Would you be a taxi dancer?

[Lory]

patient,

I knew there was a good reason why I'd never been asked!

[stewart38]

I am nowhere near good enough to taxi - but really love to "pay forward" all the help I've had by helping complete newbies in the beginners class on the very occasional occasion that I actually feel I can give some worthy advice.

But I wouldn't want to be on duty to do that - a) I'm far too irresponsible and b) I hate T-shirts with sleeves, the sleeves would have to go

Hence you are now a Taxi dancer

I was asked yrs ago but it was more audition type thing

Ive help out very occassionally in beginners reviews when they was a big shortage of men but i dont think thats my calling.

[LMC]

I know, what can I say?

I crossed over to the dark side

Stevenage has a large number of beginners - over 30 in the review class a couple of weeks ago - and 90 attending during the whole evening in total last week was a *high* number.

So I'm taxi-ing for purely selfish reasons:

• it makes it easier to ask beginner guys to dance - most seem to arrive with wives/partners and it can be awkward to ask a guy if his partner is left sitting there - but the "uniform" makes it easier
• to hopefully help to improve a venue that is five minutes drive from home and give me a better night out
• once I'm off-duty, I have NO guilt about chasing down the good dancers (not that many at Stevenage I'm sorry to say... - YET - hopefully there will be)
• Free entry and Admit Ones

I actually had the best night's dancing at Stevenage EVER last week - my first taxi duty. But the T-shirt is just as horrible as I thought - maybe I'll e-mail Ceroc HQ and ask for a no-sleeves version and tell them to make them longer - no-one wants to look at my stomach

I was going to say that I'd never taxi anywhere else - but given that I already changed my mind once

[stewart38]

I know, what can I say?

I actually had the best night's dancing at Stevenage EVER last week - my first taxi duty. But the T-shirt is just as horrible as I thought - maybe I'll e-mail Ceroc HQ and ask for a no-sleeves version and tell them to make them longer - no-one wants to look at my stomach

rolleyes:

I have a digital camera maybe i should come along and take a pic

[TiggsTours]

I know, what can I say?

I crossed over to the dark side

Stevenage has a large number of beginners - over 30 in the review class a couple of weeks ago - and 90 attending during the whole evening in total last week was a *high* number.

So I'm taxi-ing for purely selfish reasons:

• it makes it easier to ask beginner guys to dance - most seem to arrive with wives/partners and it can be awkward to ask a guy if his partner is left sitting there - but the "uniform" makes it easier
• to hopefully help to improve a venue that is five minutes drive from home and give me a better night out
• once I'm off-duty, I have NO guilt about chasing down the good dancers (not that many at Stevenage I'm sorry to say... - YET - hopefully there will be)
• Free entry and Admit Ones

I actually had the best night's dancing at Stevenage EVER last week - my first taxi duty. But the T-shirt is just as horrible as I thought - maybe I'll e-mail Ceroc HQ and ask for a no-sleeves version and tell them to make them longer - no-one wants to look at my stomach

I was going to say that I'd never taxi anywhere else - but given that I already changed my mind once

We could do with another girl taxi at Ashtons.

[LMC]

We could do with another girl taxi at Ashtons.

Which is the same night as Stevenage, so there's my get out clause

Forgot to say: I was asked as well (very flattering). I would never apply.

[TiggsTours]

Which is the same night as Stevenage, so there's my get out clause

Forgot to say: I was asked as well (very flattering). I would never apply.

I don't even think there was an application process when I first started, I was asked, but I remember that if you wanted to do it, you just asked the venue manager yourself.

[David Bailey]

I actually had the best night's dancing at Stevenage EVER last week - my first taxi duty. But the T-shirt is just as horrible as I thought - maybe I'll e-mail Ceroc HQ and ask for a no-sleeves version and tell them to make them longer - no-one wants to look at my stomach

Could be worse - they had lovely white T-shirts in the Neolithic times when I was doing it

[ducasi]

At the weekend there I was asked whether I was a taxi dancer yet. (Can't remember who by, so sorry if this post embarrasses you, but at least your embarrassment will be private. )

Do people think it's an inevitable progression as you get to be a better dancer that you'll be asked?

A while ago I said on this thread...

I reckon it'd be cool, though I don't think I'm a good enough dancer yet, and I just don't enjoy having to address groups of people – especially when I'm having to make it up as I go along!

Reminds me of cringe-worthy games of charades.

My feelings haven't changed greatly. I'd be flattered to be asked, but I'm not still not sure I'd want to do it. Perhaps it depends on the venue. I don't think I'd like to be a taxi dancer at JJ's as that's where so many of the really good dancers are, so I'd miss out dancing with them. Plus as there's no separate room for the taxi class, you have to shout over the noise of the main class.

Maybe I'm really too selfish to be a taxi dancer...

[TiggsTours]

At the weekend there I was asked whether I was a taxi dancer yet. (Can't remember who by, so sorry if this post embarrasses you, but at least your embarrassment will be private. )

Do people think it's an inevitable progression as you get to be a better dancer that you'll be asked?

A while ago I said on this thread...
My feelings haven't changed greatly. I'd be flattered to be asked, but I'm not still not sure I'd want to do it. Perhaps it depends on the venue. I don't think I'd like to be a taxi dancer at JJ's as that's where so many of the really good dancers are, so I'd miss out dancing with them. Plus as there's no separate room for the taxi class, you have to shout over the noise of the main class.

Maybe I'm really too selfish to be a taxi dancer...

I don't think its a natural progression, no, you could say a natural progression is competition, or teaching, but its not for everyone, neither is taxi-ing. You either want to do it, or you don't, you get asked to do it, or you don't, it says nothing about your standard. I know plenty of superb dancers who would make dreadful taxi dancers! And I'm sure there are a few taxi dancers, who aren't great dancers (before I start offending anyone, I don't personally know any, all the taxi dancers I know are great dancers too), but make a good taxi dancer as they have the patience and communication skills.

The best teacher I ever had was a terrible freestyle dancer, its a totally different skill set.

[David Bailey]

Do people think it's an inevitable progression as you get to be a better dancer that you'll be asked?

Nope, not at all. You do have to be a certain minimum standard as a dancer, yes, that doesn't mean that you get asked automatically if you get to that standard.

It totally depends on the franchisee, the vacancies, the venue, and other things - AFAIK there's no "standard" route, sometimes you apply, sometimes you get asked.

If it's a popular venue, with lots of taxi dancers, and lots of good dancers, most people obviously won't get asked, no matter how good they are.

Otr in other words:

I don't think its a natural progression, no, you could say a natural progression is competition, or teaching, but its not for everyone, neither is taxi-ing. You either want to do it, or you don't, you get asked to do it, or you don't, it says nothing about your standard. I know plenty of superb dancers who would make dreadful taxi dancers! And I'm sure there are a few taxi dancers, who aren't great dancers (before I start offending anyone, I don't personally know any, all the taxi dancers I know are great dancers too), but make a good taxi dancer as they have the patience and communication skills.

The best teacher I ever had was a terrible freestyle dancer, its a totally different skill set.

To which I can only say and

I think I'd (now) make a very bad taxi dancer, I can't remember any move names, I've no idea how they all break down, and I can't really remember what it was like to be a beginner so I'd find it very difficult to put myself in the place of a beginner. That doesn't make me a superb dancer (alas), by the way, it just means my memory is failing

[Ghost]

Do people think it's an inevitable progression as you get to be a better dancer that you'll be asked?

Although I agree with TiggsTours and DavidJames, it raises an interesting point. If it is a natural progresion then all dancers beyond a certain point would be asked - given how few taxis there seem to be, a lot of them must be saying no.
So I was wondering - how many people actually get asked, say over a year at an average venue?

Be Well,
Christopher

[LMC]

So I was wondering - how many people actually get asked, say over a year at an average venue?

How long is a piece of string?

Even if you say an "average" venue has 120-150 people attending, then you have to take into account all sorts of other things like taxis' length of service, the general standard of dancing at that venue, the franchisee's policy on how many taxis on duty at a time, etc etc etc.

Plus, as TT and others have said, personality counts for as much, if not more than dancing ability.

[David Bailey]

If it is a natural progresion then all dancers beyond a certain point would be asked

No - that's not the point.

It's one avenue of progression - there are many others:
- Just getting better and better and better as a social dancer
- Doing EvilCompetitions
- Taking private lessons
- Getting involved in "management"
- Becoming a teacher
- Setting up your own venue
- Learning / teaching other dance forms
- etc. etc.

Plus, as TT and others have said, personality counts for as much, if not more than dancing ability.

I am so biting my tongue now...

[LMC]

I am so biting my tongue now...

Adam lives in NZ, so how could he have known how awful I am?

[David Bailey]

Adam lives in NZ, so how could he have known how awful I am?

*bite, bite*

[Ghost]

No - that's not the point.

Sorry, badly put
"If it is a natural progresion then all dancers beyond a certain point would be asked; and as I don't believe this is the case, then it isn't a natuaral progression. It did however raise the question in my mind, as to how many people are asked, how many of them turn it down and how closely it matches the results of the forurm survey, given that forumites are often atypical of the norm?

(Sorry about the ;and )

Good answers though, thanks,
Christopher

PS

How long is a piece of string?

From http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_b...sages/140.html
"Many people have asked this and many have no answer. So here is my attempt. The next time someone asks you "how long is a piece of string?" hit them with "double the length from one side to the middle!". Might keep them quiet for a while" ~ Grim

To which someone called Pedant replied
'One side to the middle?

Sorry, but that's the width.

'Try "one end to the middle" next time.'

[ducasi]

Plus, as TT and others have said, personality counts for as much, if not more than dancing ability.

Ah, so that's why I've never been asked!

[LMC]

Hmmm, well, since you're a guy ducasi:

[ MODE bleedin' obvious ]There also needs to be a taxi dancer vacancy... [ /MODE ]

I know full well that I'm nowhere in the running at any other venue I go to - there are far more likely candidates than me at Finchley for example. But Stevenage attendance has been low for months, so there weren't that many other sufficiently regular dancers to ask.

[ducasi]

[ MODE bleedin' obvious ]There also needs to be a taxi dancer vacancy... [ /MODE ]

First, let's be clear, I do not want to be a taxi dancer and I'm not upset that I've never been asked.

With that out of the way, let me say that there's been several vacancies over the past few months around Glasgow, and out of the current dozen or so taxi dancers, I think only four are male.