DanceXchange (Birmingham) classes policy

[Kate_N]

Does anyone know the current DanceXchange drop in class policy? For a time before I left Birmingham, they had a policy that you could only dance in one skill level of class. Is that still the case?  I'm going to be working in Birmingham next week, and am making time to get to DanceXchange adult ballet classes (one of the things I miss about living in Birmingham are the DanceXchange studios & classes). 

 

I personally found that policy quite unhelpful - if I could only do the Advanced classes (2 a week) that wasn't really enough to do those classes safely, so I'd do an Improvers or Beginners as well. But apparently there as a complaint that someone felt 'intimidated' in an improvers Jazz class because there more advanced dancers there - personally, I like having people to follow and I learn from watching more advanced dancers! 

 

So  they stopped people enrolling for a term's worth of classes in 2 different levels. Teachers didn't mind if you came on a drop-in basis though, so the rule seemed more honoured in the breach ...

 

Is that still the case? Will I be chucked out if I try to do drop-in classes in different levels? On Monday I think there's a really nice timetabling of an Improvers class, followed by anAdvanced class. Where I live now, I can only get very basic ballet classes - an excellent wonderful teacher, but  I'm out of practice with more advanced stuff & I'd like to have a go, but with an Improvers class as well to help me get up to speed.

[trog]

Hi Kate

 

I don't know what the official policy is but several people to the beginners & improvers classes back to back on their bulk buy and not AFAIK, nothing is said. Indeed when I'be done that nothing has been said. Of course, it may be different for the more advanced classes. http://www.dancexchange.org.uk/programmes/classes/ indicates Monday is beginners followed by advanced, where-as Tuesdays & Thursdays is beginneers and improvers and Wednesday advanced and professional classes.

 

Maybe I run into you there.

 

[Kate_N]

Thanks, Trog - I was hoping you'd see this. That's good to hear that there won't be a problem doing different levels - I'm only there Monday to Thursday & Tuesday night is working.

 

And yes, see you in the studio - I'll try to do the Beginners (thanks for the correction) and Advanced on Monday - see how I go (or whether I'll be able to walk on Tuesday ...!). The teachers for those classes are lovely. I do miss DanceXchange & the studios and fellow classmates and the wonderful teachers.

[trog]

I do Tuesday & Thursday improvers.

[Kate_N]

Might see you Thursday, if I'm back from my meeting in time!

 

[Kate_N]

Just a quick report back, and to say thanks to Trog for easing my concern about the "rules" at DanceXchange. I did some lovely classes, and the staff (who still had my registration details on file) were very welcoming, saying I could do any classes I wanted to. Quite a change from, the aggressive policy of 2012 - a welcome change.

 

I don't miss much about living in Birmingham, but I do kiss DanceXchange - the teachers, the studios, and my fellow students. I caught up with several dancing friends - including Trog, and did some lovely classes.

 

I was lucky enough to catch Gareth Griffiths' last class with his Beginner's group. He's a lovely patient encouraging teacher. We had fun - he warned me that as this was his last class, we would be doing a short barre and then moving on to some special choreography. That was great - we learnt a modified version of the Mandolin dance from R&J complete with mad fire port de bras and swaying our hips. Lots of moving in one of the lovely big studios.

 

Then I followed that straightaway with Silvia Jiminez's advanced class - I was worried that my time down here in the deep countryside & only basic beginners' classes would mean I'd lost skills in steps & picking up longer complex combinations, but I managed! And managed well, apparently. Again, a class that moved - big steps & combinations. And the added privilege of seeing a star dancer up close ... as they say, that is priceless.

 

Then I did Juliana Moraes' Improvers class - but to my mind almost as challenging as Ms Jiminez's class - Juliana likes tricky footwork at the barre & I was tired from 3 days of meetings. I appreciated again Juliana's great sense of humour as she teaches. And apologies to Trog - I inadvertently stood in his spot at the barre, and he very kindly said I didn't have to move. I hope my bumbling didn't put him off too much! 

 

The less said about the inability of CrossCountry trains to deliver me home before 2am the better: it took 5 hours to make my journey back to the West Country - the last bit in the backwards facing pull down seat in a London-style taxi cab for over an hour. Just as well I'm flexible & strong - my back was very sore afterwards.

[Fiz]

The like is for your classes and Trog but boo to the trains! That’s rubbish. Yet still the powers that be wonder why the public doesn’t use trains!