There are lot of different kind of dance events (dance camps) you can choose. I want to take part as many as I can, but how to survive those and hopefully learned also something? This blog was written request of friend who organize dance camps/events.
Think positive
Go with open positive mind. You will meet lot of new interesting people, new teachers and teaching styles. You will get lot of new information, new ideas and patterns to learn. Think what all great things you will learn during this event!
Newbies, dance events (dance camps) are place you definitely want to go, even you don’t yet know everybody, after event you have masses of new friends. Afterwards you will be tired, but feeling will be amazing. You will be high, in a good way 🙂
Plan
Read schedule of event, plan what classes and which level you want to go. If there is only one or two dances choices should be quite easy. When there is several dances… oh ow… Feeling like kid in candy store, I want everything? Yeah, I know the feeling!
Notice that classes levels probably are different from your weekly classes or dance event you have previously take part. Ask teachers to help find your level. If possible take lessons from different teachers, not just teacher you have use to take. Your mind will get new ideas, and that is good for your improvement.
If you choose to focus on one or two dances, you will get lot of practise and sertain what you do. If you choose try as many dances you can, think how much new information my mind will take.
Don’t build your self too much expectations for one event or camp. You can’t expect to be perfect during one event. Development needs time, things don’t happen now, unfortunatly 😉
Beginning of event excitement and stamina will be top level. Take if possible your higher level lessons or new dances if you choose to do so. Focus on classes your own learning, no need to waist good learning time to spotting other peoples mistakes. You will get lot of new information (sometimes really fast phase), ideas, patterns, stuff you need to practice later.
Give your self time
Frustration usually comes in some part of dance camp, don’t worry about it. Sometimes feels that things just don’t go right. Ask your teacher to help, notice that groups can be really big, so they can’t help you all the time. Trust that your teachers want you to improve, if they give you feedback or corrections, take those with open mind. Sometimes it helps when you sleep over night, and next day things just fall in places. Your brains sometimes needs rest so new thing are able to do . Sometimes changing a partner will help.
After almost every event or camp, your brains just buzz with all the new information, sometimes feels that I can’t dance anymore. Don’t worry, it is part of the learning process and comes with event or dance camp package 😉
More classes you take, less totally new things you can learn. When you reach the point that you can’t even understand the language teacher talks, it can happen 🙂 Take one level down class, go there do things that are little bit easier, and tadaa. You can do it! You probably are ready to learn something new again. I recommended you to take also lower level classes, good foundation is where you build up you dance.
Notes
Take notes! Write words, draw a picture, make a mind map. Something that helps you to remind what you were doing in class.
Take video notebook. Sometimes teachers shows what class was allabout. (usually these are for your own practice not on social media). You can also ask some of our fellow dancers to review class subjects. They don’t need to be perfect, this is just help for you to remember what to practice.
Sometimes you may get feeling that going in group classes don’t give you anything. You are struggle with something? Or You may want to focus on something or some dance, get confident on what you are doing? What then? Take a private! Private lessons way to less used source. Beginner can also take private lessons. What happen in private lesson? Teacher will focus only on you or you and your partner, depending how you are taking private. You may ask all question you have and you don’t have chance to ask before. Usually teacher will look at your basic technique and gives you corrections, advices what to do or how to practise. These are things you can practise on group classes, alongside class subjects. When you go to private lesson you will get pretty good picture what level your dancing is and how to improve it. Don’t assume that after one private you will be ready, perfect dancer.
Have fun and experiment
One of the best part of dance camp/events are nights. In the evening you can relax, dance and try all the cool stuff you are learned during the day. (sometimes they succeed, sometimes not). In classes you learn technic, movement, lead-follow, in social dance you can see how well you have learned these things. Nights are time for relax and having fun, also the teachers are there on their free time. During night dancing you want dance as many partner you can, be also active to ask new people to dance with you. Make sure you dance with all level dancers, you may surprise how fun it can be, don’t look only age or bodytype. Here you can ask also dance with your teacher, just remember that they are also humans, they need to sometimes go to toilet and to have drink.
Stretching, relaxing, and proper hydrating and food, there shouldn’t be need to remind you more. Enough rest you don’t get anyway, so you can forget it, there is time to sleep next week.
Dance camps/events are awesome! Don’t stress for minor things, have fun and enjoy learning new things.
There is also few other blogs you may want to check. They talk same subject, little bit different view.
http://www.canadianswingchampions.com/category/events-and-workshops/