Community

So anyone who has not checked out shimi doing her air dance stuff you gotta check out the link on my profile page that shimi sent me she is super cool : )

So i think we all agree that the chorey is not the problem in terms of learning the moves the problem instructors have is remembering the changes when learning and thats what takes the time. I really do believe a noise would help, it could be a DJ scratching on his decks very quietly, but we would no : )

The great thing about that is that the complexity of the moves would not have to be simple as that is not the issue:)

mrrocket:

the problem instructors have is remembering the changes when learning and thats what takes the time. I really do believe a noise would help, it could be a DJ scratching on his decks very quietly, but we would no : ) The great thing about that is that the complexity of the moves would not have to be simple as that is not the issue:)

I think that is a good observation...its knowing that it is going to take time and investing the effort....in regards to the noises, I actually watch the dvd without talking specifically to hear the little noises that give away changes, like in 36 when we do the random quad stretch, there is a little "boop" in the music that means its time to change legs....or in 44 on the single, single, double...you should be doing the double on the uh-huh-uh-huh...it really helps me know what is going on!! and we wouldn't add that because that (IMHO) would be cheating!!

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Always grace appetite with soul!!!

I really do believe that for the most part those changes are there in the music and the cues are both subtle and obvious. But then again, I'm the one who can dance to a 10 minute remix and not feel like it's the same thing all the way through!

 

Oh and thanks Mrrocket

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shimarella:

 Good thing it's Fiesta in San Antonio right now... Bonham Exchange here I come!
 

OH NO girl...you are taking me back to the DAY! I'm from S.A and LIVED for Fiesta, i.e NIOSA! Bonham Exchange every Wednesday night! Back then, Wed. was the night we all went. I now live in Richmond (right by Katy) since 2000 after I danced for the Spurs Silver Dancers. I love living here but I gotta tell ya....nothing compares to FIESTA! Thanks for taking me back home for a bit. Keep on JAMMIN' and when I come home for a visit, I'd love to come take JAM from you. Gotta go work on 44!

Jeni

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Jeni Morrison

Ok so I am curious...please give me an idea of how long it takes everyone to learn a brand new Jam start to finish and ready to teach? 

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Janice

For me it varries from release to release and I am never in a hurry to learn it...but usually around 4 weeks to compleley submerge and digest all of the nuances, preformance opps, coaching, musicality...etc....I also teach Pump and Combat....like a really good cheesecake...i like to eat my jam slowly!!

 k

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Always grace appetite with soul!!!

Two weeks, and that's basically about 20-25 hours worth of study time... once or twice a day I'll run the release, and I also run it with my co-pilot... sometimes on a volunteer student or two.

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analyse capitalism choose revolution demand chocolate

Thanks for the info..all i can say is if i ever spend 20-25 hours on one program (I teach pump,flow and step as well) every three months..someone put me out of my misery..wow hats of to you two for such a committment..Im lucky if I find time to shower in between classes..

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Janice

well ive just dropped pump to focus more on Jam as i love it soooo much. If i did fitness full time then it would not be an issue, but alas i have a business to run as well: ( 

 I first learn combat which takes a day or two to get the basics and maybe four days to perfect it. Then i focus on Jam. I first copy the music and dvd onto my ipod then just play the music non stop for about a week to get the feel for the music or to understand the feel of every track. Before knowing the chorey i like to just listen and break down the tracks as every track has its own narrative. The main difference is the fact you have to practice jam unlike combat as the moves are always the same just in a different order, with jam its like learning a new programme each time, the moves are always different... although i have seen more repetition this time around.

So once the music is in my head ill spend the next couple of weeks watching on my ipod in bed when i finish work at around 1.00am till i fall asleep. I then spend four or five days doing it along with the dvd,then i will do mirror work with my jam trainee.

would i change anything about it....NO....why...cus no other class gives you the rush that jam gives you,burns as many calories...improves you as much each release as an instructor...has the best looking and cooooolest participants!!!!

But Janice i also know people that can learn Jam in one or two days and it takes them 2 weeks to learn BC so i guess its very different for everyone. I never look at my notes as i am a visual learner. You know i could teach it after a week tbh but i am also a perfectionist and when it comes to the launch i wanna know it so well that i can add flair and its second nature which you cant do until you know it 2 verses ahead of yourself : )

It is without doubt......The best programme in the world!!!!!! : )

How ever many days there are from when I receive the new release to the launch date, plus 2.  Have yet to feel like I have it all down until after teaching it a few times....and get the visual and verbal feedback from participants.

I do the release a few times.....also listen to the music separately...but then have to use my notes to memorize the chorey that way.  For me I too easily "relax in to the sensation of dance", so much that I can just kinda float along, just dancing/moving, rather than performing.  Being good about hitting the changes comes with having it in my head along with my body.  I'm not as good at picking up all the things the music is doing without that.  That's one thing I've enjoyed about teaching BodyJam...it's helped me get better at listening to the music for the story and the clues.

I've given BLAH feedback about the dvd.  To me they are oftentimes too choppy in the camera work, done in the style of a music video rather than an instructional video.  I find it very frustrating to be doing the new release and not be able to see the feet.....or to have the camera angle change so that I'm momentarily disoriented.  Maybe I'm alone in this.  But when we try to create "fitness magic", we don't have changing camera angles/close-ups/room shots to help us.  I'd rather actually see them create fitness magic in that class that they're teaching on the dvd more than watching a dance video....because that's an area I need help in too.  In other words, the dvd's are good, but they could be better in delivering an authentic experience, in my opinion.

Haven't thought about the time it takes me...but probably as much as some of the others mentioned.

It takes me 2-3 weeks, I m glad that the release is much easier this time, It was so difficult for me to cope with the time and strength to learn the new release cos I have quite a number of classes... and by end of the day, I m too exhausted to look at the new release. I just started teaching for about a few months... maybe I need to get use to it.

 Learning new choreo is very exhausting..  Jam choreo canbe overwhelming, with so much details.. . I learnt two old releases in these two months, and I found that ,new release has some advantages , the choreo  repetitions are usually in 4reps. Its much easier that way, when I looked at the old choreo notes, especially Flash dance, I kinda felt lost initially. And there are more coaching tips and of course the focus and feel part.

Dont really reckon we need the "dong" or "spanish inquisition" alert, as long as we get the 4x reps ...we should be fine.

 

 

I always give myself 4 weeks to learn Jam, and 4 days to learn Pump.  It doesn't vary or change based on how hard the chorey is, it just seems to be the norm.

I have an entire "process" that I go through to prepare for every launch and every new Jam release.

As for my thoughts on 44.  I'm enjoying it right now.... although, I've only been teaching it for a week.  Twice now to be accurate.  I'm pretty sure I'll be mixing after the 4-week requirement.

cbc

LMIFunkie:

For me it varries from release to release and I am never in a hurry to learn it...but usually around 4 weeks to compleley submerge and digest all of the nuances, preformance opps, coaching, musicality...etc....I also teach Pump and Combat....like a really good cheesecake...i like to eat my jam slowly!!

 k

 

Well minus the cheesecake, I do the exact same thing. I try to catch all of the catch phrases, the coaching and of COURSE the chorey. I have to look at it everyday or it just looks bad. I am now going to try and learn some older releases to broaden my library.

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"With God's Help, ANYTHING is possible."

I totally agree.  Sometimes the moves get so complicated and I've taken BODYJam classes from other instructors, just because you can perform the move does not always translate into to teaching them. Take releases like this to improve your teaching skills.  That is the biggest complaint I hear that instructors are not taking the time to teach the moves.  Take this opportunity to script your class so when you have a more challenging release, it won't be as difficult because you have tried it and incorporated into your teaching.  I like the releases that are less challenging because I can really get the class to become a dance hall instead of a fitness class.