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This week the group classes are: Tuesday 6:30pm Advanced: argentine tango and merengue Beginner: argentine tango and salsa Wednesday 7:30pm Advanced: slow foxtrot and jive (East coast swing or 6 beat lindy for some) Beginner: cha cha and waltz Thursday 6:30pm Advanced: blues and West coast swing Beginner: rock and roll and Lindy Hop West Coast Surprise We do not do West Coast swing often. So even though we are teaching it in the advanced class, we are starting with lower levels moves for now. We still expect to accelerate quickly. That means we can cover some advanced figures. And we will do this by using our advanced West Coast Swing teacher Kevin. So if you want to get the low down on this versatile dance, then Thursdays are your night to come by for class.  Upcoming cancelation
The venue will be unavailable on May 20. If you have a lesson that night, then please ensure you have spoken with your teacher about making alternative plans. Thanks in advance Clint
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In this update:
Apologies to those who found the studio was not available for their booked lessons over the weekend. There was a communication breakdown that resulted in the studio being double booked. Thank you for your understanding. Your teachers have ideally by now organised makeup lessons. On the topic of lesson cancellations. Please do your utmost to give your teacher fair warning if you need to cancel. That allows us to organise other students. When you cancel - especially if it is late - rent still needs to be paid for the space and your teacher will be left at the studio with no lessons (and thus no pay). I am sure you can imagine the issues this causes. We understand that emergencies can happen and account for that, but if possible, then please give us plenty or notice. We have been able to avoid cancellation fees and we would like to keep it that way. Lesson themes for this week We are still teaching the same dances:
Next cycle In two weeks we start the new cycle. There has been a request for argentine tango so that will be in the mix. But please let me know of other styles you would like to see taught. Also, that means there is another intro 4 week cycle for beginners who are new to the studio. Please let anyone you know who is thinking about learning to dance know about this course. Short video of the awards night If you want to see a few highlights from the evening, then take a look below. Thanks to those who came to the awards night last week. It was good to get back into these after lock down. You can see the photos on Facebook and Instagram.
This week we are still doing the same lessons:
Thanks in advance Clint Steele This week we will be having social dance after the group lesson on Wednesday. That’s because we are doing a staff training and awards night, and we will not be running the other dance lessons we normally run.
The awards night part will be a small one – still getting in the swing of things after COVID. So if you want to arrive at around 7:15, then you can watch the awards, do a group dance class and then hang around for the social. Note that the social is free, but the group class has the usual price. The bar will also be open so you can buy a drink or two as well. Let me know what styles you would like to dance via this survey so we can get a playlist sorted - https://forms.gle/eWTxA9LN4X1XWwTdA Apart from that, we are running the usual group dance lessons this week:
See you on the dance floor Clint In this update:
Lessons this week
The catchup at the club last week was an excellent event. It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon of dance and music - with a few drinks from the bar. That's why we will be doing the same again on a regular basis. You might therefore see the occasional email and social media post about more bands playing at the club with an invite to come along and join us for a dance. Dancing with feeling I have been talking with the teachers about some of the things that we notice holding students back - this is so we can keep coming up with ideas to help you learn faster. A key one is the lack of feeling (or intuition). Instead, some students get very cerebral. This will never work in dance. You need to operate on the faster instinctive level. One way to get this to happen is to ask your teacher what to focus on. Maybe the weight distribution across your feet, the smoothness of your arms, the location of your partner. They key is to notice these things without judging. We call this the inner game. So next lesson, be mindful of being aware of what you feel without thinking (or judging) too much. And talk to your teacher about this.  First off, lessons this week:
This was prompted by a review that was recently posted on Google. A student noted how a dance lesson is 50% dance and 50% therapy. That is a very real part of dance that I forget to remind people about. By focusing on one thing, but one thing that involves so much (movement, memory, connection to the music and interactions with others), dance can take your mind off much that troubles you. Also, because of the exercise and music, you get an endorphin rush. So you can feel much better after your dance lesson. If you ever get the chance, then see the short movie I want to dance better at parties. It is about a man who is able to move passed the loss of his wife with the help of dance. That is a great example of how dance can benefit you. Next time you are feeling down, always remember you have a dance lesson coming up and we are looking forward to seeing you.  This week in the group classes:
Get out and dance You learn dance for a reason. To dance. So come along this Sunday to dance to The Geezers - https://www.facebook.com/events/137811634603842. With the music they play, you can dance R'n'R, cha cha, Lindy Hop and blues. Let me know you are going so we can get a table together. In this update:
New Dances This week we will start new styles in the group classes. These styles will be:
These have been effective at getting people in so we will keep running them. Share this link with anyone you know who wants to learn to dance - https://www.destinedance.com.au/intro-4weeks.html Best wishes to Gigi and Kevin Kevin and Gigi have formed a dance-sport partnership and are training for competition. We wish them all the best. You might even want to keep tabs on them so you can go see them compete. I will keep you posted.  Men needed on March 28
You should recall that there is a live band at the club later this month - https://www.facebook.com/events/137811634603842. I am going and you are invited too. It's always good dancing to a live band. However, some women have already asked me if there will be enough men. So I am putting the word out now to invite the men and let you (the men) know there are women planning to go there who want to dance with you. The awards Just a reminder that the awards are coming up on 14 April. Even if you are not going for an award, then come along for the experience. Regards Clint In this update the focus is all about how you can become a better dancer faster.
First method - Awards I have a had a number of students commit to the April 14th awards night. Setting a date to master dances by provides great focus to get good fast. If you have not yet done so, then talk to your teacher more about what you want to work on for the awards night. Also remember that this is a great chance to get feedback from a very senior dance adjudicator from the Australian Dancing Society on how to become an even better dancer. Second method - Blues musicality Over the lock down period, Anita and I did a series of online classes with Katrina Rogers - an American woman who has been dancing blues as part of her culture for her whole life. Anita and I have incorporated lessons into our own teaching. The benefits were amazing. I can still recall how surprised I was at the speed with which I saw students improve their musicality after one group lesson. Even though it's all blues dancing, blues has the strongest focus on musicality of all the dance styles. That means when you get good at blues musicality, you get better at musicality in all your dancing. I am therefore planning to get more Destine Dance staff to take these lessons with Katrina so we have more of this skill in the school. But you can take these classes directly too. If you are really keen on learning more about blues dancing (and it's attributes) to be a better dancer. Katrina also likes teaching Melbournians - Anita and I left a good impressions for you - so you will have a good time. You can read more here - https://bluekatbluesdance.com/home/ways-to-work-with-katrina/ - look at the Blue Kat Blues Crew offering and then register at the bottom. If you want to try just one class at a lower cost, then you can also do a drop in session - https://schedulemwenow.as.me/DanceBlues?fbclid=IwAR2i7TbguIRORpdSgQXkvii-MF0qgSiUtujbq1NsRcQRs3aIqPceqIEPyP0. Third method - Get out and dance socially On the 28th, I will be going to a barefoot bowls event - https://www.facebook.com/events/137811634603842. This is held where we have the classes so you know the location. The Geezers will be playing 60s and 70s rock and roll so perfect stuff for Lindy Hop, Blues, Jive and R'n'R. It's only $10 so a pretty good deal. Register on the event page and I will see you there. Fourth method - Let me know what you would like to work on If there is anything that you would like to work on that you feel has not progressed as much as you would like, then let me know. We will get something sorted. Thanks in advance Clint Welcome to March - 2021 rolls on!
In this update, as the subject suggests, I have 6 things to share with you:
Please welcome a new teacher to the team - Kevin. He will start out helping Kim and Gigi with the promo classes (see below). But if you would like to try some private lessons with the new guy, then just let me know. He has been dancing since he was 6 so he has a wealth of experience to share. Read more about him here - https://www.destinedance.com.au/kevin.html. Anita on TV Our very own Anita is one of the presenters on Australia's Best House. You can see her here - https://www.9now.com.au/australias-best-house/season-1/episode-1 - at the 18 minute mark. Photos of you dancing We will have a photographer coming in this Tuesday to get some promo shots for the studio. The goal is obviously for everyone to look amazing so you know they will be good photos of you dancing. However, please let us know if you are not keen on being in any. Also, let us know if you are keen to get some shots of you specifically looking amazing while dancing. Awards night The next awards night will be on April 14. This is during our regular teaching period so some might find that their classes are disrupted. This is simply because bookings at other times are a bit harder to secure given the volatility of things at the moment. I have already booked our usual adjudicator - Jenny Rosenfeld - so you will have a familiar face. And someone who you know always has great feedback on how to become and even better dancer. Some promo help form you As I have mentioned before, I am running another promo series of classes to get more students in. It would be good if you could share this with any friends you have who might be interested in dance. Here's the link - https://www.destinedance.com.au/intro-4weeks.html. If they need a little more encouragement, then I am unsure when we will do this again. Also it has recently come to my attention that Destine Dance is now the highest Google rated dance studio of its type in Melbourne - 39 reviews and a solid 5 star average - so they can feel pretty confident that they will get quality teaching. Thanks to all of you who took the time to write a review. Finally, the classes start on Tuesday so they need to get in quick! Masks Masks are again optional. It is your choice, but will not be expecting them of anyone. Have a great week Clint |
AuthorThis blog is written by the staff at Destine Dance and is inspired by the questions and challenges faced by our students Archives
April 2021
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