Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Plano Group Class and Event Calendar for April 2014
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Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Dallas Group Class and Event Calendar for April 2014
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Gold Night Out Is Coming…
13 years ago
Showing posts with label Group class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Group class. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Dallas and Plano asked our Managers and Dance Directors "Why don't the teachers teach technique during Group Class?"
Why don't the teachers teach technique in Group Class? Have you ever wondered? This is the day to find out!
Sarah: Have you ever heard of the phrase "Paralysis by over-analysis" ? Or have you ever experienced trying to accomplish too many things all at the same time that you ended up not being able to do/complete anything? Well, one of the best things about the 3-part system that Arthur Murray uses is that it saves you from doing too much all at once which, in the end, saves you time and makes learning to dance easier. Using the 3 parts is a sure-fire way to become a successful dancer at any level. While private lessons are designed to teach you necessary techniques and the finer points of dancing, Group Classes teach you the pattern and give you the absolutely NECESSARY time to practice those patterns on your own balance. Most people didn't grow up dancing, so learning to control your momentum from one foot to another is paramount! Don't mix trying to LEARN techniques and finer points with balance and patterns! Once your teacher has told you you are safe to practice certain techniques in a group class GO FOR IT! It's never ending... the amount you can learn and progress with the 3 part system!
Ian: The group classes are designed to help students primarily with balance, and to expose them to new dances or to new steps within the dances. It's very difficult to teach technique in a group setting as not everyone is in the same place. As students progress through their individual programs, they become better dancers and their needs change. It's very difficult to assess where everyone is in a class of up to 30 students and apply technique (and it saves anyone from feeling like they're holding the class back or doubting their ability). So, we aim to work on individual balance by teaching the steps without a partner first. That way, students can think about the steps without worrying about leading or following.
Justin: When a student takes advantage of each of the three part Arthur Murray system, they truly maximize their experience and return. The main purpose of group class is to develop balance, which is why we spend time dancing the figures on our own without a partner. Repetition creates familiarity of movements we use in the figures, which gives smoother movement and more control. When we take time to develop that independent of our partner, we become a better leader/follower when we do dance with someone. Because each person has a different goal for their dance proficiency, it is challenging to cover the appropriate technique that any one student would need- the individual lesson provides a much more effective arena for that. That's also why we cover minimal leading and following concepts in class. The more time you spend on balance in group class, the less time you need to cover that on a lesson or at the party!
Nikki: Have you ever been to a Zumba Class, or a Martial Arts class, watched the instructor do something, tried your hardest to replicate it, and then wonder if you were actually doing it the way they were?? Here's the thing, unless someone can take the time to help make sure that you are using the right muscles and the right power, you are basically just making up how to do something, and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, in ANY kind of group class, the instructor doesn't have the time or ability to go to each student individually and make sure they are using the right form every time... That's what makes private lessons so valuable.
Sarah: Have you ever heard of the phrase "Paralysis by over-analysis" ? Or have you ever experienced trying to accomplish too many things all at the same time that you ended up not being able to do/complete anything? Well, one of the best things about the 3-part system that Arthur Murray uses is that it saves you from doing too much all at once which, in the end, saves you time and makes learning to dance easier. Using the 3 parts is a sure-fire way to become a successful dancer at any level. While private lessons are designed to teach you necessary techniques and the finer points of dancing, Group Classes teach you the pattern and give you the absolutely NECESSARY time to practice those patterns on your own balance. Most people didn't grow up dancing, so learning to control your momentum from one foot to another is paramount! Don't mix trying to LEARN techniques and finer points with balance and patterns! Once your teacher has told you you are safe to practice certain techniques in a group class GO FOR IT! It's never ending... the amount you can learn and progress with the 3 part system!
Justin: When a student takes advantage of each of the three part Arthur Murray system, they truly maximize their experience and return. The main purpose of group class is to develop balance, which is why we spend time dancing the figures on our own without a partner. Repetition creates familiarity of movements we use in the figures, which gives smoother movement and more control. When we take time to develop that independent of our partner, we become a better leader/follower when we do dance with someone. Because each person has a different goal for their dance proficiency, it is challenging to cover the appropriate technique that any one student would need- the individual lesson provides a much more effective arena for that. That's also why we cover minimal leading and following concepts in class. The more time you spend on balance in group class, the less time you need to cover that on a lesson or at the party!
Nikki: Have you ever been to a Zumba Class, or a Martial Arts class, watched the instructor do something, tried your hardest to replicate it, and then wonder if you were actually doing it the way they were?? Here's the thing, unless someone can take the time to help make sure that you are using the right muscles and the right power, you are basically just making up how to do something, and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, in ANY kind of group class, the instructor doesn't have the time or ability to go to each student individually and make sure they are using the right form every time... That's what makes private lessons so valuable.
If the teachers spent time going from student to student, trying to teach the techniques that came with each particular step within a figure, you MIGHT get 1-2 figures learned within the time allotted... And then, when would you learn all the figures that you need to have a working knowledge of before you see you teacher next? So... in order for the teachers to be effective in their teaching, we have to use each part of our 3 part system for it's intended purpose. Privates for technique, groups for a working knowledge of figures, and parties for practical application of figures AND techniques.
Adriann: The 3 part system (i.e. private lessons, group classes, parties) works best when each piece is allowed to do its job. Did you every notice how hard it is to dance with proper technique when you're trying to remember where to go? It's not easy. That's why teachers don't teach technique in group classes. So that all students in the appropriate level can learn the steps without the added pressure of trying to learn the technique simultaneously. It gives our brains the break they need to focus on, and get comfortable with, one piece of the puzzle at a time. Like making sure the foundation of a house is solid before you try putting up walls.
Lindsey: This is a GREAT question because throughout the years, I have had this one many times. First let's discuss the function of the group class. Group class is designed to teach balance through figures. The "how?" question is answered by the fact that dancers gain repetition of movement over and over and over again, thus producing muscle memory. The "why" follows by the fact that muscle memory develops confidence within ones own body to do the task at hand. Much like handwriting, when you first learn how to write each letter, it's awkward, misshapen, and takes a while to get into the groove of it. Then next thing you know, someone asks you to write your name and you don't even think twice about it because it's second nature to you. Dancing is no different. You practice the pattern of a box step or a cross body lead, for example, and it seems so bizarre. Then after a few weeks, you think to yourself "oh yeah... That thing that goes like this? Got it!"
Now onto the real question. We don't teach technique in class for 2 main reasons. For one, each person learns differently, at a different pace, and at a different skill level. Arthur Murray is famous for customizing programs based on each students specific needs at their specific pace. So how could we possibly go against what we are so good at doing and generalize technique in class? The second reason goes back to the handwriting analogy. If you never took the time to practice and learn how to print correctly, then how could your school teacher ever be able to help understand or even write in cursive? This is like adding Cuban Motion to your box step or cross body lead. Because you understood the original material so well, you're able to add flare and style to make it more.
This is why as teachers we never want to rob our students of the opportunity to get that muscle memory or confidence by making you focus on technique simultaneously. To be honest, that would be kind of mean.
Adriann: The 3 part system (i.e. private lessons, group classes, parties) works best when each piece is allowed to do its job. Did you every notice how hard it is to dance with proper technique when you're trying to remember where to go? It's not easy. That's why teachers don't teach technique in group classes. So that all students in the appropriate level can learn the steps without the added pressure of trying to learn the technique simultaneously. It gives our brains the break they need to focus on, and get comfortable with, one piece of the puzzle at a time. Like making sure the foundation of a house is solid before you try putting up walls.
Lindsey: This is a GREAT question because throughout the years, I have had this one many times. First let's discuss the function of the group class. Group class is designed to teach balance through figures. The "how?" question is answered by the fact that dancers gain repetition of movement over and over and over again, thus producing muscle memory. The "why" follows by the fact that muscle memory develops confidence within ones own body to do the task at hand. Much like handwriting, when you first learn how to write each letter, it's awkward, misshapen, and takes a while to get into the groove of it. Then next thing you know, someone asks you to write your name and you don't even think twice about it because it's second nature to you. Dancing is no different. You practice the pattern of a box step or a cross body lead, for example, and it seems so bizarre. Then after a few weeks, you think to yourself "oh yeah... That thing that goes like this? Got it!"Now onto the real question. We don't teach technique in class for 2 main reasons. For one, each person learns differently, at a different pace, and at a different skill level. Arthur Murray is famous for customizing programs based on each students specific needs at their specific pace. So how could we possibly go against what we are so good at doing and generalize technique in class? The second reason goes back to the handwriting analogy. If you never took the time to practice and learn how to print correctly, then how could your school teacher ever be able to help understand or even write in cursive? This is like adding Cuban Motion to your box step or cross body lead. Because you understood the original material so well, you're able to add flare and style to make it more.
This is why as teachers we never want to rob our students of the opportunity to get that muscle memory or confidence by making you focus on technique simultaneously. To be honest, that would be kind of mean.
Monday, December 23, 2013
January 2014 Calendar of Events for Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Dallas & Plano - Group Classes, Parties, and more
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| January Calendar for Arthur Murray Dallas Group Classes and Dance Parties |
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| January Calendar for Arthur Murray Plano Group Classes and Dance Parties |
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| January Festival Calendar for Arthur Murray Dallas |
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| January Festival Calendar for Arthur Murray Plano |
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
We asked the managers at Arthur Murray Dallas and Plano the following question: What is a check out and why is it Important?
You've all heard the buzz in the studios about the upcoming Medal Ball celebration. Your teacher has probably mentioned checking out to you. This week, we decided to ask our esteemed panel of managers for an explanation of what all the fuss is about. Read on...
Sarah: Think of Checkouts like a final exam and graduation mixed with a quality-control check and coaching! Wow, sounds like a lot of great stuff doesn't it?! IT IS!
Ian: Checkouts are a great was to demonstrate to yourself how much you've learned in a way that you can actually see and feel! Knowing that you did it and mastering the steps that you never thought you could when you walked in the door is monumental! And once a year, the Arthur Murray family joins together to celebrate our achievements in the studio with our annual Medal Ball. Whether you're a brand new student who finally stepped outside your comfort zone and joined the studio, or you just lost the last of those 10 pounds you were trying for, or you reached Silver (at last!), Medal Ball is a time to celebrate your graduation from one milestone to another in your dancing career!
Nikki: I get asked all the time if a student HAS to do a check-out or if they have to do a check-out in order to go to Medal Ball... The short answer to both questions is No. HOWEVER, I do highly recommend doing a check-out as you progress through your levels.
Justin: A checkout is a benchmark of progress in your dancing journey. To fill in that picture, let's look at the Arthur Murray program. The Arthur Murray system is called the Medalist System because the levels progress through Bronze, Silver, and Gold. As you learn your Bronze 1 material, you will cover both figures and techniques that serve as the basis for building other levels. The syllabus is designed to inter-relate between the dances and levels, but it's important to recognize the progress you make as you work. It's very easy to get caught up in wanting to be a "good dancer," and to always want to "be better." But as you work towards your ultimate goals, you have to acknowledge the steps you achieve along the way. Consider a marathon- obviously you want to complete the 26.2 miles that represent the race as a whole. But if you beat yourself up as you run, because you aren't at the finish line yet, what good does that do you? Or you only recognize how much you haven't covered yet, instead of focusing on the fact that you have 5 miles completed, then it can become discouraging or overwhelming. So a checkout serves as a structured reminder of the measurable progress you make on your way to becoming the type of dancer you want to be. That being said, at the point that your teacher says you're ready for the checkout itself, you already know what you need to know. The actual checkout is usually more about proving it to yourself then the teacher checking you. It is often more like a mini-coaching, with feedback to use in your next level. Celebrate your progress with a checkout, and then party with your fellow students at Medal Ball, where we get to recognize your achievement with everyone!
Sarah: Think of Checkouts like a final exam and graduation mixed with a quality-control check and coaching! Wow, sounds like a lot of great stuff doesn't it?! IT IS!
Ever want to know how you are doing? Would you like to keep track of exactly what you're learning and why? Do you ever want to know WHEN you'll actually OWN what you've been learning!? Checkouts do exactly that, plus a graduation celebration when you're through!
From the day you stepped in to the studio, your teachers have been preparing you for the real world. In order to do that, you must learn patterns that will help you navigate in any social situation you'll find yourself in. Our Chart is compiled of a list of patterns chosen and ordered by a team of "Jedi Masters of Dancing" that are constantly working to know what's cutting-edge socially. (I guess I have a lot of Star Wars examples (-: ) From lesson number one, you are being taught exactly what you need and in an ingenious order to make life easy for you. The teachers will prepare you to be able to show the patterns to a third party (your supervisors/managers in the studio who have had many many years of experience learning, teaching, and preparing students of their own for this checkout). You will show the pattern without the aid of your teacher, so don't miss your group classes! The supervisor/manager will then give you feedback and a couple pointers on how to make it even better/easier.
Once you have completed your checkout you are signed up for an honor dance at our graduation party called MEDAL BALL. This is a social, congratulatory, fun event centered around your achievement!
Why is this so valuable? Think about school with no tests. Or a road trip with no billboards or mile markers. All of a sudden, what was intended to be a growth enriched and progressive process becomes aimless and ineffective. And if we are being honest with ourselves, we all grow when we have to study, press in, and be under pressure to complete something. Just like when you clean your house for special company versus just picking it up slightly when you get home after a long day of work and no one to impress. The outcome is completely different, isn't it? You will remember more when you HAVE to. And when you can remember something and execute it successfully, you OWN it! Mission Accomplished!
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, feels GREAT and every student, no matter how "good" they want to get, deserves to feel this level of accomplishment! Enjoy the Journey!
Ian: Checkouts are a great was to demonstrate to yourself how much you've learned in a way that you can actually see and feel! Knowing that you did it and mastering the steps that you never thought you could when you walked in the door is monumental! And once a year, the Arthur Murray family joins together to celebrate our achievements in the studio with our annual Medal Ball. Whether you're a brand new student who finally stepped outside your comfort zone and joined the studio, or you just lost the last of those 10 pounds you were trying for, or you reached Silver (at last!), Medal Ball is a time to celebrate your graduation from one milestone to another in your dancing career!
Nikki: I get asked all the time if a student HAS to do a check-out or if they have to do a check-out in order to go to Medal Ball... The short answer to both questions is No. HOWEVER, I do highly recommend doing a check-out as you progress through your levels.
The main reason for my recommendation is so that you can prove to YOURSELF that you know what you are doing. It's easy in the chaos of life and dancing to actually realize that you are learning something along the way. A lot of students view themselves as the non-dancer they have always been, no matter what their team of teachers or executives say. And the reality is, we can only say so much before we turn into the Peanuts Parents and students just don't hear us at all. A check-out gives you an opportunity to be in the moment, do a figure to the best of your ability, and to recognize that maybe your teachers were correct when they said, "you got this!" I have NEVER seen a student upset after a checkout, but I have seen 100% of students smile, stand a little taller, and feel great about beginning the next level in their learning!
Ok, so that's all great, but what is a check-out exactly? The check-out is a time when the student needs to demonstrate that they have an understanding of what step the examiner is looking for. It isn't a vocabulary test, so it isn't important that you memorize step names, and to be perfectly honest, as an examiner myself, we also aren't looking at how you begin the figure, or end it (as long as that isn't the component we are making sure you know!) Each figure is there to teach you something important that you will need in your future dancing, and as long as you can show us THAT component, you are good to go. For example, if I ask to see Promenade Swivels in Rumba, I am looking to see that somewhere you do Swivels in Promenade position... But lets be honest, dancing isn't about doing each step off the syllabus exactly the way it's written, it's about being about to do different components and having FUN with them!
Check-outs aren't nearly as scary as we think they are... Sometimes we just put too much pressure on ourselves to get steps JUST RIGHT, and really, there isn't any need for that. Have some fun, know that it's just about proving things to yourself, not to us, and relax!!!
Justin: A checkout is a benchmark of progress in your dancing journey. To fill in that picture, let's look at the Arthur Murray program. The Arthur Murray system is called the Medalist System because the levels progress through Bronze, Silver, and Gold. As you learn your Bronze 1 material, you will cover both figures and techniques that serve as the basis for building other levels. The syllabus is designed to inter-relate between the dances and levels, but it's important to recognize the progress you make as you work. It's very easy to get caught up in wanting to be a "good dancer," and to always want to "be better." But as you work towards your ultimate goals, you have to acknowledge the steps you achieve along the way. Consider a marathon- obviously you want to complete the 26.2 miles that represent the race as a whole. But if you beat yourself up as you run, because you aren't at the finish line yet, what good does that do you? Or you only recognize how much you haven't covered yet, instead of focusing on the fact that you have 5 miles completed, then it can become discouraging or overwhelming. So a checkout serves as a structured reminder of the measurable progress you make on your way to becoming the type of dancer you want to be. That being said, at the point that your teacher says you're ready for the checkout itself, you already know what you need to know. The actual checkout is usually more about proving it to yourself then the teacher checking you. It is often more like a mini-coaching, with feedback to use in your next level. Celebrate your progress with a checkout, and then party with your fellow students at Medal Ball, where we get to recognize your achievement with everyone!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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