If you could tell a beginner One Thing...

[David Bailey]

OK, for experienced dancers, you get one thing you can tell beginners, which they'll take to heart - what's it going to be, and why?

I'll kick off:

Take small steps.
Why? - because it's easy to remember, it's easy to do, and it vastly improves your starting posture, weight distribution, need for compensation, time available to do moves, and so on. And it's something that everyone seems to get wrong at the start - I certainly did - but which isn't much emphasised (AFAIK) in beginner classes.

Next?

[Gadget]

At the risk of klling the thread, ther are some usefull posts here:{temp URLs}
Beginner Moves: Tips & advice
Tips for beginner (Guys)
Top Three Tips
(^ the first thread in the Beginner section... and it's mine {niceley killed by CJ })

Feel free to continue any of these threads here - they may be old, but a fresh slant on them may re-invigorate.

[Andy McGregor]

Run, run!

There's no hope for me but you can save yourself, run quickly before it's too late!

And don't look back.

.. the horror, the horror

[TheTramp]

Keep your weight forward. Don't lean backwards, and hence stop pulling my arm out of it's socket. Thank you....

[Whitebeard]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

OK, for experienced dancers, you get one thing you can tell beginners, which they'll take to heart - what's it going to be, and why?

Please, please, do not ever start to keep time to the music by bouncing your hand up and down.

Originally Posted by DavidJames

Take small steps.

You aren't the first to give this advice on the forum. But it puzzles me as many of the dancers I admire, just as in professional ballroom dancing, do open out and take decidedly long steps to appropriate music.

(Not that I can be called truly experienced by any stretch of the imagination.)

[bigdjiver]

Listen to all the advice that you can, but make it your dance.

[under par]

follow the hands of the leader without gripping tightly to the his/her hands.

[Cruella]

To the ladies, i tell them to let themselves go brain dead! (no nasty comments please) i.e Daydream or think of something else, so they are not trying to work out the move, let the man lead you into it. The man will also learn more from this cos if he doesn't lead you, you don't go!

[LMC]

Relax and (try to) enjoy it.

[KatieR]

Dont be in a hurry to learn hundreds of moves, learn fewer moves but learn them properly. Its all well and good to know every move in the Ceroc catalogue but if you cant execute them properly it is, IMO wasted knowledge.

[Msfab]

Try and keep your arms slightly bent! And do not allow your elbows or shoulders to be pushed past your body!

[TiggsTours]

Ladies: Relax, enjoy it, don't think about the moves, you don't know what's coming next, so just have fun doing what you feel is being led, if its the wrong thing, then it must be his fault!

Guys: Relax, enjoy it, but take control! Its the one place in life where you really ARE in control, so make the most of it! And don't rush it, its not a race to try to learn the most number of moves in the shortest amount of time, just use the ones you are comfortable with, that will increase in time.

[Night Owl]

Originally Posted by KatieR

Dont be in a hurry to learn hundreds of moves, learn fewer moves but learn them properly. Its all well and good to know every move in the Ceroc catalogue but if you cant execute them properly it is, IMO wasted knowledge.

Darn beat me to that one ,

Gents listen to the beat

KISS

Keep it Simply simple

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Whitebeard

You aren't the first to give this advice on the forum.

Oh well

Originally Posted by Whitebeard

But it puzzles me as many of the dancers I admire, just as in professional ballroom dancing, do open out and take decidedly long steps to appropriate music.

If you're experienced enough / good enough, you can choose to take large steps of course - and it can be good to do that for emphasis, for style or other reasons. Like all these things, you can bend or break the rules, as long as you know what you're doing.

But it's never "wrong" to take small steps at any level, it's just a style choice. That's why I picked that particular one out, because it's not one of those "lies-to-children" type of rules or guidelines which can actually hinder you after a certain point (e.g. signals). And, of course, because it's helpful, and "large steps" are a common beginner problem in any dance style.

[LMC]

If someone with a slightly scary glazed look in their eyes tells you about this great internet forum... RUN. Run like the wind.

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by LMC

If someone with a slightly scary glazed look in their eyes tells you about this great internet forum... RUN. Run like the wind.

[Sparkles]

Don't have a drink (or twelve) for dutch-courage before you attend your first few classes. You don't need it, it really won't help your co-ordination and it'll make you smell like a brewery.

[Sheepman]

DON'T PANIC! Just try and learn from when it goes wrong.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by LMC

If someone with a slightly scary glazed look in their eyes tells you about this great internet forum... RUN. Run like the wind.

Beginners - I would tell them to relax and not to worry if they get it wrong.

[Rhythm King]

I generally tell them it's a bit like learning to drive. At first, there's so much going on, it's information overload, with hands and feet going in different directions and trying to keep in time. then it starts falling into place, some bits quicker than others, and then the penny drops (also for leaders, not to be put off by the fact that ladies seem to get it quicker then guys). On that basis, I ask them to keep trying for at least six classes/weeks, to give it a proper go.