Learning Line Dance

by Sho Botham MA

Reproduced from a Linedancer Magazine article - Issue 77, Oct. 2002

by kind permission of the author Sho Botham

The Line Dance Beginner getting to grips with it all can feel overwhelmed. There is so much to learn all at once ......

The movements, the terminology, the instruction, the co-ordination and it's supposed to be done in time with the music. No wonder it can all feel like a huge uphill struggle. In my experience dancers become more motivated and able to achieve when they feel they are progressing rather than when they struggle. They find it helpful to:-

  • know that others go through a similar pattern of learning
  • understand what keep them motivated to continue learning

From a teaching perspective, I have developed a model for use by dancers and teachers in the Line Dance community. I have called it The SAGCA Model made up from the initials of each stage.

SAGCA Model of 5 Stages in Learning Line Dance
Movements, Steps or Dances

Struggling

Often the cry is, "I can't do it". Your mind struggles to define what messages to send to your muscles. Your Body struggles to co-ordinate the feet, legs and arms and anything else that might need to move. Yes, this first stage can be a real struggle, but stick with it.

Comfort Zone

The dancer's confidence blossoms mentally and physically and this shows in the way the movement is performed. Muscle tension reduces and we are more confident, so the performance becomes smoother and more assured

Achievement Begins

This is the first confidence booster stage. Maybe I can do this after all. Maybe it is not totally impossible. Your motivation is encouraged by the feeling of starting to achieve

Automatic Zone

This is what we strive for; the dancer is confident in their knowledge of the movement and in their ability to do it, which allows the dancer to enjoy dancing the movement to its fullest extent

Getting The Hang Of It

The dancer feels they are getting the hang of it. It is at this stage that progress often speeds up. Confidence and motivation increase 		The SAGCA Model can be used when learning movements, steps and dances. Think about a recent learning experience of your own in terms of the SAGCA model or use it next time you are learning a Line Dance

Experienced Dancers Using The SAGCA Model

Once a dancer has some experience under their belt they can adapt the model to their own pattern of learning. For example, an intermediate dancer learning a new dance may already have learned all the steps the dance contains. Therefore there is no need to re-learn the steps. This dancer may pass through the first and second stages of the model very quickly or even miss them out completely

Risk Management and The SAGCA Model

The SAGCA Model can help dancers and teachers to be aware of the potential risk, the sort that arises when muscles tense up because they have not got the movement in the muscle memory, or the dancer has not quite mastered the movement. Risks are greatest when the dancer is at the "struggling" stage and this reduces as each stage of the model is worked through

And Finally

Using a model as discussed here contributes to our understanding of the whole learning experience. It should not detract from it; it should enhance it. So enjoy the whole learning experience as you learn to Line Dance!


Sho Botham :

has run development workshops for dance teachers in the UK. If you would like information about organising or attending dance teacher workshops and/or workshops for dancers, then contact Sho at DECO - The Dance Education Consultancy on 01323 485969 or via e-mail sho@decodanz.co.uk

This article is reproduced from Linedancer Magazine - Issue 77 - October 2002

by kind permission of the author Sho Botham