Blues Lab Practica

SBF's Blues Lab Practica brings together experienced and novice dancers - in an effort to build a supportive dance community, where seasoned dancers mentor our newcomers.

Some things to keep in mind during our Blues Lab Practica:

1. First and foremost - this is about building a stronger dance community. It's not about ego, or proving who is better/right. It's about encouraging each other. If someone is being obnoxious/disruptive, excuse yourself, and discretely inform a host.

2. By attending the practica (mentor and novice), you are indicating a willingness/desire to receive critiques and feedback. Don't take what your partner says personally - they are offering their observations, which you may take as a suggestion, or not.

3. Mentors, gauge the level of dance your partner is at, ask them what they'd like to work on, and focus on areas appropriate for their skill level.

4. All feedback/critiques should be constructive. Simply telling your partner that they are doing something wrong is not helpful. Point out what they are doing right, suggest what they might try differently, explain why that might be helpful, and demonstrate/practice the difference.

5. If a move doesn't feel right (novice or experienced dancer), but you are unsure about the cause/correction, feel free to ask a host or other mentor to observe, and to add their observation/suggestions.

6. No one is an infallible expert - we all have room to learn: novices are encouraged to offer feedback to mentors regarding how their dance feels to them, and how the mentor is communicating their observations/suggestions.

At the end of each song, take a moment to summarize what you liked about your partner's dance, and what they might work on - thank them, then switch to a new partner.