Associative Learning

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

Presented by: Irv & Betty Easterday
URDC Teachers' Seminar, 1986

The skillful teacher has many methods and techniques at his command. Although some methods are better than others, not any one of them can be regarded as best, for there is no best technique. As a matter of fact, techniques that are good for one group of students may be quite unsatisfactory for another. Teachers should be familiar with many different techniques so that suitable methods can be selected. A teacher should keep in mind that teaching methods should be suitable to his own personality, to the students with whom he is working, and to the material to be presented.

Associative Learning is just one of the techniques that is often used in many areas of education. It is interesting and helpful to analyze this method as it relates to Round Dancing. In our many years of teaching all levels of dancing, we have felt that teaching and learning becomes easier if the students can be shown how one figure relates to another. When this technique is used in the beginning levels of dance instruction, figures become quite clear. But often, in our enthusiasm for the more advance dance levels we neglect to relate a new figure to one that the student is more familiar with.

By analyzing the figures listed below which we have grouped into Associative Units, we feel that the teaching and learning of the more complex figures will be facilitated. Remember, our goal is to produce learning and mastery of the more complex performances. Complexity of performance is relative only to the ability and skill of the student. It is also important also to understand that the results of the instruction depend largely on the way in which the teacher functions.

Associative Units

Two Step Box
Fox Trot Box
Waltz Box
Scissors
Twinkle

Box
Left Turning Box
Diamond Turns
Weave
Feather

Side Corte
Promenade Sway
Oversway
Change of Sway
Throwaway Oversway
Hinge

Contra Check
Sit Line
Same Foot Lunge

Hover Cross
Top Spin
Reverse Turns
Outside Change

Back Feather
Quick Open Reverse
Running Open Natural

Reverse Turns
Telemark
Double Reverse
Reverse Weave

Alemana
Change Places R to L
Hockey Stick
Change Places L to R

Chair
Fence Line

In and Out Runs
Open Natural
Open Impetus

Traveling Contra Check
Link to Promenade

Chassee Cape
Open Natural
Outside Spin