Johnny & Serap Intermediate workshop

January 28, 2006

I was asked to help out again. The program as a whole was very good and well-balanced, but I sometimes felt that this might have seemed too much like a series of drop-in classes. I thought the class perhaps could have used explicit statements (repeated several times throughout the workshop) about the logic behind today's routines and how these routines used different techniques but still could be thought of as having a similar overarching structure (I don't have a good idea about how to go about explaining this succinctly in a large class setting). Johnny & Serap in today's class used names like "cross body", "anti-cross body", "Copa", "wrap", "titanic", etc, which should have helped some people.

I entertained myself by playing the part of follower about half of the times when I was doing demonstrations with Serap. Needless to say, my following technique needs a lot of work. I used to think I could follow cross body lead with 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn okay but I was having a lot of difficulties with it today. The only way I could do it safely was to make it choreographed rather than followed. By the way, the main reason why I'm trying to better understand follower's part is because it would make it easier for me to teach it to less experienced dance partners.

I mostly stayed in the sideline during the first hour practicing 1 1/2 travelling counterclockwise turn with difficulty and paying very little attention to the class because some unexpected leaders showed up so I wasn't needed. After a while, I stayed with Serap's non-fast-track section for most of the rest of the class (playing both follower and leader with Serap and doing private coaching), then briefly stopped by for Johnny's section for about 1.5 routine before stepping out to make numbers even again.

As for the routines today, there was nothing new for me here with the exception of different way of leading travelling clockwise turn from (pseudo) open hold for the start of the sixth routine. However, I think most other experienced participants did obtain fair bit of simple but new material, which should serve them well - simple things done well is better than complicated things done haphazardly.

Many people in the class were new to me, and some seemed to be no more than beginners with perhaps 4-5 lessons (or perhaps less) under their belt. Of course, there will always be people who jump into classes they're nowhere near ready for. In my opinion, people who would have benefited most from the beginner workshop 2 weeks ago are people who have taken at least one or two beginner lessons previously. Today's workshop was probably more suitable for people who have taken at least 10-12 classes plus beginner and improver workshops OR 4-6 months of classes every week. Small number of the people found the routines too difficult and seemingly gave up early, but I also saw some very new people seemingly building a pretty good foundation to become a good social dancer.

closed hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead (optional with 1 1/2 counterclockwise travelling turn for follower)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-L high only and into (open?) cross body position and lead follower into a travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) with R-L lead
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break switch to R-R and free stationary turn for follower on 5,6,7 (with leader turning as well - hook turn?) - this was done only for the fast track workshop

crossed hold (L-L on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 standard Copa (the version with R hand on follower's shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2) [follower's footwork here was apparently from Susana Montero's methods.]

crossed hold (R-R on top)
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic and lead follower to a stationary clockwise turn on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead and into Titanic
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)

R-R hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with R-R high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower to a travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with shoulder wrap (R-R on follower's R shoulder and L hand on follower's L shoulder)
1,2,3,5,6,7 prepare and lead follower to turn 1 1/2 clockwise (stationary) with R-R only
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower and reconnect L-L in front while getting into cross body and lead follower into travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)

[note: fast track workshop may have done a waist wrap instead of shoulder wrap]

L-L hold
1,2,3,5,6,7 leader's pivot turn with L-L high and into open cross body position followed by leading follower into travelling full counterclockwise turn ending with waist wrap (L-L on follower's R waist)
1,2,3,5,6,7 turn follower around on 1,2,3 and switch to R-L and offer L hand in front of follower's forehead on 1,2,3 - then use L hand to let follower turn 1 1/2 counterclockwise while travelling on 5,6,7
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-L hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-R connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)

L-R hold and R hand on follower's L shoulder
1,2,3,5,6,7 modified cross body lead start with exaggerated twist on 1 and 3 so that follower is facing leader on 3 with L-R high and in front of her line - R hand on shoulder could be used to lead follower forward and into 1 1/2 clockwise turn - leader turns 1/4 clockwise to face away from partner while switching to R-R at leader's back R waist
1,2,3,5,6,7 open break followed for leader turning around 1/2 counterclockwise and lead follower into a stationary double turn with R-R
1,2,3,5,6,7 R-R hat for follower while getting into cross body position with L hand offered for L-L connection in front - followed by leading follower to travelling clockwise turn (1/2 or 1 1/2)