Instructor Training
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Instructor Blocking/Choreography
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During Jingle Tracks:
"Costume change" (See COSTUMES page) 1. When patter says, "Follows change partner" - Follow STANDS (illustrating what student Follows should be doing.) 2. Lead stays on dance heart to keep dance balls active, changing to "waiting" solo dance. 3. Follow makes a JUMP to the Dressing room using LM (2LD-Dress). 4. In Dressing Room, Follow WEARS the next dance outfit and waits 10 seconds to rez 5. Follow JUMPs back to dance floor (LM: 2LD-inst) and rejoins LEAD on dance balls. Lead immediately STANDS and JUMPs to Dressing Room. 6. Follow remains on dance balls while LEAD does a costume change. Do NOT select a new dance (remain on "waiting" solo dance.) 7. Lead makes costume change, and waits 10 seconds to rez 8. Lead JUMPs back to Dance Floor (LM:2LD-inst) and rejoins Follow on Dance Ball 10. As Lead rejoins, Follow selects next dance. Lead and Follow begin dancing the new dance. |
During Dance Songs:
"Follow Solo" 1. Follow STANDS (off couples heart) and steps aside 2. Follow immediately clicks nearby pad to call another set of dance hearts 3. Follow clicks on new PINK heart, and selects the same dance. 4. Lead and Follow continue to dance separately to illustrate the point 5. Instructors describe the point they are illustrating in CHAT 6. After about 20-30 seconds, Follow Stands and rejoins LEAD. "Focus Jump" While dancing as a solo or as a couple, if you left-click another dance PAD, you will jump to that pad and keep on dancing. You may choose to jump to a pad next to a student as an emphasis if you are speaking to them, or just as a change of pace, instead of staying on the instructor pads. "Be a Partner" 1. If a single person arrives for the class without a partner, an instructor can join them as partner until a suitable single arrives. 2. Gender should generally not be a factor (guys can be follows to leads, girls can be leads to follows) unless a student objects. |
Self-Guided Talking Points
Basic Between-Song Jingle/Patter
Recorded verbal "patter" will be inserted at the beginning of each song/dance track (over our 2LD jingle music.) The patter will: 1. Tell Follows to change partners 2. Tell Leads to stay in place and change the Dance Heart and the Info Panel to correct dance 3. Briefly describe the next dance in terms of: - ROOTS (history) - TEMPO (BMP or range) - COUNT - SHAPE - FRAME/Hands 4. Launch into the next dance by name |
Live Instructor Talking PointsLive Instructor Talking Points
Each dance will have a technical FOCUS, which will usually include a SOLO illustration of the subject. Talking points to elaborate on the subject are provided for situations that are amenable to contribute to the class. Talking points can be delivered by: 1. Typing in Open Chat (preferred - just like hosts and DJs) You can copy and paste directly from this page! 2. Speaking in VOICE (needs testing for viability) 3. Part of "DJ" live class, with voice over music stream (possible future) |
JINGLE TRACK VOICEOVER
01a - WALTZ
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INSTRUCTOR NOTES
WALTZ - Instructor Notes
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TRACK 01a WELCOME - The Waltz
Welcome to Free Dance Lessons in Second Life, brought to you by Two-L Dance Dot Org. We begin with the elegant ballroom classic WALTZ. LEADS, please click the Dance Heart and select "01 - WALTZ" as your partner joins you. {2s pause} Waltz music is instantly recognizable by its signature THREE-FOUR rhythm. The COUNT is "ONE-TWO-THREE ONE-TWO-THREE" and the SHAPE of the dance is a twirling, swirling BOX. Here we do the NORTH AMERICAN/Competition Waltz, at a relatively slow range of EIGHTY to ONE TWENTY beats per minute. The classic VIENNESE Waltz can go much faster, up to ONE EIGHTY beats per minute. Featuring formal CLOSED FRAME and Raised LEAD hand... and GREAT POSTURE... Enjoy... The WALTZ TIMED :53 |
01b - The Waltz TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: FRAME SOLO shows: CLOSED FRAME FRAME is the physical connection between the LEAD and the FOLLOW. The Waltz is CLOSED Frame, with the Lead's Arm pulling the Follow forward slightly, and the Follow's arm pushing back slightly. This TENSION "locks" the dancers together. The Lead guides moves with the left hand, held at waist height or above, to pull or push the Follow through moves. |
02a SWING
TRACK 02a SWING
Follows, please STAND and change partners. Leads, stay where you are and select "02 - SWING" on the DANCE HEART. TIMED: 0:09 sec {2s pause} Swing dancing is a 2LDance FAVORITE. Dating back to the 30's and 40's, what we now call East Coast Swing was derived from Jive, Lindy Hop, and even Cajun roots. Swing can be fast (100-120 BPM) or REALLY fast (130-160!) The RHYTHM is FOUR FOUR over SIX COUNTS that sounds like "STEP-TWO STEP-TWO QUICK QUICK". The SHAPE is back and forth during the quick step, but filled with constant turns and movement in every direction. Using both CLOSED FRAME and OPEN Frame, Swing Dancing is dynamic, intense, and loads of fun. Let's SWING! TIMED: 0:38 TOTAL: 0:48 |
SWING - Instructor Notes
02b SWING TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: COUNT SOLO shows: "quick step" "back step" or six-count COUNT is the key to dancing in synch with music. It is the relationship between steps you take, and the tempo and beat of the music. East Coast Swing is based upon a SIX COUNT move, even though the music has a FOUR COUNT measures (beats.) TWO six count moves occur over THREE Four Count measures. You can SPEAK the count as "ONE - and - TWO - and - THREE FOUR" with each getting one beat. The "THREE FOUR" is the "Rock Step" where each dancer steps BACK and FORWARD quickly in two beats. SWING FRAME has the LEAD HAND palm over the back of the Follow's hand, and held low, below the waist. That helps the lead both pull up and push down with the LEAD HAND. OPEN FRAME drops the LEAD ARM, and the dancers are guided by both held hands. |
03A - NIGHTCLUB
TRACK 03a - NIGHTCLUB
Follows, please STAND and change partners. Leads, stay where you are and select "03 - NIGHTCLUB" on the DANCE HEART. TIMED: 0:10 sec {2s pause} NIGHTCLUB at 2LDance covers West Coast Swing, NY Hustle, and Disco. West Coast moves at a slower pace, around 128 beats per minute. The Shape features a "sugar push" slide through a "slot" forward and back. The Rhythm is FOUR-FOUR and Frame is OPEN and CLOSED, sometimes loose, and sometimes tight. COUNTS vary with the moves and can be 4, 6 or more. Smooth and silky, with aggressive turns made to appear effortless, this is where Leads can let their Follows shine with flourish and panache. Time to bring back sexy dancing... The NIGHTCLUB. TIMED: TOTAL: |
NIGHTCLUB - Instructor Notes
03b - NIGHTCLUB TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: SHAPE SOLO shows: "sugar push" "slot shape" SHAPE is the overall movement of the dancers in relation to each other, and across the dance floor. West Coast Swing moves in a SLOT, forward and back, and usually stays in one place on the dance floor. The SLOW/Foxtrot moves in a BOX shape (square) and usually stays in one place on the dance floor. The WALTZ moves in a BOX shape, but often involved gliding around the perimeter of the dance floor as well. (Country TWO-STEP also circles the perimeter of the floor.) SWING Dance tends to take a CIRCULAR shape that can range quite wide, but usually stays in one place on the dance floor. |
04a SLOW
TRACK 04a - SLOW
Follows, please STAND and change partners. Leads, stay where you are and select "04 - SLOW" on the DANCE HEART. {2s pause} Our SLOW dance category is based upon the ballroom Foxtrot, like a Waltz but in FOUR-FOUR time. The COUNT is ONE - TWO - THREE - FOUR The SHAPE is the BOX step, in a square that can spin either way. SLOW means slow tempo, from 60 to 100 BPM Typically CLOSED, and very CLOSE frame The LEAD hand leads the way through turns which are slow and smooth. Simple or fancy, it's time to get close with something SLO-OW. |
SLOW - Instructor Notes
04b - SLOW TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: TEMPO SOLO: Lean in with body, back with head; show "box step" (of foxtrot) Show how Lead had pulls Follow into turns TEMPO is the speed of the music, usually in Beats Per Minute. Our SLOW Dances range from 60 to 80 BPM The SLOW Tempo allows for silky smooth moves and turns. |
05a SALSA
TRACK 05a - SALSA
Follows, please STAND and change partners. Leads, stay where you are and select "05 - SALSA" on the DANCE HEART. {2s pause} Salsa's sassy ROOTS are in the 1970's Puerto Rican NYC scene, Cuban SON, Cha-Cha-Cha and Mambo The Distinctive CLAVE Rhythm has TWO-THREE and THREE-TWO COUNTS with 3 or 4 STEPS over 4 BEATS The Tempo fast and faster (160 - 220 BPM) Salsa is all about the hips that move while the shoulders stays level Out in LA the SHAPE would be a SLOT, in NY more circular. Get your Latin groove on doing... The SALSA. |
SALSA - Instructor Notes
05B - SALSA TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: LATIN RHYTHM SOLO: shows HIP movement and level shoulders The CLAVE count in Latin music is distinctive and conducive to a lot of hip movement. Clave can have TWO or THREE steps across TWO Beats. "2-3" Clave can sound like "ONE, TWO, ONE-TWO-THREE "3-2" Clave can sound like "ONE-TWO-THREE, ONE, TWO" |
06a TANGO
TRACK 06a - TANGO
Follows, please STAND and change partners. Leads, stay where you are and select "06 - TANGO" on the DANCE HEART. {2s pause} Once a sexy South American solo dance for women, the Tango evolved in Argentina and Uruguay in the 1890's combining European and African influences. The Tango is all about Free Expression and Free form, only loosely coupled to the beat of the music. The Frame is very close connection, either chest-to-chest as in Argentine, or upper thigh as in American and International. Tango moves at a moderate tempo (120 BPM) Featuring pauses, and quick-slow moves, which range all over the dance floor, the Tango can be as elegant as a tuxedo, or as casual as torn jeans, but it is always Torrid with passion and romance. The Tango |
TANGO - Instructor Notes
06b - TANGO TALKING POINTS
TECHNICAL FOCUS: FLOURISH SOLO: show the asynchronous, counter tempo movements The function of the LEAD is guide the Follows through moves so they don't have to think about WHAT to do... and can focus on HOW to look good doing it. FLOURISH is the opportunity for the Follow to create additional movements to attract attention. This may include spins, shakes, jumps, twists, hand and arm swings, and more. TANGO is all about style, and both dance partners will engage in Flourish during the dance. |
