The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Vol 1, Issue 4: Fall 1996
As summer winds down and fall begins, the number of opportunities to dance seems to be increasing and in particular, there are an increasing number of dance workshops which will focus on Lindy Hop. Dance workshops provide a wonderful opportunity to learn new moves as well as to greatly improve your dance styling. From my own experience though, I feel that dance workshops (whether it be a one day event or a week long like Wild Week) can have "Good", "Bad", and "Ugly" aspects to them.
Certainly, I wouldn't attend workshops if they weren't fun, so by far the overriding aspect is that they are "Good" and in some cases great. A good workshop provides an opportunity to improve your dance skills, but it is much more. Being in an environment with so many other people that have the same goals in mind just seems to produce good "karma". I just enjoy being around a dancing group of fanatics that love to dance and want to take it to the next level.
The "Bad" really isn't all that bad. Taking a workshop can be overwhelming. Usually, by the end of a workshop, I feel both physically and mentally exhausted. My brain is overflowing with new information; with the exception of a few moves it is impossible to remember all. (I guess that is why workshop review videos are so helpful.) Also, sometimes after a workshop is completed, I don't feel like dancing for a couple weeks. Not only has my brain overflowed with new info, but my body has been overwhelmed. Maybe, this is just my body's way of processing the new information. Regardless, within a couple weeks, I'm ready to hit the dance floor again.
The "Ugly" is what I really want to focus on. This usually occurs when you have dancers at drastically different levels that have different goals for the workshop. An advanced dancer in a beginning/intermediate level workshop should not expect a beginning/ intermediate level dancer to learn new moves at the same pace. Not only that, but you should be willing to help other people who are having trouble. If you help them out during the workshop, that person will be someone that you enjoy dancing with more in the future. Remember, we were all beginning dancers as some point. I still remember the first couple workshops that I attended and the support, or lack thereof, that I received. Most people were very friendly and supportive, but there were always a few that were not so pleasant. I always remember this and try to be as supportive as I can, as well as hope that my partners will be supportive when I have trouble with a new move.
The other aspect of "Ugly" usually takes place in intermediate/ advanced level workshops. People need to be realistic about their dance skills and not enroll in a workshop class that is well beyond their level. Not only will you learn very little, but you will usually hold back the people that you dance with. It is reasonable to expect that the dancers in an advanced level workshop will be at an advanced level (or at least high intermediate). So judge yourself accordingly and don't overwhelm yourself or your partner.
All in all, dance workshops are supposed to be fun. So whatever your situation please keep this in mind. Being nasty to a partner never helped anyone. If something really bothers you, talk to the workshop organizer. And most importantly of all, keep having fun while dancing.
-- Dave Gloger