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I keep hearing more and more people saying they are struggling to keep people coming back to their Jam class. Jam seems to do really well when its launched but dies on it *** after like 6months.

For me i have seen numbers go from 40 to 20 to 3 to 10 to 20 to 2 to 30 and it really is hard to keep people coming back and i find that there is so much responsibilty on the instructor to 'sell' the programme and make it different to keep people coming back.

I am now releasing a new release and sticking with it for like 5 weeks then mixing the first block and then mixing like three releases into the last house block to keep it interesting. The other programmes seem to sell themselves without having to change anything to keep people coming back, there is something wrong with Jam's format IMO and the many other instructors i have spoken to.

I mean its soul destroying when numbers are down and you have worked your ass off to learn the chorey and put so much time and effort into making it a great class.

Another reason why its soul destroying is cus unlike BC, with jam if we wanna mix a new block in we have to take hours out of whatever we are doing (working) and re-learn a whole block,with bc and all the other programmes it takes a few minutes to remember the chorey. So you turn up to class full of fresh chorey and enthusiasm and you have like 5 people in your class,your heart just sinks.

And then a new realease......classes good for a bit then numbers drop,regulars get bored and then pressure on the instructor to change things to keep get them back in and the cycle starts again!?

Im realy worried for Jam and what its trying to do. Unless the blocks are shortened and more complex chorey introduced i feel it will fail.

Jam is never EVER going to appeal to the masses like the other programmes and until the programme directors get there head round that they are going to be caught in between the devil and the deep blue see (stuck in the middle trying to please everyone and not pleasing anyone apart from ass licking people who tell em what they wanna hear).

Target those who wanna dance not those who just wanna huge CV workout. Target dancers and those who have the ability to dance and not people who cant dance for *** as they will never be interested. Those who have a basic ability want to be inspired by great dancers and great moves and the better dancers you get in your class the more inspired people(newbies) will be. Its like going into BC or BA and everyone is 300stone overweight, those wanting to be inspired to get into shape will not go back to the class.

It must be working in some clubs but in general everyone i speak to have similar concerns as me.

 

 

Just some thoughts from me about mixing and matching...

 It would help if the blocks from each release were roughly the same length... When I've mixed it up before, some times I have over run or ran short - I know I should have checked the run time of the mix I picked, before anyone cuts me down lol...

 At the moment you never really know how many tracks you are going to get from release to release and block to block... 

 There seems to be a lot of debate with regard to old format versus new... Would a compromise not be to have a fixed number of tracks in each release and each block? I think this would make it easier to learn and easier to mix and match...

Also there's a big debate about Jam Vs Zumba, so Latin seems to be very popular, but then you get a release like 45 that was rocking, but didn't have any Latin, so people that come for that get turned off... Would be great to have a proper 3 track latin block in every release so people that want that keep coming back as they know they will get it every time... 

 That was the one and only thing that I liked about the old format - you knew that every release there was going to be latin, hip hop/street and one other style and there would be a fixed number of tracks of each style... it seems now participants never know what to expect - especially when we start mixing and matching... 

First up: I DON’T want to go back to the old format and I DO like the direction Jam is going in. I LOVE the fact we get dance AND cardio all at the same time.

 

In fact, I don’t revisit the earlier new format releases as much anymore, BECAUSE they’re not as cardio (can you believe it?!). I agree with Paul_T regarding block lengths… It’s quite tricky to mix and match without timing it beforehand, but I think they’ve already realised that over at LM as the house blocks have been roughly the same lengths lately.

 

Rocket, I too have been struggling with numbers going up and down, but I am not aware of a trend of numbers going steadily down. I actually think that the mixing itself is one of the things that scares people. While the regulars and the “dancers” in the class love the variety that Jam brings, people who are not that confident can be turned off by all the choreo that comes with it. (This doesn’t mean I don’t mix though, I never use the same mix for more than 1-2 weeks to keep them fresh!)

 

Same goes for the Base and + I think… People are more afraid now to get into a Jam class a few weeks after launch, as they know that most likely + moves will have been added. And this doesn’t even have to do much with the instructor, ‘cause we’ll always demonstrate easier options and add more coaching where needed and all that stuff… It’s just that in a lot of people’s eyes Jam is more intimidating than other programmes.

 

Just to make things clear: I love Jam in its current format and these are just some things I picked up from talking to my members… 

 

Peace out

Hey Rose

 I totally agree with you - I DO NOT want to go back to the old format! :-)

 I originally did my training on Jam 28, we launched at my club and the program just died a death as the members wanted to work continuously and hated that it was single track, the club then dropped the program after release 31.

 I started as GFM for another club and the problem was that the quality of the freestyle dance classes was VERY poor, so I wanted to replace it with Jam, so the members were getting consistency... I borrowed a DVD from a friend of mine and was blown away by how much the program had progressed - we launched it and it went down really well, although I do have the problem of up and down attendance figures, but I also relaunched it at my other club and I now get a steady turnout of around 25 people per week, which is ok (to put it in context Pump & Combat get around 45 participants in each class...)

So I agree that I like the way the program is going.

 I actually promote Jam as being like a course now that we have base and plus.  I explain that we start off easier and then when, THE MAJORITY of people have the base moves down then I move on and start adding in the plus chorey 2-3 moves at a time.  I know I can't speak for everyone as I am only one instructor, but my classes like this as they feel like they are progressing and getting better at dance.  When new people enquire about the program I let them know the next launch date and ask them to come along then, so they can start a new release with everyone else, so they are all in "the same boat".

 It's bizarre, there's a similar kind of debate in the Vive forums, but I don't have any trouble getting people into to Body Vive - our classes are regularly full and we have to turn people away - if only we could have that problem with Jam lol... 

No i dont want to go back to the old format 100% but i and many others who have had their classes pulled think there is something wrong with the repetitiveness of the long blocks.

I mean take 49,great little bit of chorey but when you get it after a few weeks it then becomes painful sticking with the breakdown of the chorey and when Britney kicks in its flat and highs that were reached in the first few weeks of release can not be reached especially when theres only 3-5 people in the class its MINDNUMBING!!

In another club ive been teaching Jam for about 6months and it started with 10 people then i built it up to about 45 and its still gets between 25-35 each weeknbut i am starting to 'sense' the frustration especially with those who can really dance. They will be the first that go and i really think they are an inspiration to those who want to be able to dance.

Im sure the reason why all the other programmes are more successful is cus they thrive on being repetative and participants go for different reasons. When you look at the overall size of participants Jam attracts the 'not so ripped participant'  as having rippling muscles is not the priority,being able to dance is. Im 100% sure the reason why numbers are so 'up and down' is cus the emphasis is on trying to appeal to the masses and not realising that that will never happen as you have a clash of two different sets of participants.

I'm in no position to comment as I don't have a regular class however having covered classes here and there and participated in others, it does seem like there's something not quite right that puts people off coming long-term to Jam.

I've thought about this quite a lot and the only things I can think of is like you say, it's targeting the wrong people. Myave they should aim this more at people who can move/dance. With regards to getting a good cardio workout, as every dancer knows, if you put your all into a routine you will always get a great workout, unless of course the routine is ridiculously easy.

To appeal to the mass market, I also wonder if rather than do so many different sections within one class that it was structured more like

Block 1 - warm up/isolations

Block 2 - main routine cardio block with breathers here and there and then

Block 3 - cool down and stretches (the current format of one track cool down is inadequate imo)

This way, people would have more time to get to grips with the moves, they'd be able to learn a longer routine and they might get a bigger sense of acheivement out of it. The people I have spoken to after their first Jam class were all overwhelmed. Heck, I'm an ex-dancer and I was overwhelmed after my first class - so much to take in.

My other comments might be that the leaning towards house/hip hop could put off older particpants so maybe making the choices a little more varied would help?

Either way I don't want to see the demise of Jam!

Rocket - I totally agree about some of the recent blocks being too long. The one example that stands out for me is the Street Jazz block from 49.  One Night Only finishes on a real high and then the tempo drops and you have to do the whole thing again to what is quite a down beat song that brings the energy down and then you have the recovery, so by the time you get to the house block it's hard to get going again.

 Having seen 50 last week though, I think it's a definite improvement even though the Cardio Funk isn't really my thing lol... 

Interesting thoughts.

I *heart* 49 and I haven't even added any + options. But I have noticed that I have been losing a fair number of newbies one song into the house block, which is truly dispiriting. Maybe they are totally knackered after Street Jazz. My "practice' guinea pig students are loving the challenge though but they arent coming to the gym.

I agree that there is something to the marketing of Jam that makes it a hard sell. If the marketing peeps for my club would actually work on pitching a dance class I think it would do better; you are right, it should be sold as the class for folks who like to dance and are up for the challenge of learning chorey in this way, the CV benefits should be merely part of the package deal.

Otherwise, I think the format is being tweaked to better and better effect as far as accessibility and variety...if only members could be convinced to come and stay all the way through!!! I don't think I can compete with Zumba or Combat without a little help from TPTB. 

Personally I'd like another time slot in addition to the morning one I have, to see if that would help. But I don't know if anything not labelled Zumba will sell these days. I live in fear that Jam will get yanked off the schedule, period, if the numbers don't improve. But I don't think it has much to do with the format.

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Funny cus Zmba has neeb ditched at the gyms i teach at cus it fell flat on its ***. Sam i dont think we should have one long block, that is going against everything i am arguing as the blocks are far too long as it is!

Shorter routines and more of them with plus and base options would be perfect.

Its interesting reading everyones experience but i do feel unless it changes soon more gyms will pull the programme..but hey what do i know!

 

I also love 49.  I've finally gotten people to take the pause on beat 4 in both the Latin/Salsa, and the Street Jazz (base level).  To see the light bulb go on as they do the 3 step, then pause in the middle....right with the music....before they step on the left foot....ahhhh, I get it now!....dancing now....wow, this Jam stuff is cool.  lol  And then they are quickly run over by the house block....tell them we're going from 0 to 60 in the first couple minutes.  But once they've done it a few times, they love it.

Part of the key for Jam is that it takes 3 or 4 classes before it starts settling in.  Not just one.  Even though we explain that to newbies...a lot of them don't come back for class 2, and don't experience how much their bodies will get it from the repetition.

If Jam were targeted to dancers, our numbers would drop, I believe.  Our people seem to come because it's a workout, and they have discovered they can enjoy a movement/dance class as a workout.  But we don't seem to have that many dancers around.  Not even during launch week.  Degree of difficulty would lead to smaller numbers, imo (base and + have given us more options to teach to our typical class, so some of that's covered by the breakout of more difficulty in +). 

We don't have Zumba at our gym, but Jazzercise still packs them in (because it's "easy").  So there will always be an audience for the easier to pick up classes.  So degree of difficulty is a good thing in Jam in that sense.   ach....the conflicting focus.

And for us hip/hop does not turn off the older folks.  We're wondering where the under 30s are.

So true about the under-30s! Maybe its because i'm closer to 40 now, but I definitely notice that the average under 30 gym-goer (esp. the late teens- early 20s) have terrible form, stamina and will-power when it comes to dance class ( and I'm not just talking about Jam, LOL). They are the first to flame out and leave half-way through the class when they realise it's actually work. I guess it's only when you get older that you appreciate that cute-ness alone will not make you a hot dancer! My class is def. mid-30s and older. I don't know if they get all my jokes about clubbing but they pretend to

Actually today I had a lot of fun mocking Kanye, especially with the cool-down ( " he's reaching for the aspirin!" " he's woken up with a massive hangover in the back of his limo and it's all coming back to him!') . Good times.

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All we can really do is say "Here is what is happening in MY classes." Not one of us can actually make claims as to what is "wrong" with the program or what needs to change in order to "fix it." 

For example, whenever I read threads like this, I get nervous because I want NOTHING about BodyJam to change. I want G to be there forever, picking out that club-banger music he loves so much and putting together choreography that is equal parts flashy, fun and totally gettable for our non-dancer participants. If Jam's format were to drastically change, I'd be so choked.

I feel like a broken record, but - my classes have continued to succeed and grow as Jam has evolved. My people aren't great dancers, and they aren't ripped or super-fit and I make it very clear that they don't have to be either of those things to attend my Jam classes. They know that fun is Job #1 and the cardiovascular bits are just bonus.

Many of my Jammers LOVE not knowing what kind of dance style will be unleashed on them - not only from release to release but from class to class. When I turn up at the gym on Tuesdays and Saturdays, my Jammers always approach me to find out "what we're doing today." I always keep it a secret. And when those first few notes of music start up and they recognize it's Tribal Exposion or Jive '09 or even the old Dancehall block from 35 - it doesn't matter to them at that moment whether they loved that block or not - they're excited to get into it. They're excited to move.

Base and Plus, as I've mentioned, have been a great success in my classes and I'm so happy that G made this change. It refreshes the choreography after a few weeks so we can stay with it longer and really master it, bla bla bla - it's all been said a million times. My members have said - and this is a near-direct quote - "Boy, once you start to know the choreography, you can really dance a lot harder and get your heart rate up." Exactly! I think G has found a winning combination for people who want to dance their butts off *and* want to get their heart rates up - even if it is just by accident.

My peeps like short blocks, they like medium-sized blocks and they like long blocks. Every single block in Jam throws a whole new challenge at them, and they eat it up.

I do agree that BodyJam becomes a hard program to re-learn when it comes time to mix and match old tracks because, as mentioned, you have to learn a whole BLOCK of choreography, not just one track. But that's another thing I love about Jam. It's so different from the other programs. It's in its own little world. And I think this is a big reason why BodyJam is described in instructor circles as being "the equivalent of two programs" - because the amount of work that an instructor needs to put into it is unprecedented in the Les Mills world. All that hard work is part and parcel of the BodyJam program.

I'm sorry if BodyJam is broken in some parts of the world, but where I am, it's in perfect working order. I know this is self-centred of me, but I really don't want it to change...!  

 

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When I get asked "what are we doing today?" I always answer.  But with the #.  "Today we're doing first 1/2 40, 2nd 1/2 46."  And, of course, get the groan because they don't know it by the release.  And I get a chuckle because they think I'm being difficult, but that's really how I remember it.

ErinC I envy you and the instructors for whom its working, it's what I was hoping for when I worked so hard for my certification. I don't necessarily want anything changed either, so I'm approaching this discussion from the standpoint of how to improve the numbers in my class. I am curious as to how much of the success you attribute to "outside factors" like the marketing, the scheduling, the vibe of your club etc.

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shimarella:

ErinC I envy you and the instructors for whom its working, it's what I was hoping for when I worked so hard for my certification. I don't necessarily want anything changed either, so I'm approaching this discussion from the standpoint of how to improve the numbers in my class. I am curious as to how much of the success you attribute to "outside factors" like the marketing, the scheduling, the vibe of your club etc.

which is the point of the post, we all love jam and do whatever we can to keep it going. I have heard the same things from many instructors Erin and thats what the thread is about. If it was just happening in MY class then that would be my problem and down to not delivering the programme as it should be. for those who have seen me teach jam know i give it everything and more and i often think if i cant pull it off what about those others who are not as passionate as me?

I have to say i had an awesome class tonight though!!

I do think they are going in the right direction but needs to happen fast to save it from the chop in many clubs IMO.