One of my favorites parts of being an Arthur Murray man is planning my dancing future. Here, in September 2019, I am finishing our Dream Sheet for 2020! Our branding for next year is “See Clearly in 2020! Make all your Dancing Dreams Come True!”

I love having things to look forward to. I love celebrations and any reason to have a theme for a party or a color to wear for the day or a list for the type of foods we will be having for a studio event. Planning is positive, creates excitement, gives hope for the future, and you’ll find that you won’t miss too many opportunities with good preparation.

Try this for your planning, each month dance in an event. Perform a spotlight at a party, enter a Showcase, Team Match Comp, a Medal Ball Freestyles and a Medal Ball Graduation. A Freestyle evening, Dance-O-Rama and even a Superama! Make sure that you always have something fun to look forward to.

How to get ready for these events. There is a great Arthur Murray formula. First, know your Medalist Syllabus. By knowing sequences in all your dances, you will first be able to check out of your levels with great ease and assurance. Remember to know and dance all the variations and know your teaching aids. A great tip for dancers, know the opposite part in as many dances as possible and practice the opposite part. Example: Men should be able to follow the basics of each of his dances, Ladies should know how to lead the basics of each dance. This tip makes one a great all-around dancer!

Secondly, turn your sequences into Closed routines and learn how to make them Open routines as well. The practice, experience, and polish of dancing sequences makes one a confident and smooth dancer. There is nothing like dancing with the freedom of muscle memory to truly enjoy being on the dance floor.

Enter Jack and Jill contests. This will give you the experience of dancing with another student you have never met before and testing your floor craft skills. Next, dance with an amateur partner on a regular basis. This will make you stronger and you will truly appreciate your teacher more after you dance and compete with another student. You both grow and benefit from this great opportunity. Your teacher will be so proud of you!

Become a calendar expert and plan your whole 2020 of dancing. Begin with a big competition in January and finish with a big event in December. Dance in an event every month. Take coaching. Take a coaching from every judge who comes into your school and attend every Master Class.

Lastly, attend groups and parties, remember to both lead and follow, and try to assist the teacher as much as is possible. The way I became a teacher is this. The owner came to me and said, “You cannot be a student here anymore.” I asked why? He said “You are co-teaching all my group classes and running all my dance parties. You must become an instructor”. And I did! And how very happy that I made that decision!

Thanks for reading,

David Earl Woodbury

davidearlwoodbury@gmail.com

Keep on Dancing!