Advanced Social Dancers Toolkit
Learn the essential techniques for lifts. This workshop is a prerequisite for the Lifts workshop where we take the follower above the chest line of the leader. The workshop will be led by Deb and Matt who have competed and won the Aerials competition category on a number of occasions. Lifts are for performance and competition dancing only and are not to be used on the social dance floor.
| Date |
Sunday, 4 August 2024 |
| Time |
3:45 PM - 5:45 PM |
| Where |
Avonhead School (map below) |
| Duration |
2 hours |
Please aim to arrive in good time to warm up and get ready. Attendance at the Workshop gives you free entry to a Tea Dance if one is held afterwards.
Workshop Content
A new exciting 2 hour workshop for social dancers who are already accomplished intermediate dancers and have their sights on being more advanced.
Qualities of an Advanced Social Dancer
Advanced social dancers have:
- superb partnering skills
- lightning fast reactions
- incredible musicality
They relish the challenge of extracting the most out of any song and always continuing to improve and be the best they can be.
Attendees should be able to:
- dance in time to slowish (~90bpm) and fastish (~140bpm) music
- have a good sense of musicality / have attended the Essential Musicality workshop or similar
- dance confidently at an intermediate level
- lead/follow a basic ride
For Leads, we'll help you to:
- choose moves and movements to fit various parts of a song
- learn how to listen to your follow
- predict when interesting things will happen in a song that the follow will want to engage with
For Follows, we'll help you to:
- know when and how to join in the conversation
- take your interaction beyond the intermediate stage of 'my turn now'
- learn the difference between good and bad anticipation
- keep connected to your lead
The workshop will be presented by Matt & Brieanna. Brie has been dancing Modern Jive for many years and is a great all rounder able to dance exquisitely to slow, fast, and anything in between. She is a regular taxi dancer and one of our top follows in Christchurch.
Workshop Content
The workshop will cover:
- Safety advice for lifts
- Essential technique for lifts
- A sample of small lifts / baby aerials and two full aerials
- Advice on entries and exits and incorporating lifts in your dancing
Who Is This For?
Attendees need to be in good physical condition to be able to learn these moves safely. Due to the nature of the content this workshop in non-rotational so you will need to book with a partner (fixed couples only). Couples will be grouped together so a couple practising a lift will have another couple acting as spotters and then swap over.
You need to be in good physical condition to do this workshop! Early preparation is the key, below are some examples. Consult your doctor or healthcare professional for specific advice.
Strength Training Guides
The following guides have been prepared in conjunction with Sam Coombs from Four Physio, 9 Normans Road, Strowan, Christchurch:
Basic Lift Exercises
Here are a couple of basic lifts exercises you can do with a partner. The third video shows a lift (Big Star) in the context of a competition.
Once you have the right technique, lifts can seem almost effortless, however the journey to gaining good technique can be pretty tiring! Tiredness (physical and mental) often preceeds injury - the time to pause, take a break or stop is when you say "let's give it one more go". Attendance at the workshop is at your own risk, while we are putting great effort into the planning and teaching of this workshop, we are not liable for any injuries.
Clothing
What we wear can affect how well the lifts are performed, here are some tips:
- avoid slippery or shiny materials - the follower is more likely to slide off!
- bare skin is good so T-shirts can work well as do shorts
- avoid baggy or loose clothing, keep it well fitting while allowing you to move freely
- no skirts or dresses
- bring a number of items to try out if need be
- followers - comfortable shoes are recommended especially for when you 'come down to land' from a lift (rather than heels). Bring a few pairs to try out
- no belt loops that stick out (fingers get caught in them)
- no watches, sharp rings, bangles etc
- bring enough clothing to keep warm throughout the workshop
Current Availability
The number of spaces currently available is given below:
| Lead Spaces |
3 |
| Follow Spaces |
0 |
Pricing and Booking
| Entry Type | Credits | Cash | Closing Date |
| Everyone | -2.0 | - | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:00 PM |
| Standard Entry | - | $28.00 | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:00 PM |
| High School | - | $20.00 | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:45 PM |
| SuperGold Card | - | $20.00 | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:00 PM |
| Full Time Student | - | $20.00 | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:00 PM |
| Community Services | - | $20.00 | Sun, 04 Aug, 2:00 PM |
Venue Information
Avonhead School, 55 Avonhead Road, Avonhead, Christchurch
There is some parking near the hall within the school as well as plenty of street parking nearby.
View from the road
Example of a class inside the hall
