More about us and what to expect when you attend JDK classes
Depending on what day it is, either a Sunday or weekday, it's best to arrive around 15 minutes before the start time of the class. See our home page.
Head over to the desk where you can fill in a registration form along with your payment for the class, then go grab a drink from the bar. Take a seat, have a chat & get to know people. People who go dancing a generally very friendly & are there for the sme reason you are... to learn to dance and have fun. Please respect the venues no BYO policies. This includes water bottles as people have been known to bring in alcohol in their water bottles. We only hire these venues and have to respect their right to eject anyone not abiding by venue rules but more importantly breaking the law.
Beginners class will run for about an hour and a half, but at JDK we do not teach by the clock. We give our students what they need and if that means going overtime then we will. If the Improvers dancers choose not to participate in the Beginners classes, then it is their loss as they have missed out on the extra warm up and socializing time!
Improvers should always remember the help others gave them when they first started dancing. The old saying goes "who learns most is the teacher". Quite obviously we need to be a better dancer ourself to keep dancing despite the mistakes a beginner we're dancing with might make. You don't need to be a good dancer to dance with the best dancer in the room.
It is always advisable to mentally prepare yourself for dealing with all types of people. Although most are very friendly and are happy to help, a beginners vulnerability coupled with a less than gentle approach from someone 'attempting' to help can in some case shatter a new comers confidence. We firmly believe most people have good intentions!
It is important to make you aware that at JDK you will be taught properly by a qualified dance instructor. We do leave out some of the unnecessary technical stuff as we focus on the social side of dancing.
What To Wear
Now let’s clear up a few common misconceptions:
1. We don’t teach or hang out in pubs and are not pub brawlers. Although if there’s a good band on at a pub, you just might find people going along for a dance. With our style of dancing we encourage our dancers to use small steps and not to hog the dance floor or try to intimidate regular pub patrons who are simply wanting to jig around on the dance floor. After all “Pub” is short for “Public”.
2. We don’t do competitions or anything of the sort. If you’re the world’s greatest dancer, we’re happy for you & vice verca.
3. We don’t wear poodle skirts or bobby socks or all drive 50’s Hot Rods (though I’m sure some wish they do!). But we respect those who do.
4. We don’t do private lessons (generally) as the idea of social dancing is that you dance with other people ...and private lessons are nowhere near as fun! Wedding couple are the exception.
5. SHOES... We only wear ballroom dancing shoes for our ballroom classes. For our Jive classes we recommend medium density rubber soled shoes (not suede, not leather, not sticky & not slippery). A good idea is to bring a couple of pairs of shoes along, so if you're slippery or sticky you can quickly slip out to your car and change them. The bottom line is it's a case of individual preference.
JDK Dance & Snow Ski is all about people looking out for each other, the fun, the exercise, the music and the dance!
We look forward to seeing you in the classes.
