Chef Dancer
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Learning from DVD/Video
I am having to face the prospect of my local (1 hour drive away) class having to close because there are not enough people there for it to be economic. The next nearest class will involve a 2.5 hour drive each way on a week night.
I will try to get to as many classes as I can to ensure that my foundation technique stays secure but..
What do you think about the prospect of being able to learn from DVD or video?
Which ones should I buy, since I can't afford to buy them all?
Are there any that I should avoid?
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20/May/2006, 4:13 pm
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instep
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
Hi Chef
I have about 5 DVDs so far, here are the 2 sites I'd recommend:
robert cordoba
jordan & tatiana
I'm sure there are other good DVDs, but these 2 I can personally vouch for 
Bear in mind there are loads of cr*p videos out there, be careful!
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20/May/2006, 9:16 pm
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rosieR
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
I can also vouch for above.
There is no substitute for actual classes, where you can get feedback on what you are doing wrong. Also you experience different partners, and can work on connection -you'll never feel that from a dvd.
---
X Rosie X
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22/May/2006, 12:48 am
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Chef Dancer
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
quote:
rosieR wrote:
There is no substitute for actual classes, where you can get feedback on what you are doing wrong. Also you experience different partners, and can work on connection -you'll never feel that from a dvd.
*Sigh* So true. I am now starting to feel very despondent about my local class closing. Over the weekend I met 3 people from Oxford who had their class close down because the numbers had dropped to 3 men and 6 women.
At this point I am starting to look for miracles - or a job for a research chemist in west London.
*even bigger sigh"
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22/May/2006, 11:45 am
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Newbie
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
quote:
I am now starting to feel very despondent about my local class closing.
What class is that? What a shame 
You'll just need to do more weekends/holidays. Or maybe you could get people who are interested in WCS together once a week to practice and watch video clips?
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22/May/2006, 12:31 pm
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Chef Dancer
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
quote:
Newbie wrote:
What class is that? What a shame
You'll just need to do more weekends/holidays. Or maybe you could get people who are interested in WCS together once a week to practice and watch video clips?
The class is at Dartford (where the M25 crosses the Thames on the east side) and is taught by Cat Wiles and Lee Easton. It is looking like we are going to need a big stroke of good luck to keep having a class that doesn't require 4 hours of motorway driving each night to get to.
I feel that one needs regular high quality tutition to both get the patterns and rhythm to become part of ones soul and for bad habits to be ironed out before they become so ingrained that it is the devils own job to remove them later (I started with MJ - need I say more).
We might have to learn from DVD as a small group. I do fear thought that we will just end up fudging a lot of the detail and the result will end up as a mess. We will just have to get on with it and do our best and then back it up with workshops and private lessons to ensure we stay on the straight and narrow.
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23/May/2006, 11:17 am
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oooMatron
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
That is very unfortunate
quote:
We will just have to get on with it and do our best and then back it up with workshops and private lessons to ensure we stay on the straight and narrow.
Yes that's all you can do, best of luck and stick at it Chef Dancer! You probably would manage to progress with 'get-togethers' and freestyling wcs at other swing or ceroc venues. Hope there are enough of you now to keep it alive! Good luck
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23/May/2006, 11:50 am
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theswingkid
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
[imo] I doubt there would be enough weekends and/or workshops to sustain your ability and interest. Sorry to put a damper but surely you need regular classes.
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24/May/2006, 3:04 pm
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instep
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
quote:
theswingkid wrote:
[imo] I doubt there would be enough weekends and/or workshops to sustain your ability and interest. Sorry to put a damper but surely you need regular classes.
Yes probably but learning from dvd & a regular partner might help.
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26/May/2006, 10:37 pm
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Chef Dancer
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Re: Learning from DVD/Video
Well, the axe has fallen. This thursday, June 8th will be the last WCS class at Dartford. It is not unexpected as the numbers (12 couples) were just not enough to support the pay of Cat and Lee but never the less, I feel gutted.
There is the faint prospect that a local line dance club will take on what remains, run a beginners course to try to recruit more dancers to WCS and then see how it progresses. The current club dancers have pledged their support to help the new dancers through their beginners course. We shall just have to wait and see if it all comes to pass.
I have just come back from the dance weekender at Southport and have been to all of the lessons with Robert Cordoba and Deborah Sezkey (as well as watching them dance freestyle in the early hours - awesome) and have returned with some of their DVDs and even more fired up by WCS than I was before.
I think that the main focus of my efforts will be to try and keep my foundation of dance as strong as possible and suppliment it with the classes that I can get to (2 hours each way on the motorway) and workshops. Whatever I learn from DVD I will need to get it verified by a teacher that I am doing it correctly in practice.
Thank you all for the help and advice all you poasters have given me.
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5/Jun/2006, 1:06 pm
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