Good class
Sep. 3rd, 2013 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mekyriaYesterday was the free try-out class at the cultural center. It is always a suprise how many people show up for this class: one year, I had three people, another year I had one, who told me that she wanted to start teaching bellydance herself.
This year, I was well prepared. I posted the event on facebook and to my two studentgroups. I had three of my advanced students, one beginner and the student who took a try-out class with me three years ago returned for another try-out (she must have enjoyed the class, me thinks?). In addition, about 9 people showed up. The classroom normally accomodates 10 people and we were a bit crowded, but it also encourages groupthink which is good for the try-out. Groupthink is where you let go of your individual opinion and go with whatever the groups assigns to this event. Sometimes it is good (music festivals), some times it is bad (WWII).
I was well prepared. I packed my new workout outfit in advance and a matching hair thingie. If they are looking at the back of my head all the time, it might as well be decorated. I prepped a 4 combo choreography at beginners level: 6 moves (shimmy, hip bump, hip drop, forward horizontal figure 8, side step and the stepping turn). One combo was improv (walk arond, make eye contact and shouldershimmy). Lots of repetition in the song and clear musical cues for the different combo's. My goal was to give them a taste of what my regular class is like and I did a good job. We did the standard warm-up (slow moves + walking around), then a bit technique and combinations. A short break to sip water as we were burning up in the badly ventilated/airconditioned room before continuing with the improv exercise. It made some people giggle nervously, until my advanced students said that they get nervous every time too, but it is a lot of fun anyway. We finished with the basic stretch cool down, right on time.
It was a really good class. AND!!!!! I put my new HD videocamera in the corner because I want to make a short promotion clip. My camera produces automated screenshots of the recorded video, that are big enough for web purposes (or small printing, but who prints bellydance class promo pictures in big size? Not me!). I give you: shiny happy people!
Also, very proud of the lines, considering it is their first class:
This year, I was well prepared. I posted the event on facebook and to my two studentgroups. I had three of my advanced students, one beginner and the student who took a try-out class with me three years ago returned for another try-out (she must have enjoyed the class, me thinks?). In addition, about 9 people showed up. The classroom normally accomodates 10 people and we were a bit crowded, but it also encourages groupthink which is good for the try-out. Groupthink is where you let go of your individual opinion and go with whatever the groups assigns to this event. Sometimes it is good (music festivals), some times it is bad (WWII).
I was well prepared. I packed my new workout outfit in advance and a matching hair thingie. If they are looking at the back of my head all the time, it might as well be decorated. I prepped a 4 combo choreography at beginners level: 6 moves (shimmy, hip bump, hip drop, forward horizontal figure 8, side step and the stepping turn). One combo was improv (walk arond, make eye contact and shouldershimmy). Lots of repetition in the song and clear musical cues for the different combo's. My goal was to give them a taste of what my regular class is like and I did a good job. We did the standard warm-up (slow moves + walking around), then a bit technique and combinations. A short break to sip water as we were burning up in the badly ventilated/airconditioned room before continuing with the improv exercise. It made some people giggle nervously, until my advanced students said that they get nervous every time too, but it is a lot of fun anyway. We finished with the basic stretch cool down, right on time.
It was a really good class. AND!!!!! I put my new HD videocamera in the corner because I want to make a short promotion clip. My camera produces automated screenshots of the recorded video, that are big enough for web purposes (or small printing, but who prints bellydance class promo pictures in big size? Not me!). I give you: shiny happy people!
Also, very proud of the lines, considering it is their first class:
