Schedule
Friday Night
6pm-8pm: Teaching for Teachers
9pm-2pm: Dance
Location: Chumash Auditorium, Cal Poly Campus
Saturday Day
12pm-12:30pm Warm Up Dance
12:30-1:30pm Posture
1:45pm-2:45pm Micro Blues
2:45pm-3:15pm BREAK
3:15-4:15pm Ballroomin' vs. Jukin'
4:30-5:30pm Follow's Play Time
Location: Chumash Auditorium, Cal Poly Campus
Saturday Night
Dance: 9pm-2am
Location: Chumash Auditorium, Cal Poly Campus
Sunday Day
12pm-12:30pm Warm Up Dance
12:30-1:30pm Solo Blues
1:45pm-2:45pm Fast Blues
2:45pm-3:15pm BREAK
3:15-4:15pm Musicality
4:30pm-6pm Question & Answer Session
Location: Chumash Auditorium, Cal Poly Campus
Sunday Night
House Party TBA
Classes
Friday
Teaching for TeachersBefore worrying about what to teach, you should have a grasp on the how and why. This training focuses on the parts of teaching that precede planning and permeate the execution of effective communication. Specifically we go over how to focus your ideas, frame them in an effective way, and how to keep student learning the primary focus. By then end of this training you should have the tools to make your classes clearer, more fun, and increase student retention.
Saturday
Posture3Posture is the basis of a good connection, and connection is the soul of the Blues. We will be teaching technique while playing a number of really fun games aimed at getting you to listen to your partner and to your own body. This class is great for getting back into blues space if you have not been dancing in a while, but also works for those who are new to the dance.
Micro Blues II
Leave your "mini" Blues at home; this is Micro! The subtle movements that create this style of Blues dance are the exact type of advanced fundamentals used to create rich, full motion. Micro doesn't refer to the size of the dance but to the amount of lost space and connection it strives for. When you learn to master space and connection you can take your micro out of its shell and into an exciting new world.
Ballroomin' vs Jukin'
From Raw to Refined Learn the difference between two of the most popular styles of Blues dance in the country right now. Be able to dance both in the same song, open up your expressive repertoire, and show your versatility on the floor.
Follows' Play Time
Blues is a wonderfully egalitarian dance: the leads listen and the follows speak up. This lesson is all about exploring the ways in which follows can ask for more, take more time, and contribute more to the conversation. This is much more than embellishment. You will be affecting your partner and taking on new responsibilities. For the leads, you will learn why listening is what defines an advanced dancer.
Sunday
Solo BluesThere is a strong and well documented tradition of solo Blues dancing that doesn't always get the credit it deserves. Walk through these movements with us. See how they connect to partnered Blues dancing. And challenge yourself to master your own technique. This is one of the keys to breaking through intermediate dancing and into more challenging advanced concepts.
Fast Blues
Not all Blues music is slow and sultry. Don't miss out on all the fast stuff or just go into Lindy by default. In the same way you might go from Swing to Charleston to Bal in a single song you can also throw in some Blues so you can change the mood of the dance and really impress your partner.
Musicality
One of the hardest things to teach is inspiration and insight. Now, we can't give this to you, but we can offer you the ideas and mechanics to start exploring and creating your own musical interpretations. We start with a short amalgamation and adapt it to different types of music. This class will focus on four elements of musicality: Tempo, Range, Tension, and Elevation.