Line Dance Certification?
skee...@svlhp52.scs.philips.com
>If you don't mind me asking, why do want certification?
>What advantage does is hold? Does certification truly marks the "good"
>instructors, or does it segregate instructors ?
>I'm not being judgmental, but I never believed in certification for me or my
>instructors. I've seen "certified instructors" and some, not all, are what they
>think they are.
>Thanks for listening
>Joe
There is no certification for Line Dance instructors specifically. There are
several organizations who do conduct certification programs. The National
Teachers Organization NTA's program is conducted by Kelly Gillett. It is
a series of workshops that require a number of classes and tests and as far
as I know, Kelly is the only one who can certify. Also these workshops are
focused on Couples Teaching Cert., not Line Dance. I have heard that NTA
will soon develop a Line Dance course but I don't know who or when. I must
say that NTA's workshops, even though geared toward couples instructors, does
teach some really good fundementals of dance (terms, foot positions, etc.)
and teaches you music phrasing, how to count, etc. and lots of useful info.
that a Line Dance teacher should know. Contact the NTA for more info.
The other person who conducts a certification program is Skippy Blair, but
again, it is greared toward couples.
But, you don't have to be certified to teach C/W line dancing. Most of the
very good, knowledgeable LD instructors I know and I know a lot of them,
have no formal training. They are self taught and have done a lot of research
on their own before hanging out their "Instructor" shingle.
But of course, we have the person who has been taking line dance classes for
6 months, decides that they know enough to teach and hang out the same
"Instructor" shingle......it's something we'll never be able to control.
Good luck -Charlotte Skeeters-
--
--
X-To-Get-Help-File: re list & assoc. info (graphics, dancesteps, digests, etc),
email dancers...@world.std.com w/ SUBJECT: 'help cw-dance'. Body ignored.
Don Deyne
> There is no certification for Line Dance instructors specifically. There are
> several organizations who do conduct certification programs. The National
> Teachers Organization NTA's program is conducted by Kelly Gillett. It is
> a series of workshops that require a number of classes and tests and as far
> as I know, Kelly is the only one who can certify. Also these workshops are
> focused on Couples Teaching Cert., not Line Dance. I have heard that NTA
> will soon develop a Line Dance course but I don't know who or when. I must
> say that NTA's workshops, even though geared toward couples instructors, does
> teach some really good fundementals of dance (terms, foot positions, etc.)
> and teaches you music phrasing, how to count, etc. and lots of useful info.
> that a Line Dance teacher should know. Contact the NTA for more info.
> The other person who conducts a certification program is Skippy Blair, but
> again, it is greared toward couples.
>
Kelly would say, NTA doesn't certify instructors, it's an accredititation program (don't ask me
the difference, they're her words. :-)
And there is a Line Dance level. Consists of fundamentals and terminology mostly. Went through
the work shop with Kelly when she was at The Gateway Country Classic last Nov.
From a personal viewpoint, I've had many frustrations with the program. if you follow the even
circuit you could get accredited pretty quickly, but in my case, I go to Level 1 (of 9) in Nov of
'94. Went to the NTA convention last March thinking I'd get to move up. didn't happen. Then
last Nov we though we'd get to move up and she told us we weren't ready to test. This was
followed by a note a few weeks later to the effect that she's looked for us on Sunday so she
could test us (us being myself and Carol Schwartz a friend and teaching associate and the
Southern Illinois State Director.
The good side of it is that the workshops I've taken with Kelly (think what you want of her,
she's a blast in a class) and some early work with Beth Emerson have been HIGHLY beneficial.
And therein lies the reason for accreditation/certification. I think I was a pretty decent
instructor before doing any of this work. Fat headed ego aside, I feel I've improved
tremendously. (that and stealing little tidbits form instructors here and there. :-)
My web site has the NTA address and a mailto link to President Carol Fritchie. If you can't
browse the web gimme a shout and I'll email the info.
--
Don Deyne (drd...@apci.net)
Dancin' on The Information Super Dance Floor at http://www.apci.net/~drdeyne
Robert Fielder
> > In other words, there may be a lot of instructors that are better instrctors than a
> > certified instructor.
>
> I have seen this too. For example in the auto repair industry, some mechanics
> who are not fully certified are as good or maybe slightly better than some who are.
> But usually, the master certified mechanics are the best.
Ken:
You are right - "usually". There is no replacement for interest and talent.
> Very good. Our certification criteria includes all of that and much more. Instructors
> and studios are required to re-certify every three years. There experience, skills,
> training, and current activity as a teacher/studio are all thoroughly checked.
I would hope for a minimal amount of activity per year, as a requirement for recertification.
Otherwise, a person could just do a lot in a month or two to qualify, then coast for almost
another three years.
> > This is all theory, and I may be completely wrong. My opinions are just that, and
> > no more!
>
> Seems very right to me!
Do you have any members in Ontario?
Ciao!
Robert Fielder rfie...@io.org http://www.io.org/~rfielder
Brampton, Ontario, CANADA FAX (905) 459-5768
Sysop, OS/2 Central BBS (905) 459-0722
Lori Wong
> But of course, we have the person who has been taking line dance classes for
> 6 months, decides that they know enough to teach and hang out the same
> "Instructor" shingle......it's something we'll never be able to control.
We had a person who had only taken classes for about two months do that very
thing. He'd decided to cash in on the big interest in line dancing (which has
now crested and declined in our area). This person never attended workshops,
only learned dances by copycatting from another instructor's classes, or by
sending students to learn a dance and then getting them to teach it to him.
He never had any interest in dancing except to try to make some quick cash.
In fact, he'd even admitted that he hated country western music, in private.
He would make an appearance to the local club dances, yet he would seldom
dance. Finally, he stopped even making an attempt to show up to dances.
Yet, there were people who were fooled into thinking this person was
a capable instructor. He is no longer teaching - it's no longer a lucrative
money-maker. What's really frustrating is that he succeeded in teaching
some people bad dancing habits which will persist for some time to come.
(And I have to fix some of those habits, or occasionally dance with
them - which is even worse, because these people think they are doing
it right!)
We can only hope to inform our students to learn about dancing, to ask
their instructors questions about their qualifications to teach, to
observe their instructors and validate whether or not that person is
dedicated to teaching and continually learning to improve themselves as
well as their students. I think that encouraging your students to take
classes from other instructors is also good for their development - they
may learn something that you haven't been able to convey, they can also
compare and evaluate teaching styles and techniques. A certification
program is only useful in weeding out those people who will not pay
the money (and time) to complete it. It still does not really assess
one's competency to teach - someone may pass the test, but not be able to
communicate or demonstrate a particular technique or step. It is not
a cure-all, but it can certainly create a baseline from which to evaluate
an instructor's qualifications.
- Lori Wong
Scott Owens
Snip:
******End of message from u70...@nersc.gov ******
This rings some (possibly alarm!) bells with me. In the UK where Line dance
is just beginning to take off there are an awful lot of people styling
themselves as C&W instructors who in the main are former classical and
ballroom dance teachers who see the opportunity for a quick buck. Usually
they can't dance - and are not even aware in some cases of - other C&W
dancestyles such as twostep ECS and WCS. They are also not aware of the
culture of C&W dancing. As a result the people that they teach are not a
pleasure to watch and don't look as though they are even enjoying
themselves. I wrote Linda Stringer recently about the dance scene in the UK
- a snip of which I will put at the end.
These dancers are not a pleasure to share the floor with; they have no floor
ettiquette, and they dance as if they are embarassed that someone might be
watching them - so their movements are very small, thus they are almost
stationary objects which you have to avoid when dancing. It is also
impossible to do progressive dances as they hog the edge of the floors.
But it is not the fault of the dancers, as it is only the way they are
taught by bad teachers, who carry over their own prejudices from other dance
styles into C&W. To give an example, one dance which is always popular at
our club, especially with the beginners, is the wild wild west. This is
wonderful as a mixer because you have plenty of time to talk to people as
you dance, and the steps are simple enough that they don't require you to
concentrate overmuch. In our local area most clubs who have taught it have
taught it as a single partner dance. This means that:
(a) the dance clashes with the original version on the floor because some
are expecting to change and some are not,
(b) the groups do not mix as well on a social level as they only talk to
their small group of friends,
(c) the dance is rarely ever done as it is pretty boring as a single partner
dance.
I was told that the reason for this is because this is the rough, northern,
working class part of England, men don't like to see their partners dancing
with other men, so they won't dance it as a mixer. Actually I found that
none of them had been given the option (and when presented with the idea
thought that it was a nice idea), and my own beginners class in Swinton
(which is a pretty tough, down-to-earth area of Manchester) do it regularly
without any thought.
(As an addendum I should add that there are NO mixer dances taught at the
majority of clubs in the area where I live.
(This is also the reason given why they don't even attempt to teach other
dance styles like twostep.)
In some cases I have found that the dances are taught wrong, as the teacher
has felt that all that is required to teach a dance is to follow a step
sheet. We all know that step sheets are often difficult to reproduce exactly
on the floor even if you quite experienced. It is often then difficult to
remove the bad steps and this has caused clashes on the floor.
The dancers also dance with no style, especially when they have been taught
by ex-ballroom teachers, as there is a very different dance culture in C&W
(that you should look relaxed and enjoying the dance).
I am not sure what the answer to this is, I think that courses on teaching
should be available, but I agree with other writers that this is not always
the way to guarantee good teachers (though I agree that it would at least
set out a minimum level of competancy). I also think that an accreditation
scheme would largely be ignored by both good teachers (who feel that they
don't need it) and bad teachers (who would not qualify for it) so you would
be back to square one.
Unfortunately I think that in this boom period for C&W in the UK that the
market is too big for the good teachers to service, hopefully this situation
won't last for too long.
Below is a snip of the mail to Linda on C&W in the UK. Read on if
interested!
SNIP:
>
> We are hosting our second provisionally
> sanctioned CW Dance Event during the
> last weekend in February. It is quite the
> talk around town. However, local
> competitors are sparse. You know,
> fear, insecurity..........WCS has only
> been taught here for the last few
> months.
As for dancing, the dance scene in Europe is expanding rapidly but
often in a limited way.
In GB the bit which has taken off tremendously is line dancing, there
are currently I would guess, a few thousand in clubs within a fifty
mile rdius of where I am now (you must however remember that where I
am now has within a fifty mile radius two very major cities each the
size of San Francisco - Liverpool and Manchester - one smaller city -
Salford - and perhaps two or three dozen large towns (population
>100,000), so this is an area of high population density).
However there are very few in GB who can do what you would also call
C&W, e.g. two-step, ECS, WCS. At the moment the only groups who do
this kind of thing are usually predominantly gay membership (as my
own club is) who are the most well established C&W clubs and have
really ridden the wave of current line dance popularity. We have been
doing this for a few years.
The line dance has mostly been picked up on by dance teachers who
have found their own classical classes dwindling and have seen the
current wave of LD popularity and started to "teach" it (to be honest
the general standard isn't very good not so much because of the steps
but the attitude - see below). In our club we have two blokes from the
East coast of the US who have been (trying!) to teach us two-step and
ECS. So we have a bit of influence from the US here.
The LD scene here has a composition which is largely older (in
contrast to the western US where I found that LD was usually much
younger in age range). So the dances taught are often simpler (our
group go along every now and then to show off and they love it!) than
in the US - though the better dancers are as good as you will find in
America. I find, also probably because of the classical background of
most of the teachers here, that few of the clubs (until they meet up
with us that is) seem to dance as though they enjoy it (though they
must do as they turn up week after week). It is usually the older
clubs who's influence comes more directly from the US who give the
dances a bit of style and a bit of fun. With the result that dancers
from our own club are often asked by the other club members (not the
teachers) to do some of our favourites and teach some to them.
Our own club has a membership of over 200 with a large age range
(18-73) and a large percentage over 40. We aren't precisely typical
however in that we are predominantly gay membership, many younger
members, mostly male (we do have it in common with the US that most
clubs are female dominated) and that we have regular dances and visit
regularly other clubs (possibly it is because we know we are the best
around here but most of the other clubs have a string of petty
rivalries which lead to them being very insecure).
Finally, I hope before I come to the US again (I am coming over for a
two week holiday to San Francisco in June), that I can at least
become proficient enough in two-step to not embarass myself when I
hit the clubs (I have no fear on the LD front, I know quite a lot of
dances and I have a number of movements and variations which will
shock a few - after all we English are supposed to have a stiff upper
lip and be so reserved!!!).
(As an aside - from the above you would never guess why I was
nominated as our clubs publicity and events secretary!)
__________
/ \
| |
\_____L__________L____/ (Dr.) Scott Owens
/ \ Liverpool/Manchester/Blackburn
/ _ _ \ England
| o o | sl...@bnfl.co.uk
{| /_\ |} Prairie Dogs Line Dance Club
\ ****** /
\**~~~~**/
********
******
Raife E. Snover
more. The future is less governance not more, pretty soon you will want
everyone on the floor to have a license.
>
>Charlotte wrote:
>
>> But of course, we have the person who has been taking line dance classes for
>> 6 months, decides that they know enough to teach and hang out the same
>> "Instructor" shingle......it's something we'll never be able to control.
>
>We had a person who had only taken classes for about two months do that very
>thing. He'd decided to cash in on the big interest in line dancing (which has
>now crested and declined in our area). This person never attended workshops,
>only learned dances by copycatting from another instructor's classes, or by
>sending students to learn a dance and then getting them to teach it to him.
>He never had any interest in dancing except to try to make some quick cash.
>In fact, he'd even admitted that he hated country western music, in private.
>He would make an appearance to the local club dances, yet he would seldom
>dance. Finally, he stopped even making an attempt to show up to dances.
>Yet, there were people who were fooled into thinking this person was
>a capable instructor. He is no longer teaching - it's no longer a lucrative
>money-maker. What's really frustrating is that he succeeded in teaching
>some people bad dancing habits which will persist for some time to come.
>(And I have to fix some of those habits, or occasionally dance with
>them - which is even worse, because these people think they are doing
>it right!)
>
>We can only hope to inform our students to learn about dancing, to ask
>their instructors questions about their qualifications to teach, to
>observe their instructors and validate whether or not that person is
>dedicated to teaching and continually learning to improve themselves as
>well as their students. I think that encouraging your students to take
>classes from other instructors is also good for their development - they
>may learn something that you haven't been able to convey, they can also
>compare and evaluate teaching styles and techniques. A certification
>program is only useful in weeding out those people who will not pay
>the money (and time) to complete it. It still does not really assess
>one's competency to teach - someone may pass the test, but not be able to
>communicate or demonstrate a particular technique or step. It is not
>a cure-all, but it can certainly create a baseline from which to evaluate
>an instructor's qualifications.
>
> - Lori Wong
>
Robert Fielder
> Baloney - Life has enough regulations and restrictions without adding
> more. The future is less governance not more, pretty soon you will want
> everyone on the floor to have a license.
Yes, we will want exactly that!
Unless the instructors use the opportunity presented to them when a new student
walks in the door. At that point, the instructor has an opportunity to impress upon
the student some of the ideas of C&W dance ( and other dance styles, as well, I am
sure).
Ideas such as :
dance floor etiquette
dance frame and lead & follow for couples courses
dance floor directions
Gentlemen and Ladies, and the respect that implies
etc, etc, etc
Being an instructor implies a lot of responsibility, in my opinion. You want to
teach people to be dancers, but mostly you want to show them a new way to have fun.
An understanding of the rules of the dance floor contribute to that fun, just like
an understand of the rules of the road allow you to drive safely and enjoy the
drive.
It also contributes to the fun of those around them.
Again, in my humble opinion, that is what dancing is all about - having fun!
Knowing where to stand so that you are in nobody else's way, and knowing where to
dance so that you have a fairly clear lane to dance down, contribute to that. Not
knowing is confusing, and may leave a new dancer intimidated.
Ciao!
Robert Fielder rfie...@io.org http://www.io.org/~rfielder/
Sysop, OS/2 BBS (905) 459-0722
lak...@onramp.net
> skee...@svlhp52.scs.philips.com wrote:
>
>
>>>>
Social Dancer's Society- International has a certification program you might want
to consider. Best thing is to check out our web page at:
http://rampages.onramp.net/~lakewd/sds/
If it looks like we are a good match, than we will be gald to send you more
information. We only certify social dancer instructors.
Ken Brotman
Social Dancer's Society- International
"For social dancing, make sure you use only
SDS- International certified studios and instructors"
Scott Owens
>
> Baloney - Life has enough regulations and restrictions without
> adding
> more. The future is less governance not more, pretty soon you
will
> want
> everyone on the floor to have a license.
>
> >
******End of message from cn...@freenet.carleton.ca ******
I'm not sure that I understand this, I thought that the implication
was on dance teachers not dancers. I don't think that Lori was
talking about regulating dancers at all. I also think that whilst we
all agree that establishing a baseline for teaching competance is
impossible I think that we would all like to be on dance floors which
are fun and safe to be on. I have been on a few where they have not
and I don't think that it creates a good atmosphere.
I don't agree that de-regulation in any sphere of life is the way the
trend is setting, most business consultants agree that people's
expectations are tending towards higher quality with quality control
expected in all aspects of life.
Scott Owens
As to the necessity of people being taught by good dance teachers, I
have come across a couple of dancers who were essentially self
taught, by watching others. They were both quite good. I think that
the desire to do the dancing gave them an impetus to do it well. My
experience has been that self-taught dancers are more interesting to
watch than those taught by bad teachers.
Scott Owens
dancer society-international
(http://rampages.onramp.net/~lakewd/sds/) and their certification
programme.
Scary, really scary.
Are this organisation a well known dance authority in the US, as I
haven't come across them before and the advertisement (which it was)
didn't seem to have much to back up their authoritative postion.
I apologise in advance if I am writing out of turn and this
organisation is a real authority, however my impressions were this is
not the case, and certainly the line about only their recommended
instructors would seem to be lulling people into believing that they
need this qualification to teach - which is untrue. I found the
constant repetition of the phrase "submit fees" particularly
un-nerving. You test dance knowledge by filling in a multiple choice
test? I don't think so! I am a qualified swimming, lifesaving and
canoeing teacher in the UK and I know that the major part of a test
for teaching ability is to teach infornt of an examiner, usually at
the end of a course designed to improve teaching skills. Written
exams usually will come in somewhere to test that you know the
theory, but the practice is usually the only method of true
assessment. We have courses run in the UK to teach teaching (and I
have seen adverts in tbe newspages for the same in the US). These
courses are intended to advise on the rules of the game (especially
where the legality and insurance aspects of teaching are concerned),
but as far as I am aware none provide a definitive declaration that a
teacher is fit or unfit to teach C&W dancing.
I know that it would be nice if one could prevent charlatans from
teaching and making money out of those who don't know any better,
however I don't see that this is any way around it.
Are this organisation ratified by any of the C&W cometitive
organisations? It seems strange to me that any organisation would be
able to speak with any authority on ALL types of dance teaching.
I felt that I should shove my nose in here and make my views known -
after all I live in England and it really doesn't affect me, but I
would hate to think that my silence resulted in someone parting with
money inappropriately. As I have said I find the whole tone worrying
and (from the view of a confirmed cynic) I get bad vibes from the
start. Please, if I am making a fool of myself then let me know and I
will print a grovelling apology to all concerned.
Don Deyne
Read your feelings on SDS and just wanted to say....B I N G O.
I looked at their page right after I saw their 1st message on the subject and could say my
feelings match yours.
Now I'm no authority, but I've never heard of them. Maybe they've been aroud awhile, and it
seems they may not be limited to country dancing. But I just don't know.
NTA doesn't have THE answer, but at least their program is based on education, not just a test.
just wanted to let you know you have my vote (just don't tell anyone, it might ruin your
reputation (HAR!))
Don Deyne
>
> > Don Deyne <drd...@apci.net> writes:
> > skee...@svlhp52.scs.philips.com wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>>
> Social Dancer's Society- International has a certification program you might want
> to consider. Best thing is to check out our web page at:
> http://rampages.onramp.net/~lakewd/sds/
>
> If it looks like we are a good match, than we will be gald to send you more
> information. We only certify social dancer instructors.
>
> Ken Brotman
> Social Dancer's Society- International
>
Well you asked me to check your page AND you left my name in the clip above so I take that as a
solicitation of my oppinion of your pages and your program.
my oppinion is based on my perception of what I read at your pages.
I think you charge too much! Too much for membership, too much for your classes.
I think you are out to make money first, help dancers and teachers second.
We are not a good match (to use your words).
As I read it, you issue a test. If a person passes, you "certify" them. There is no talk of
training, just the test.
again this is perception based on little info, just remember.........you asked.
:-)
William M. Hollick
>Hey Scott.
>Read your feelings on SDS and just wanted to say....B I N G O.
>NTA doesn't have THE answer, but at least their program is based on
education, not just a test.
Hi Don,
I'm not defending SDS or knocking any other dance instructor certification
program however....
I manage the Massachusetts system of firefighter certification and I'm
convinced that a -test only- certification system is valid as long as the
testing portion is based properly drafted standards and actually tests to
these standards.
Unlike most dance instructor certification programs I've heard of, the
firefighter certification
system doesn't ask *where* you got your knowledge & skill. If you've got
it, you'll pass
the exam. If you haven't got it you won't.
From the SDS Home page I learned that their test is a 2 part written test.
This may be a weak point because while you can test the knowledge domain in
written test form, most authorities on learning agree that it is nearly
impossible to effectively test the skill domain in written form.
Lets hope the original poster will enter this discussion.
Bill
E-mail w...@rekindle.ultranet.com
Home Page http://www.ultranet.com/~wmh/
William M. Hollick
>first an apology. My second remark of the morning was SUPPOSED to have
gone privately, but I had
>a bonehead attack and forgot to change the addressee. I'm sure NOONE
wanted to see me spout off
>twice in a row (OK maybe even once :-).
Sometimes bonehead is good. I hope to keep this thread public so we can read
as many ideas as possible on the topic.
>Good point, but doesn't your firefighter certification require some
performance testing at some
>point?
Yes, Absolutely. Knowledge is tested in written form and skill is tested in
practical application / performance form.
>Standards! A good choice of words.
The standards for firefighter certification are written by agencies which
are accredited by ANSI as standards making bodies so there is considerable
credibility for these standards within the fire service.
Probably way too much to hope for in something like CW dance.
Ooops! As soon as I wrote those words I remembered how little I like
attempts to regulate my dancing. Wow, can I come down on both sides of the
fence or what?
>
>
>took a look at your pages. LOVE the hardwood!
If you want it, let me know and I'll try to get the .GIF to you.>
Bill
E-mail w...@rekindle.ultranet.com
Home Page http://www.ultranet.com/~wmh/
--
Don Deyne
> Hi Don,
>
> I'm not defending SDS or knocking any other dance instructor certification
> program however....
>
> I manage the Massachusetts system of firefighter certification and I'm
> convinced that a -test only- certification system is valid as long as the
> testing portion is based properly drafted standards and actually tests to
> these standards.
>
> Unlike most dance instructor certification programs I've heard of, the
> firefighter certification
> system doesn't ask *where* you got your knowledge & skill. If you've got
> it, you'll pass
> the exam. If you haven't got it you won't.
>
> >From the SDS Home page I learned that their test is a 2 part written test.
> This may be a weak point because while you can test the knowledge domain in
> written test form, most authorities on learning agree that it is nearly
> impossible to effectively test the skill domain in written form.
>
> Lets hope the original poster will enter this discussion.
>
first an apology. My second remark of the morning was SUPPOSED to have gone privately, but I had
a bonehead attack and forgot to change the addressee. I'm sure NOONE wanted to see me spout off
twice in a row (OK maybe even once :-).
Good point, but doesn't your firefighter certification require some performance testing at some
point?
Standards! A good choice of words.
took a look at your pages. LOVE the hardwood!
--
Don Deyne (drd...@apci.net)
Dancin' on The Information Super Dance Floor at http://www.apci.net/~drdeyne
Jon Leech
Scott Owens <sl...@bnfl.co.uk> wrote:
[long posting w/o paragraphs re SDS elided]
>Are this organisation ratified by any of the C&W cometitive
>organisations?
Why on Earth should a group for social dancers be "ratified" by a group
for competitive dancers? Or vice versa?
Not that I am an advocate for SDS; there is basically no information
available to judge them by. But the basic idea is sound whether or not their
(his?) implementation is.
Jon
__@/
Ernest Wheeler
>able to speak with any authority on ALL types of dance teaching.
>I felt that I should shove my nose in here and make my views known -
>after all I live in England and it really doesn't affect me, but I
>would hate to think that my silence resulted in someone parting with
>money inappropriately. As I have said I find the whole tone worrying
>and (from the view of a confirmed cynic) I get bad vibes from the
>will print a grovelling apology to all concerned.
>
>
>
> __________
> / \
> | |
> \_____L__________L____/ (Dr.) Scott Owens
> / \ Liverpool/Manchester/Blackburn
> / _ _ \ England
> | o o | sl...@bnfl.co.uk
> {| /_\ |} Prairie Dogs Line Dance Club
> \ ****** /
> \**~~~~**/
> ********
> ******
>
>
>
>X-To-Get-Help-File: re list & assoc. info (graphics, dancesteps, digests, etc),
>email dancers...@world.std.com w/ SUBJECT: 'help cw-dance'. Body ignored.
As publisher Of one of the top C/W newspaper I also have never heard or
seen anything on the Org but than who am I. I do try to keep up on all the
org world wide> But like you from what Iver seen here it not good
Ernie Wheeler
Owner/Publisher
Country Calender
PO box 3178
Walnut Creek CA. 94598
510-935-5995
Ernie Wheeler
Owner/Publisher
Country Calender
PO box 3178
Walnut Creek CA. 94598
510-935-5995
Ernest Wheeler
>X-To-Get-Help-File: re list & assoc. info (graphics, dancesteps, digests, etc),
>email dancers...@world.std.com w/ SUBJECT: 'help cw-dance'. Body ignored.
As a retired Fire Chief [35 years] in charge of training we had to have
both a writen and performance test in order to pick the best. also in the
state of CA. when yougo through a training school you have to do both and I
see no difference hear becaught you are still teaching the student moter
skill as well as knowledge of the dance and you must be able to test both
to make sure that you have got the information across to the studert. A
real test is not for the student Knowledge but to test you for the way you
persent the knowledge you have to the studentas well. I hope this help some
JAnde...@aol.com
>As publisher Of one of the top C/W newspaper I also have never heard or
>seen anything on the Org but than who am I?
You're a lovable character, that's who!
Welcome to the Internet, Ernie!
Not ready to let up yet,
Janne
SDS- International
> Lets hope the original poster will enter this discussion.
>
The application and the written exams are just two parts of the process. We also
check their references, make contact with local people in their area, evaluate their
teacher's training (if any), have discussions with them and if necessary will take
other steps until we are comfortable with that person. If we are not comfortable with
that person, we will NOT certify them.
I wholly agree with you that the knowledge domain is much easier to test than the
skill domain by written exams. We do use techniques on the exams that help us
get a feeling for whether certain skills are being used and are a part of the daily
mindset of the instructor. We do not give simple recall type questions on the tests
for the most part.
I hope you appreciate that it would be far too costly to send somebody around
simply to assess an instructors teaching skills in person. We are considering
requiring that a video tape of them conducting lessons be submitted. We're very
interested in other ways of improving certification procedures, by all means,
and welcome all feedback on these issues.
I can tell from a few of the more recent postings that some, who are getting in on
this discussion, have missed part of the previous threads on this subject. I can't
defend what we're doing everytime someone new gets in on the discussion, but I
would like to reiterate that we are not actually trying to regulate nor police the
industry, and really we are just primarily certifying instructors and studios for
opportunities with SDS- International, not holding ourselves out as the regulating
or certify body for all of the dance world.
Some people should look for a few of the other postings on r.a.d. (which are new
enough to still be on here) that will explain this in more depth. I starting to find the
discussion of certifications to be "ad nauseam" right now, but as I said, anything
that contributes to improving the SDS certification process I would be interested
in knowing about.
I'm now turning my attention more towards getting articles and other information
that would be helpful to dance instructors up on our web site.
Additionally, we have a major event to promote social dancing that we're busy
working on and hope to announce on r.a.d. very soon.
I hope everyone will visit our web site frequently. We have already made some
changes in the organization of our web site to get ready for the addition of the teachers
information.
Ken Brotman
Social Dancer's Society- International