Partner Requirements

Firstly, and most importantly, Cool Cats welcomes all dancers - partnered or otherwise. However, dancing is a partnership activity and we believe that the best results for students are achieved when they have a regular partner to practice with. Consequently, we will always recommend that you aim to attend lessons with a partner if possible. Notwithstanding, we also understand that finding a dance partner can be difficult and provide a range of lesson formats that may suit unpartnered dancers. Several more experienced students also serve as class assistants, frequently working with unpartnered dancers to practice and offer personal experience and insight.

Class Assistants

The number of assistants in each class will vary according to their dance interests and availability. Excepting rare circumstances there is always at least one assistant or supporting instructor for every lesson. Assistants and instructors may often participate as either lead or follow to accomodate unpartnered dancers.

General Class: Assistants may work with individuals, partnerships, or small groups working through the same content. In small groups the class assistant(s) may swap between unpartnered students as appropriate.

Structured Courses* / Short Courses: Assistants help demonstrate the course content and circulate through the class during each subsequent practice period. Both the instructor and class assistant(s) will work with unpartnered students as the class progesses through the lesson. Some class assistants may also simply participate as an additional lead/follow.

Workshops: The role of class assistants will vary according to the event and format of the workshop. Experienced students may serve as additional lead/follow(s), sources of practical advice, or assist with content demonstration.

Lesson Formats

People have different goals for their dancing and everybody must juggle different life commitments. Cool Cats lessons are designed to provide a format that will accommodate every dancer that wishes to learn. General lessons are entirely flexible, allowing students to learn any dance style(s) they chose at their own pace and they are great for people with irregular schedules. Meanwhile, our variety of 6 week courses will suit those who enjoy a group learning environment or tackling new skills in progressive "bite size chunks". Workshops and short courses allow students to explore different styles, focus on advanced dance skills and concepts, and simply have a fun change from week to week lessons.

General Classes & Private Lessons

Partner Recommended

These lessons provide the perfect opportunity for established dancers to explore different dance styles, work on specific aspects of their dance development, or practise content covered in the Structured Classes.  The personal instruction can also be of great benefit to new dancers, allowing problem areas or injuries to be quickly identified and addressed, assisting with timing and counts, and defining good dance frame and body pressure. Students have the advantage of being able to directly work with the instructors to gain better understanding of dance aspects that they find difficult.

In addition, these lessons are ideal for anyone who cannot attend regular classes, whether this is due to work, family, social, or other commitments. Dancers may co-ordinate with their partner (or work with one of our teachers/assistants) to progress in a manner that fits their schedule. This may include working through the content of the Structured Classes, targeted dance evaluation and revision, or a simple relaxed approach to dance practice and variety.

Finally, for those people who are interested in learning solely with their partner or who feel uncomfortable in a group setting, such lessons do not include any changes of partner or directed group instruction. All students are encouraged to feel comfortable dancing with their own dance partner before ‘needing to dance’ with others. On occasion common lesson content may be taught to multiple students learning the same at the level and style. This typically involves joint teaching and demonstration of dance figures, then allowing each dance couple to progress at their own pace – there is no expectation for students to perform/understand the skills/information presented within a common time-frame.

Structured Courses

Partner Preferable

Cool Cats structured classes are intended for beginner and intermediate students. There is no forced rotation in class so that a ‘tiered’ approach to instruction may be employed, allowing students with a regular partner to focus on higher level content. Optional changes of partner are encouraged during practice periods and at certain stages of each course so that dancers may experience differences in the lead/follow – and also have some fun!

The classes are designed to provide a clear and readily accessible process for dance development:

Short Courses

Course Dependent

These 6 week courses cover a variety of dance skills, from the fundamentals of leading & following to basic (introductory) aerials. Consequently, the relevance of each course must be determined by dancers according to their interests, skills, and knowledge. Each course is independent, but typically complimentary to, the other short courses offered and skills/concepts introduced in the structured courses. A description of each short course is provided here.

Workshops

Course Dependent

Workshops are not part of the regular suite of Cool Cats lessons, but may be held on occasion to address specific student interests or, more frequently, in support of community events or programs. Workshops may cover the full spectrum of dance, serving as an introduction to 'retro' dance in some instances, or alternatively providing a dedicated forum to examine specific skills and content for experienced students. Some workshops get right into the nitty gritty, while others are just for fun.

Structured Teaching

The different lesson formats and courses offered by Cool Cats are designed to be complimentary, promoting a systematic method for sustained and directed dance development. By using a tiered instruction approach in our Structured Courses to examine the key elements of dancing (body mechanics, pressure, timing & harmony), then reinforcing these fundamentals with dancer specific teaching and advanced training in general classes, short courses, and private lessons, each student may progress at their pace, according to their interests and abilities, to attain and refine the dance skills they desire.

What is Tiered Instruction?

‘Tiered’ instruction works on the principle of self-paced learning. Dancers may progress as far as they are comfortable through each class and learn at their own pace. New dancers are encouraged to focus on the basic training provided by Tier 1, while experienced dancers are free to work on preferred Tier 2/3 content or practice material from prior lessons. There are several advantages to tiered instruction:

Those students not participating in Cool Cats structured courses may follow the tiered instruction approach in general classes. Students are also encouraged to use the general classes to explore elements of any structured course content that they would like to practice, refine, or examine in greater detail.

Course Progression

The structured courses are presented in a series focussing on the core elements of dancing: body mechanics, pressure, and timing and harmony. While all aspects are considered as applicable in each course, the emphasis provided by the course structure allows specific skills to be examined in greater detail in conjunction with dance content that reinforces and integrates these skills with ongoing dance development. Completion of all three courses thus empowers students with a well-rounded background of method, movement, interpretation, and presentation for critical self-appraisal, dance refinement, and informed determination of goals for further training.

As the Tier 1 content is common to each course, beginner students may comfortably commence lessons in any course - there is no "Course 1". Experienced dancers may wish to select courses according to the focus element, particularly if they wish to review specific skills or concepts they may not have mastered to their satisfaction previously. As the Tier2/3 content is different for each course, students will continue to learn new dance figures while completing the full suite of courses. Most new students will also benefit from repeating their first, and possibly second, course to re-examine the Tier 2/3 content with the benefit of greater skills, knowledge, and overall dance confidence.

Getting the Most Out Of It

Given the variety and flexibility of Cool Cats lessons, there are many ways that each student can organise their dancing to suit their lifestyle, personality, and dance goals. Some people work well with commitment to a course of instruction, while for others a more casual approach is desirable. However you want (or need) your classes to work for you, the available lesson formats ensure that each student can consistently and systematically progress their dancing.

The following discussion provides a brief indication of how each lesson format may be employed as part of an overarching program of development for each student. Students are encouraged to mix and match lessons to best suit their needs and goals.

General Classes & Private Lessons

These lessons are invaluable to provide focus and direction to the specific needs and goals of each dancer. In this regard it is strongly recommended that dancers attend with a regular partner (or consistently work with the same instructor/assistant) to allow core skills to be refined and relevant issues to be resolved. Such lessons are also a great opportunity to reinforce content covered in a course or workshop, examing those elements of most interest or where some of the kinks need to be smoothed out.

Because these lessons are pitched to the level of the student(s) they are a brilliant opportunity for newer dancers to consolidate the fundamentals or for experienced dancers to push the limits of their abilities. Consequently, student feedback and queries are very much encouraged to inform and direct each dancers progress. In this manner, each student may shape their dance journey with the guidance of our instructors rather than being restricted by available course content. The discounted double lessons (1 x Course + 1 x General) offered at each venue are intended to facilitate the development of students (i.e. bridge the gap) from the fundamental skills and content provided by the courses into a personal focus, style, and variety of content.

For those with irregular schedules, general classes and private lessons may also be used to:

* Fill the gap for a missed lesson in a Structured Course or Short Course.

* Follow a Structured Course or Short Course program as personal availability permits.

* Cover Tier 1 content from a Structured Course; subsequently Structured Course lessons may be attended on a casual basis to develop Tier 2/3 content.

* Tackle aerials and triples dancing, where otherwise the applicable Short Course must be completed to enable participation in the Aerials/Triples progression class.

Structured Courses

These lessons are great for those people who enjoy a group learning experience, may not yet have a regular partner, or would like to explore a different dance style. Even for those dancers who may be familiar with a dance style, the design of each course with an emphasis on key elements of the dance will provide insight, knowledge, and refined skills. While the class is taught as a group, instructors and class assistants circulate through the students and may be engaged to provide brief review and clarification specific to each dancer.

If you have never danced before, Cool Cats suggests that you only consider the Tier 1 content of each lesson. Occasionally you may like to try some of the simpler Tier 2 content to add some variety to your dancing. Experienced dancers may focus on any aspect of the current or preceding lessons. However, it is recommended that Tier 3 content is not worked upon to the detriment of a suitable understanding and execution of the Tier 2 content. Experienced dancers should also remember that it’s always good to practice basics! Better basics are the key to better dancing and smoother progression.

The general classes should be employed in conjunction with the Structured Course to examine those elements for which you would like more detail. This is particularly relevant to Tier 3 content, which is primarily presented as an introduction to concept - there is simply not sufficient class time to cover all aspects of such content in a rigorous manner.

Short Courses & Workshops

These lessons should be used by dancers to gain greater insight and skills in certain dance elements such as leading and following. Students are then encouraged to integrate this knowledge into a greater appreciation and application of over-arching methods and principles to refine, personalise, and define their dancing. Short courses and workshops are also heaps of fun and can be a great way to break up the regular routine of lessons.