Best thing a Taxi ever did for you?

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by bigdjiver
I think it is up to taxi dancers to seek out the shrinking violets and get them on the floor.

And we do.

[Dan]

Originally posted by bigdjiver
Few men savour the idea of being a drag on someones time, or of looking pathetic, and many see it that way. I think it is up to taxi dancers to seek out the shrinking violets and get them on the floor. It often helps if the other guys introduce themselves and tell them that they felt the same when they were beginners.

If I owned Ceroc, (Mike E. watch out!) I would change the way that the review classes work!

These normally just go through the beginner moves. I know that at Twickenham where Chris A taxies there is a "progressive" class which covers all beginner moves.
I would encourage the learning of basics e.g. leading for men together with tips on putting moves together and making written notes, turning and spinning for ladies. Basic etiquette for all - for a start both men and women should know the standard way of asking for a dance and of accepting or declining a dance, footwear, how to deal with overzealous partners etc.

The moves are pretty simple - armjive, step across, side to side and beginners can enjoy the beauty of the dance. It is the floorcraft that is so difficult for most beginners. If male beginners could start freestyling early, the female beginners would also find it easier because I suspect that they are pretty intimidated by good dancers fearing that they will not follow the lead and signals etc.

Anyway, fear not, I am not making the changes just yet!

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by Andr
at Twickenham where Chris A taxies there is a "progressive" class

Some more on the "improvers" class that Andre refers to…

Its purpose is to bridge the gap between learning a four move beginners routine, and moving on to freestyle and preparing to tackle the intermediate classes. Ideally, we'll run both a basic review, where we effectively repeat the beginners class, and an improvers class in parallel.

When I teach the improvers I’ll start by explaining the purpose, and then get one of the guys to pick one of the moves from the routine they've just done. We don't do a step-by-step teach, but do a quick demo, then straight away to a count. This gives me a chance to find out where they’re at.

If there's a choice of which hand to catch with at the end of that move, I will specify the hand, so for example, if the move they chose was a Ladies Spin, and there was another right-handed move in the routine, then I'll tell them to catch right to right at the end.

If they cope with that all right, then I'll demo the other right-handed move, linked to the first one, and then get them to dance both.

If it's still Ok, then I'll point out that they caught right to right, but they could equally well have caught left to right, which gives them access to any of the left-handed moves. So then I get them to pick a left-handed move, either from the routine they've done, or another one they can remember. So then I'll demo the starting Ladies Spin, linked to whichever left-handed move they've picked.

And then I get them to link the two moves together. If it all goes well, it happens quite quickly, since we aren't doing a step-by-step teach for any of the moves. It's quite dynamic, we rotate just as we do in the class, and in half an hour we can usually cover 6 or 7 moves, linked together in a variety of different sequences, invariably including the opportunity the guys to pick what comes next themselves, by choosing themselves what hand to catch with. Obviously we do the double handed moves in the same way, depending on what they pick.

Adding a few different things in for variety is important too. Sometimes we’ll include a very easy intermediate move, sometimes I'll do a spin teach, and quite often I'll do a couple of minutes on establishing resistance in the arms. I'll always emphasise that leading isn't about forcing.

Feedback from the improvers classes is great. People do seem to like them a lot.

Unfortunately, it's not always possible to do the basic beginners review in parallel with the improvers class. We may not have enough experienced taxi dancers available, and we may not have enough rooms. These constraints do limit us. If we only have one room available and I take the beginners, then I base the content of the class on the experience level of the group. If it's predominantly newcomers, then the class will be mostly a step-by-step teach of the moves from the previous class, but with some attention to linking – it’s usually possible to do a normal four-move routine in a different order, for example. If it's predominantly improvers, then we'll still do the linking, but we'll do a step-by-step teach of a move if anyone's really struggling.

[stewart38]

Originally posted by Jon
I think it depends on the venue and the number of beginners there. At St Marys there tends to be up to 4 taxi dancers on duty while every other venue I've been to have 2. Prehaps Ceroc could change their way of thinking and if their are alot of beginners at a venue have extra taxi dancers on call.

I counted 8 once at Uxbridge which was great

I know 'Taxi dancers' were around 10 yrs ago so assume they started fairly early on.

Some venues have none or very vew (Windsor) but numbers don't seem to suffer

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by Andr
the female beginners would also find it easier because I suspect that they are pretty intimidated by good dancers fearing that they will not follow the lead and signals etc.

While undoubtedly this fear is there, it's made much worse by "intermediate" dancers who know lots of complicated moves and inflict them, badly led, on new beginners.

If only guys would believe that when the lady fails to follow, in most cases it is the "intermediate" guy that needs to learn to lead better, or choose more appropriate moves, or probably both.

Chris

[Bill]

Originally posted by JerryC
Reading through this I realise that I can't remember a single taxi dancer asking me for a dance at the beginners class, and I went every week for several months. I wish they had as it would have made the transition from class to freestyle much easier. I was far to scared to ask them to dance.

J.

Only just seen this thread and as a taxi dancer I'd say that new men should have much greater opportunities to dance with female taxi dancers as there are only betwen 2 and 4 new men a night whereas we can have anywhere between 3 and 4 to18 women.

If I don't have time to dance with all the new women on their first then then as I taxi once every three weeks I might not have the chance to dance with them at all when I'm on duty because I'll be busy with the newer new women ( if you see what I mean). I try to make sure I do dance with 'beginners' but as both our nights now attractive 100 dancers or more ( over 120 last few Tuesdays) - so at least 60 women a night it can be weeks before I have the opportunity.

I know some men don't want to ask but it's the opportunity to take to really improve and learn the moves properly. So go guys !!

[Dreadful Scathe]

Originally posted by Bill
so at least 60 women a night

Quite right - that would require a lot of stamina. I think the female taxi dancers have a much harder job though, as not only do they have to go over beginners moves with the guys but they are part of building the guys confidence.

New followers may just dance badly or not follow very well - new leaders tend to just stop when they run out of moves or just repeat them with an inane grin, worrying about the fact that the follower is hating every minute of it. The learning curve is generally steeper for the leader. isnt it ?

[TheTramp]

Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
The learning curve is generally steeper for the leader. isnt it ?

Much. For all the reasons you said.

Steve

[linda]

Originally posted by Andr
I would encourage the learning of basics e.g. leading for men together with tips on putting moves together and making written notes, turning and spinning for ladies. Basic etiquette for all - for a start both men and women should know the standard way of asking for a dance and of accepting or declining a dance, footwear, how to deal with overzealous partners etc.

You should make the long trek north Andr I taxi in both Perth and Dundee and we cover all of the above!

As there are usually far more lady beginners then men, I usually have to be a leader, but also try to dance with the new men too, which at times can do my head in

I can still remember my first night, I was lucky enough to get the fab Sheena and the lovely Alex It was their kindness,support and encouragement that made me want to come back the following week.

I hope that I can make the beginners I work with feel the same. I certainly enjoy working with them!

Linda
The 'quiet' one Dundee MAd crew

[fruitcake]

Originally posted by Stuart M

The question is: what was the most useful/most fun thing a Taxi dancer ever did for you (on the dancefloor, of course... )?

The very first night I went to Ceroc I absolutely hated it and thought I will never go back, I was uselsess, and hardly anyone spoke to me ....then out of the blue, Roy, taxi danceR, came and asked me to dance.
He was so good at leading all of a sudden i could dance for the first time that evening, then we stayed for another as well.

So that was good....
Then the following week, I had a similar kind of evening, then just as I thought, nah, I won't come back, i saw Mark-taxi dancer- and someone dancing to Heaven by DJ Sammy, and they were SO good, I thought , cor, I want to dance like that.
Naturally, I still have a soft spot for Roy-but guess what- never danced with him since!He never gets a minutes peace and is never free to ask him to dance with.....one day.......
Fruitcake

[Stuart M]

Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
I think the female taxi dancers have a much harder job though, as not only do they have to go over beginners moves with the guys but they are part of building the guys confidence.

I've always thought this was the case, which is probably why it seems difficult to get female taxis. At any venue I've been to, the male taxis have outnumbered the female ones. A contributary factor in female dancers outnumbering the males?

[Tazmanian Devil]

Originally posted by Stuart M
I've always thought this was the case, which is probably why it seems difficult to get female taxis. At any venue I've been to, the male taxis have outnumbered the female ones. A contributary factor in female dancers outnumbering the males?

We tend to have equal numbers with our taxi's usual nights having one male and one female taxi. But I do agree that us women do have to help build up the confidence of the men. When the men first start they are told it's a male lead dance, and they are in charge. SCARY for his first night!!

[Jon]

Originally posted by Tazmanian Devil
When the men first start they are told it's a male lead dance, and they are in charge. SCARY for his first night!!

It's only scary because we're not used to being allowed to be in charge!

Seriously tho it is hard for both the guys and gals at the start, but the guys do have a much longer learning curve. Prehaps it would be better for venues to have more female taxi dancers so they can pay more attention to the guys

[drathzel]

Told me that i should have the confidence to ask people to dance!! Thank you...sound really bad but i can't remember her name but she is english and helped out on tues at jj's in Glasgow!! So a big thank you and an apology also for not remembering your name!!!

Danielle
(strange Northern Irish Newbie)

[CJ]

Took me home, when I was utterly hammered.



Nameless for the moment.

[Whitebeard]

Originally Posted by Tazmanian Devil

We tend to have equal numbers with our taxi's usual nights having one male and one female taxi.

Same at the two venues around here ..... so, as there are always more gals than guys, the guys would seem to have the better chance of a taxi dance.

However, both the teachers and the DJ (gentlemen in every sense of the word) descend from the stage to seek out beginnner ladies and take on the role of additional taxi dancers. So the situation is more than redressed.

It can be a little intimidating to know that even the newest newbie lady has danced with someone who really knows their stuff!!

[drathzel]

why are they called taxis?

[Dreadful Scathe]

because the specialise in picking up and taking home dancers....


...cough..toast...cough

[Tiggerbabe]

Originally Posted by drathzel

why are they called taxis?

Hee hee, don't pay any attention to Blue Boy Danielle - he's obviously been up way past his bed time posting at 3.24am

The taxi's are there for you to call on - if you need/want to - either for a dance or for some advice on a particular move or any point you feel you'd like to go over or are having trouble with.
You can ask them (or any of the dancers - the majority of people at ceroc are equally as enthusiastic as yourself and will be only too happy to help you) at any time, but particularly when they're wearing their "taxi-dancer" t-shirts and during the revision class.
The taxi dancers' role is to offer guidance to, and encourage the beginners and newer members and to help them enjoy their evening.

[CJ]

Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe

because the specialise in picking up and taking home dancers....


...cough..toast...cough

QUALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!