone, or make anyone feel like they don't belong in any class. That said, i don't try and give a bad lead an easy time. If they don't lead a move, i ain't gonna compensate for them, so if they think that i am rubbish, let them. It's their fault! HA!
Organisers hate class inflation because it just lowers the standards of each class and they keep having to add higher level classes to the spectrum so that the advanced class is not full of dumb asses (like 'advanced plus class, classes A and B in Herrang dance camp).
I'm the insecure type of dancer, but after 8 years of dancing, and getting hard hitting feedback from teachers and people. I know that in a mostly London-based Swing dance class, i'm advanced. There is a spectrum and i am around the P50 level (that's the median). I know on the international level, i am one level lower. In any case, i can do the steps, but there is is final 'switch' that distinguishes someone who likes to dance from a really great dancer.
This switch is:
'The great dancer loves what they see in the mirror, and they work hard to achieve the look they want. They show off and strut their stuff. The confidence and happiness in their moving bodies makes all of us think that they are great, and we are still compelled to stare at them dance even when they make mistakes'.
That probably explains why most dancers work hard on their bodies and anorexia is so predominant on the dance scene. I actually don't really like to stare at myself when dancing. I feel embarrassed. I look at video clips of myself and i get depressed. I don't like looking at my body in the dance studio, coz i feel like an idiot, especially when trying out a move which is new. I hope that secretly, people will think that i look better dancing and will be less critical of myself as i am. That's why i don't particularly like performing, or getting into the middle of a 'jam circle', or competing. I'm just not that show off-y loud vain person (let's face it- Dancing is not about wit or intelligence, it's ALL about looks, and my looks are not what i sell myself on).
I like to dance, and i love connecting with various men (and women) through the medium. And sometimes i have really good days and people actually swivel those eyes around and stare and congratulate me on a good dance. Once (and only ONCE), i caught someone filming me! ME! WHA! Anyway, those days are over. I never dance in Swing deprived Aberdeen and i'm out of practice (and i'm feeling O L D).
Right. The whole point of this post is that there is a dance out there where class inflation doesn't exist, where people always err on the side on conservatism and each class is subscribed by humble, keen, receptive dancers. In addition, these classes are small and are hardly crowded and over subscribed - hard to find in the swing scene!
Can you guess what dance i'm talking about?
It's TAP! It's great! There's no one to blame but yourself, and all your mistakes ring loud and true in the dance studio. It's breathtaking how humbling it is and how you automatically know what level you belong in.
Today i did a tap class. There were two levels available - Level 1, which was easy, and i picked up the routine quickly, after walking in 40 minutes late (bad traffic because Chelsea was playing today and Fulham was just gridlocked). Dancers in level 1 knew that they would never make it to level 2, and didn't even try. No class inflation.
Level 2 was D I F F I C U L T. I did it because i had been doing tap classes for a year in Aberdeen. After the first 10 minutes, i began to feel very scared because I wasn't as good as everyone else. I got some bits of the routine and lost some of the others, and when i got the those bits i forgot the first bit. It's hard man. Tap dancers are like mathematicians with good memories and quick feet. I am neither.
I wanted to drop out and bow out graciously, but Fatimah, the teacher, just shouted at me when i started edging to the seats on the side and told me to Trust Her and stay in. Yes boss. Then I got one bit right, which I had been struggling with, and Sakarias gave me a thumbs up and cheered me on. I got so nervous that he (a great tap dancer, in my opinion) was looking at me that i immediately lost
my concentration and screwed up again. At that point he commented that he better go and not freak us students out.
Anyway, Fatimah is a great teacher. I survived the one hour class and got some bits right, and then i buzzed home (to Steve's place) and practised by myself for 45 minutes afterwards. Tap has infused me with inspiration and happiness. Later on that night, Fatimah told me that i had a good base and i should just practice more. Fair enough. I had been going for Tap classes in Aberdeen, but i never practised what we had learnt and didn't care about their campy, non jazzy style...
So hurray for Tap!!
The end.
The beginners tend to moan that other beginners are so terrible, thus it's frustrating when they have to learn a whole new dance language with another novice.
The intermediate-advanced dancers will be moaning that most of the leads/follows actually belong to the beginner-intermediate classes, and then of course the advanced dancers will be saying 'Gosh she/he isn't good enough to be in the advanced class! Who does he think he is? What the hell was he thinking!'
In the end, there is always class inflation. The not so good dancers want to be in the good class, so that they can practice with people that know what they are doing. Some other not so good dancers are just not good enough to see that they don't know what they are doing, so they think they are better than they are. Other terrible dancers just blame their partners and think that they are the best.
I have learnt to keep quiet at class and not blame anyone, or make anyone feel like they don't belong in any class. That said, i don't try and give a bad lead an easy time. If they don't lead a move, i ain't gonna compensate for them, so if they think that i am rubbish, let them. It's their fault! HA!
Organisers hate class inflation because it just lowers the standards of each class and they keep having to add higher level classes to the spectrum so that the advanced class is not full of dumb asses (like 'advanced plus class, classes A and B in Herrang dance camp).
I'm the insecure type of dancer, but after 8 years of dancing, and getting hard hitting feedback from teachers and people. I know that in a mostly London-based Swing dance class, i'm advanced. There is a spectrum and i am around the P50 level (that's the median). I know on the international level, i am one level lower. In any case, i can do the steps, but there is is final 'switch' that distinguishes someone who likes to dance from a really great dancer.
This switch is:
'The great dancer loves what they see in the mirror, and they work hard to achieve the look they want. They show off and strut their stuff. The confidence and happiness in their moving bodies makes all of us think that they are great, and we are still compelled to stare at them dance even when they make mistakes'.
That probably explains why most dancers work hard on their bodies and anorexia is so predominant on the dance scene. I actually don't really like to stare at myself when dancing. I feel embarrassed. I look at video clips of myself and i get depressed. I don't like looking at my body in the dance studio, coz i feel like an idiot, especially when trying out a move which is new. I hope that secretly, people will think that i look better dancing and will be less critical of myself as i am. That's why i don't particularly like performing, or getting into the middle of a 'jam circle', or competing. I'm just not that show off-y loud vain person (let's face it- Dancing is not about wit or intelligence, it's ALL about looks, and my looks are not what i sell myself on).
I like to dance, and i love connecting with various men (and women) through the medium. And sometimes i have really good days and people actually swivel those eyes around and stare and congratulate me on a good dance. Once (and only ONCE), i caught someone filming me! ME! WHA! Anyway, those days are over. I never dance in Swing deprived Aberdeen and i'm out of practice (and i'm feeling O L D).
Right. The whole point of this post is that there is a dance out there where class inflation doesn't exist, where people always err on the side on conservatism and each class is subscribed by humble, keen, receptive dancers. In addition, these classes are small and are hardly crowded and over subscribed - hard to find in the swing scene!
Can you guess what dance i'm talking about?
It's TAP! It's great! There's no one to blame but yourself, and all your mistakes ring loud and true in the dance studio. It's breathtaking how humbling it is and how you automatically know what level you belong in.
Today i did a tap class. There were two levels available - Level 1, which was easy, and i picked up the routine quickly, after walking in 40 minutes late (bad traffic because Chelsea was playing today and Fulham was just gridlocked). Dancers in level 1 knew that they would never make it to level 2, and didn't even try. No class inflation.
Level 2 was D I F F I C U L T. I did it because i had been doing tap classes for a year in Aberdeen. After the first 10 minutes, i began to feel very scared because I wasn't as good as everyone else. I got some bits of the routine and lost some of the others, and when i got the those bits i forgot the first bit. It's hard man. Tap dancers are like mathematicians with good memories and quick feet. I am neither.
I wanted to drop out and bow out graciously, but Fatimah, the teacher, just shouted at me when i started edging to the seats on the side and told me to Trust Her and stay in. Yes boss. Then I got one bit right, which I had been struggling with, and Sakarias gave me a thumbs up and cheered me on. I got so nervous that he (a great tap dancer, in my opinion) was looking at me that i immediately lost
my concentration and screwed up again. At that point he commented that he better go and not freak us students out.
Anyway, Fatimah is a great teacher. I survived the one hour class and got some bits right, and then i buzzed home (to Steve's place) and practised by myself for 45 minutes afterwards. Tap has infused me with inspiration and happiness. Later on that night, Fatimah told me that i had a good base and i should just practice more. Fair enough. I had been going for Tap classes in Aberdeen, but i never practised what we had learnt and didn't care about their campy, non jazzy style...
So hurray for Tap!!
The end.