The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

Our Thoughts on Advancing a Group's Dance Level

by Don & Pete Hickman (Texas)

One of those ever-perplexing questions asked by most round dance teachers from time to time is: how do we advance the dance level of our round dance class or club? The answer in a word is S - L - O - W - L - Y! No math teacher would try to enroll a student who had just completed Algebra I in a course in Differential Equations. No instructor pilot would try to enroll a student pilot who had just made his first solo flight in course on how to fly the 747 in airline operations. Yet, from many of the stories we hear from newer round dancers, we have many round dance instructors who attempt similar feats with their recent beginner class graduates.

Most of we teachers are also enthusiastic round dancers and want our dancers to share our joy and excitement in doing dances such as SINGING PIANO, MARIA ELENA, or even SPAGHETTI RAG. However, there is no substitute for dance experience when advancing the level of any couple or group of dancers. We have to pay a price to increase the level of dancing. To do it successfully, the least painful way, is to pay the price in time. Time to teach the basics that the dancers will need to know to move toward the level we seek. Time to practice the basics after we have taught them. Time to teach dances that use the basics, and time to dance the dances after they have been taught. If we are not willing to pay this price in time, then most likely, we will pay the price in dancers! Several potentially good round dancers are lost because they cannot maintain the pace set by we teachers.

The solution to the problem depends on the time and resources available to the instructor and dancers. Ideally we should have five or six dance groups, each dancing at a progressively higher level of dancing. The vast majority of us do not have that many dancers and don't have or can't afford a place to dance five or six nights a week. So, we must compromise.

We have three dance groups: Beginners, Easy - Easy Intermediate, and Intermediate on up. Our beginners start about the 1st of October each fall and "graduate" to our easy - easy intermediate group about the 1st of May. Our dancers transition from this group into the intermediate and up group when they feel they are ready. Sometimes when suggested by Pete and I. We are fortunate in that we own our dance hall (our "free" hall costs about $1000/month plus taxes, insurance and utilities!).

Other instructors we know who haven't the luxury of a dance hall more than one night a week work a similar program by having a longer dance night and starting their beginners early in the evening, gradually working them in with the established dancers by mid-evening, and dancing the intermediate and higher level dances late in the evening.

Regardless of how many nights are available proceed slowly and teach your dancers to dance. We have met too many one or two year dancers who are "doing" IN MY DREAMS, WYOMING LULLABYE, and RIVEIRE DE LUNE; but, who cannot dance MISS FRENCHY BROWN or TIPS OF MY FINGERS.

Now how do you do it? For example, let's talk about progressing from easy (TIPS OF MY FINGERS, MEXICALI ROSE, COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE) into intermediate (ANSWER ME, GREEN SLEEVES) level dancing. First, start with the intermediate basics. Teach the whisk or hover and give them plenty of drill with preset drill or "hash" cueing. Add the spin turn (usually a week later) and drill on the spin turn and later, both the whisk or hover and the Spin turn. Teach a dance (we use VERA'S WALTZ — Belso 287, which has a whisk and spin turn) and let them learn it well. Dance it every week for several weeks. If you teach new dances, use two-step or easy waltz or other rhythms. We have not located a waltz to bridge the gap between VERA'S WALTZ and ANSWER ME (which uses several more basics; i.e., chasse, running lock, telemark, hover fallaway, slip pivot, and impetus). Therefore, we spend several weeks teaching and drilling basics — one week to teach chasse, another to teach running lock and drill with chasse, and a third week to drill with whisk and spin turn. By that third or possibly the fourth week, we can teach part A of ANSWER ME and drill on it. We use another four or five weeks to teach the telemark, hover fallaway, slip pivot, and impetus. Then, finally after eight to ten weeks, we are workshopping 30 to 45 minutes each week during a two-hour dance.

You may think that this seems unusually long. It may be unusual in comparison to what other round dance teachers do, but it is worth the time in dancer satisfaction. Satisfaction in dancing the dance well!! After advancing the level to the ANSWER ME level, we are careful not to introduce additional new basics for several weeks. This is the let-them-practice-what-they-know-stage. This year we thought it was great when FOXY LADY came along because we could use the basics they had learned in ANSWER ME in a foxtrot rhythm. That's a whole new ballgame and requires more drill in doing familiar basics in a new or different rhythm. We also intersperse these "tough" learning sessions with teaches of easier (for the dancing level of the group) dances. Try to work in some fun dances to maintain their confidence, and to keep the enjoyment in the dancing. They enjoy having fun as much as they enjoy the sense of accomplishment in advancing their level of dancing.

The last major point in advancing the level of dancing is the exercise of judgment in your selection of material to teach. This is something that appears to be difficult for many round dance teachers. We seem to assume that if a dance is easy for us, it will be easy for our dancers. Tain't necessarily so! Think about what dances your group is doing. What basics are involved? What rhythms? What tempos? What about the dance you are considering to teach? What new basics, rhythm, tempos, positions are involved? Stop to consider whether or not the music is good. Will the dance be around awhile or it is a flash in the pan? If it is likely to be short lived — as many gimmick dances are — is it worth the time and effort to invest in learning? If you are satisfied with your answer to these questions and decide to teach the dance, be sure the new things (for your dancers) are taught well, drilled, and retaught. That's how to advance your group's dance level without paying an inordinate price in loss of dancers.

Roundalab Journal, Summer, 1982