Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sacramento Ballroom, Tango, Country and Swing Network

The other day I was lamenting how difficult it is to get the word out about dance events in the Sacramento area. There have been so many times people told me after the fact (or have said it myself), "I wish I'd known about it!" I can talk about things here or on facebook, but I can only reach so many people, and I know there are hundreds of dancers in and near Sacramento. So, in a blinding flash of brilliance, I searched on facebook to see if there is a group for all of us to connect easily. To my surprise, there was nothing of the sort, so I created it myself.

You can join the Sacramento Ballroom, Tango, Country and Swing Network by clicking on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137240269643672. I want this to be a valuable resource for everyone who participates in these kinds of dances in the Sacramento area. Please join and look through the discussions. There are places to post regularly occurring dances and classes in the discussions tab, and you can post special events on the wall. Invite all of your dancing friends!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Bolero Workshop this Saturday, DJing at SBS

Just a reminder that I'm teaching my Bolero workshop this Saturday, the 24th, from 3:00 to 4:30 at the Dance Corner--see flyer below (click on it to see it bigger). That night, I will be DJing at the Sacramento Ballroom Society dance. I don't know how recovered my sprained ankle will be...it will be good enough to teach, but I'll have to take it easy on it still, so I probably won't be dancing much at the dance that night.  I hope to see you Saturday!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Teaching/DJing this Saturday and an apology/clarification

First of all, I will be teaching and DJing this Saturday, the 10th, at Sacramento Ballroom Society. Lesson to be determined and will be posted as soon as that happens...any requests?

Secondly, it was brought to my attention recently that some students in one of my classes were upset with something I said on facebook, supposedly about them. Of course, I got this second-hand, so I'm not privy to all the detail. Since I almost never say anything negative about anyone on there that I wouldn't say to their face, I can only guess they were referring to my blog post here titled "What are you doing when I'm talking?" wherein I ranted about people who talk or practice when I'm trying to teach them something.

None of my blog posts here are directed at any particular person or class. I have been teaching for nine years, and in that time I have encountered some of the same problems over and over again. I also see them in other teachers' classes, too, so they aren't just mine. Sometimes one class or dance will inspire a post, but it's aimed at everyone who does whatever it is I'm talking about. If you felt singled out, I apologize. However, I very specifically did not mention which class I was talking about--it's every class. I admit, by the time I get worked up enough to write a blog post about it, I'm pretty irritated and my tone is blunt (that's putting it nicely--another B word would be more appropriate). I'm sorry if my tone offended you.

It is my hope that my readers will read my posts, determine whether they apply to you, and act accordingly. In grammar school, we had teachers and parents telling us how to behave and learn. As adults, we forget that there is more to learning anything than just showing up to class. By investing yourself in being the best student you can be, you will learn faster and more. If you recognize yourself in my posts, it's OK to laugh sheepishly and move on...we all make mistakes! It's what you do with your mistakes that make all the difference.

If you have a problem with something I've said or done, I invite you to send me an email and let's talk about it. Allow me the opportunity to apologize to you personally or defend myself. I'm actually a really nice person, even if I do lose my patience sometimes. I can admit when I'm bad and can take a licking--feel free to call me out. Sometimes we even have fun in my classes!