Taxi Dancers

[Minnie M]

I used to taxi for Ceroc Horsham when it first started about 8 years ago. We had to prove to the franchisee (Steve Nash) that we could competently dance at least all the basic beginners moves both lead and follow ............

What experience / knowledge are required for current day taxi dancers ?

[LMC]

It seems that leaders have to be able to lead and followers be able to follow all the basic moves competently. But I certainly couldn't lead all the beginners moves when I started taxi-ing - and I still wouldn't like to comment on my competence in doing so

I think this is about right - with equal importance of the "potential" taxi dancer having the right attitude towards helping beginners too. Like many on here, I would rather dance with a beginner (even the one who danced a whole track of consecutive yo-yos the other week led them on time and really nicely) than intermediates who have got fixed into bad habits.

In some ways, not being as good a leader as most of the guys is a good thing - I don't lead in freestyle when I'm taxi-ing (except that "... and into freestyle" dance from the lesson) which means that I can focus on helping the guys as a follower - and sometimes it helps to tell them that I understand and sympathise how tricky it is for them as I'm a beginner lead myself . Sometimes I think it would be good to be able to give them a bit more advice on their leading from a 'lead' point of view rather than a "how it feels for the follower" point of view - I'll get there one day , but I'm in no rush.

[JonD]

Nelson selects coaches on personality and dancing ability - you have to be "open" and confident to do the job and a competent dancer with good technique. If you accept the offer then Nelson takes you through your "coach training" which normally lasts about 3 hours. At the end you have to lead him, and then be led by him, through all the beginner moves. You also have to recite the moves - left hand, right hand, double handed - together with the number of beats for each and the key teaching points. He also takes you through coaching techniques (dealing with the nervous person who won't stop talking etc.), how to teach basic lead/follow technique, stresses the importance of ensuring the beginners have fun, what is expected of you etc. etc.. As you'd expect, if you've seen him teach, he's pretty thorough! Before you do your first night you also join consolidation classes run by a couple of the other coaches to see how it works for real.

We have a "crew night" once a year where we raise concerns, share experiences, make suggestions, dance the core-intermediate moves, drops, mini-aerials etc, that feature on Nelson's lists (I think we did something like 87 moves in 40 minutes last year - pure madness!). After that the rest of the crew (roadies, greeters etc.) come along and we eat large quantities of food and ice-cream, play skittles, get drunk and generally have a good night. It's a good team and I think we all value and enjoy being part of it.

[Minnie M]

Originally Posted by JonD

Nelson selects coaches on personality and dancing ability - you have to be "open" and confident to do the job and a competent dancer with good technique. If you accept the offer then Nelson takes you through your "coach training" which normally lasts about 3 hours. At the end you have to lead him, and then be led by him, through all the beginner moves. You also have to recite the moves - left hand, right hand, double handed - together with the number of beats for each and the key teaching points. He also takes you through coaching techniques (dealing with the nervous person who won't stop talking etc.), how to teach basic lead/follow technique, stresses the importance of ensuring the beginners have fun, what is expected of you etc. etc.. As you'd expect, if you've seen him teach, he's pretty thorough! Before you do your first night you also join consolidation classes run by a couple of the other coaches to see how it works for real.

We have a "crew night" once a year where we raise concerns, share experiences, make suggestions, dance the core-intermediate moves, drops, mini-aerials etc, that feature on Nelson's lists (I think we did something like 87 moves in 40 minutes last year - pure madness!). After that the rest of the crew (roadies, greeters etc.) come along and we eat large quantities of food and ice-cream, play skittles, get drunk and generally have a good night. It's a good team and I think we all value and enjoy being part of it.

Nelson rules he is such a nice guy and really appreciates what people do for him
It makes sense when you consider how important the Taxi dancers are, as they in touch with the floor more so than the teacher.

Must admit Steve Nash did a similar thing, a pre-training session to prove we all could lead and follow as well as know the basic moves. Is it a Ceroc pre-requirement ? Or is it down to the individual franchisee ?

[LMC]

From what JonD has said here, my experience and others have said to me, it's down to the individual franchisee. The general standard of dancers at Stevenage is lower than at many venues (lots of beginners and people who only dance once a week at Stevenage), which means that even a mid-intermediate like me can make a genuine contribution as a taxi, whereas I'd be "nowhere" compared with more experienced dancers at other venues.

I was just asked to taxi! - I've never run a review class as Pat (Stevenage's venue manager) usually does this (and covers everything very well IM not very expert O). I wouldn't feel comfortable running a review class at the moment, although I was given copious notes and the 'script' before I started taxi-ing. I would *love* for Adam to run a crew night similar to the one Jon describes and will ask him when I see him on Wednesday if he will do one for us taxis the next time he's over in the UK.

[stewart38]

Originally Posted by Minnie M

What experience / knowledge are required for current day taxi dancers ?

A big smile and a big pair of t**** may help

For men if they have no sense of rythem it can help

[Lee]

Originally Posted by stewart38

A big smile and a big pair of t**** may help

For men if they have no sense of rythem it can help

Going to Ceroc and breathing, it seems sometimes

Now don't get all stroppy most taxis i know are great.

Lee

[Zebra Woman]

Originally Posted by stewart38

A big smile and a big pair of t**** may help

For men if they have no sense of rythem it can help

Stewart, don't you mean t*** ?

[LMC]

Originally Posted by Lee

Going to Ceroc and breathing, it seems sometimes

That's a relief, because I fail Stewart's qualification on both counts.

[stewart38]

Originally Posted by Zebra Woman

Stewart, don't you mean t*** ?

Nope you havent seen some of the Taxi dancers our way

Or joking aside if you have a good gob on you, you can become a Taxi dancer.

where is WB where you need her ?

[WittyBird]

Originally Posted by stewart38

where is WB where you need her ?

You called?

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by LMC

That's a relief, because I fail Stewart's qualification on both counts.

Well OK, I can do the smile bit...

[Zebra Woman]

Originally Posted by stewart38

Nope you havent seen some of the Taxi dancers our way

Or joking aside if you have a good gob on you, you can become a Taxi dancer.

where is WB where you need her ?

You've lost me now Stewart ....

't*****' is what exactly ?