Best thing a Taxi ever did for you?

[Stuart M]

Time for a thread to help us hacks get the vibe on what we should be doing (or poke fun at us if you prefer, but on your own head be it :p ).

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

[Amanda]

Flash his chest at a group of us girlies.
You know who you are...

Amanda

[Emma]

This is probably really obvious, and I'm sure most taxi dancers are already doing this stuff but:

Ask people to dance, don't wait to be asked. I was really really shy about asking people to dance when I started dancing. Being asked to dance by a taxi or another dancer gave me the confidence to ask other people, because it helped me to get to know people, and made me feel like I might be good enough to dance with (whether I was or not is another question!!).

[John McAulay]

Originally posted by Amanda
Flash his chest at a group of us girlies.
You know who you are...

Amanda

I couldn't help it, it was a low cut unbuttoned shirt thing!

Regards

[John S]

Originally posted by Stuart M

The question is: what was the most useful/most fun thing a Taxi dancer ever did for you?

She wasn't a taxi dancer, just a lady in St Stephens in Edinburgh, when I was still being very apologetic about struggling to master the very basic moves (OK, OK, I know that's begging for a response)

What she said was that the more experienced lady dancers were always happy to help beginners develop, as that way there would eventually be more good male dancers for the ladies to dance with.

Thanks, Jilly, wherever you are - I'm still trying!!!

[Sandy]

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... )?

Tell me to relax! I was as nervous as a condemned woman! He could feel my arms shaking! Taking me through the moves slowly and repeating them till I felt comfortable with them. Reassuring me most beginners feel like an idiot and to stick with it which I am so glad I did. Still shake when I dance with certain folk mind! but maybe that's with excitement now

Cheers

Sandy

[DavidB]

Originally posted by Stuart M
what was the most useful/most fun thing a Taxi dancer ever did for you (on the dancefloor, of course... )?

I've never had a dance with a taxi dancer. They never had them when I first learned Ceroc, but I think they are an excellent idea. The only problem is that there never seems enough of them (a bit like real taxis I suppose)

One question - I've always assumed it is frowned upon for more experienced dancers to ask a taxi for a dance. Am I right in this assumption?

David

[Emma]

Originally posted by DavidB
The only problem is that there never seems enough of them (a bit like real taxis I suppose)

I agree..is it always two taxis? At Bromley there only ever seem to be two despite the fact that they regularly (apparantly) get over 300 people...

[Tiggerbabe]

Originally posted by DavidB
One question - I've always assumed it is frowned upon for more experienced dancers to ask a taxi for a dance. Am I right in this assumption?

Only when they are "Working". The idea is that we dance with the beginners and less experienced dancers at first. When we are off duty ie at 9.45pm we have 45 mins of freestyle to try and fit in everyone else. If someone asks me to dance when I am taxi-ing eg a visitor who is obviously not a beginner, I will explain this and actively seek them out later in the evening. However if they were leaving early then I would dance with them there and then..............oops, I'll be getting the sack

[Franck]

Originally posted by Sheena
Only when they are "Working". The idea is that we dance with the beginners and less experienced dancers at first. When we are off duty ie at 9.45pm we have 45 mins of freestyle to try and fit in everyone else. If someone asks me to dance when I am taxi-ing eg a visitor who is obviously not a beginner, I will explain this and actively seek them out later in the evening. However if they were leaving early then I would dance with them there and then..............oops, I'll be getting the sack

Yep Sheena, you have the right idea
The general principle is to make sure that the New Members / Beginners do not feel that they are imposing on the Taxi-dancer's time, as naturally, they tend to assume that experienced dancers would rather not dance with them. This assumption is mistaken, but as a taxi-dancer / teacher, we need to do all we can to reassure them, and if they see us dancing with someone who clearly is not a Beginner, they are less likely to ask us for a dance...
All the above will depend on how many new people there are at the night, if there are only a handful and you have already danced with them 10 times each , then there is no point sitting the night out

Franck.

[Jon]

Originally posted by Emma
I agree..is it always two taxis? At Bromley there only ever seem to be two despite the fact that they regularly (apparantly) get over 300 people...

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.

[Dreadful Scathe]

At an old Le Roc class I went too the 'demo' dancers numbered three usually.

[Twinkle Toes]

Told me to relax .... and stop leading !

:sorry

[Chris]

Make me feel accepted.

Second week to Ceroc and I was shaking as I attempted an arm jive and wondered if I could remember a more 'difficult' beginners' move.

She was totally chilled out, gentle, warm and natural. She looked at me and said, "That's ok - it gets really boring doing intermediate moves all the time." (or something like that)

I felt all the tension rush out of me and managed to relax.

Last I'd heard she'd left to take up body building.

[Dan]

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... )?

Simple - she asked me to dance.

I had attended about 8 beginners classes and was ok during the classes and the review classes, but was petrified to go onto the dance floor. As usual I was hanging around for about 10 minutes after the review class and getting completely intimidated by the flash Harrys at Fulham, thinking again "this is not for you" and deciding that I was definitely giving up that day.

Sue spotted me and dragged me onto the dance floor and put with with me doing the same 4 beginner moves continuously for the whole song. As soon as the music stopped I took to my heels in case she got me again!

But I did go back the next week and although I did not freestyle, I booked a place on all the beginner workshops. The most useful part was the last 30 minutes where you are asked to put moves together at random. This gave me the confidence to carry on.

Needless to say, this lady taxi dancer has a special place in my heart.

Andre

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by Andr
Fulham ... Sue ... Taxi

Is this the same Sue by any chance that I have in mind... still hangs out at Fulham, also occasionally at Hipsters, that went for a major (and terrific - not that she didn't look great with the previous one) hairstyle change about 6-8 months ago?

If so, she was the star that said to me in a beginners review session quite a few years ago now ... "I won't do anything at all if you don't lead me"....
... and got me started.

It would have been at the Leopard Lounge if it's her...

Chris

[Dan]

Originally posted by ChrisA
Is this the same Sue by any chance that I have in mind... still hangs out at Fulham, also occasionally at Hipsters..
Chris

The very same, still taxies at Fulham, still seeks out the timid beginners.

She is one of the unsung heroines who makes Ceroc such a success story. I cannot thank her enough.

p.s. you do a pretty good job yourself!

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.

[ChrisA]

Originally posted by JerryC
...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.

Sorry to hear this.. it does sound unusual, but it can be quite hard to get round all the beginners at a busy venue. If there are lots of beginners, and not many taxis, then no matter how hard one tries, it is possible to miss some.

Occasionally I've seen taxis not really putting the effort in, but it's not common.

I was far too scared to ask them to dance.

Was the role of taxi dancer explained by the teacher properly?

The taxis should be brought on to the stage at the end of the beginners class, introduced by the teacher as "friendly, approachable experienced dancers that are here exclusively for the beginners until 10pm" or words to that effect.

Then again in the beginners review class it should be re-emphasised that the taxis are available, will be happy to dance with them, etc, etc...

Chris

[bigdjiver]

Originally posted by ChrisA
Was the role of taxi dancer explained by the teacher properly?

The taxis should be brought on to the stage at the end of the beginners class, introduced by the teacher as "friendly, approachable experienced dancers that are here exclusively for the beginners until 10pm" or words to that effect.

Then again in the beginners review class it should be re-emphasised that the taxis are available, will be happy to dance with them, etc, etc...

Chris

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.