You can dance if you want to...

[azurelunatic]

As seen on http://failblog.org:

"I just didn’t feel all that welcome there for some reason."



"Inspirational Fail
Picture by: Bert Submitted by: jwhayne_34 via Fail Uploader
Went to my first and last dance instructional appointment with my wife at the Dance Doctor in Santa Monica, CA"

A little bit of Googling shows that the slogan also repeats on the website. The FAQ says that "Dancing is as easy as walking once you are taught by a Dance Doctor Instructor." So if walking isn't an option, learning with these instructors doesn't seem to be one either.

Granted, dancing on wheels does seem like a very different art than dancing with feet, requiring different instructor skill sets. But oh my goodness, that photo just says it all.

Comments

[pne]

I struggle to think how they could have made it better, though.

Granted, dancing on wheels does seem like a very different art than dancing with feet, requiring different instructor skill sets.

This is the biggie.

Or so I imagine; I have no idea how difficult it is for a "regular" dance instructor to teach dancing on wheels. But it just seems like a rather different kettle of fish, and something I'd expect only specialists being capable of doing.

So if walking isn't an option, learning with these instructors doesn't seem to be one either.

With emphasis on "with *these* instructors"? Then: yes, I imagine so.

Just like I'd imagine that your generic fencing teacher would have trouble instructing someone who didn't have the use of his arms; you'd need someone who was accustomed to the adjustments necessary.

(Also, from a geek standpoint, "if A then B" as in the banner does not imply that "if not-A then not-B" or "B only if A". Though that's splitting hairs a bit, since Grice also comes into the picture etc.)

So. Um. Part of me is saying, "Seriously: what, *specifically*, could have been done better, given that I presume that "generic" dance instructors have no experience with dancing on wheels, much less the teaching thereof, and that this seems reasonably obvious to prospective students, who could have asked in advance whether they offer dancing on wheels?" Though the other part recalls bits about "It's not our job to explain why you're privileged; do your own research".

[jfpbookworm]

"You can dance"?

Just sayin'.

[sasha_feather]

Seriously: what, *specifically*, could have been done better

Well, maybe not hanging a giant sign implying that people who can't or don't walk aren't exactly welcome, would be a start.

Inclusive language on signage would be a simple place to start.

[fenellaevangela]

I'm just over here loling a bit over your mention of Grice, but mostly because I'm regretting taking a Philosophy of Language course at university.

It seems that they should have been upfront about their only being prepared to teach people who can walk, although I suppose the slogan implies as much :-/ Someone obviously wasn't thinking.

[pne]

It seems that they should have been upfront about their only being prepared to teach people who can walk

I thought that would have been obvious - because of the rather different skillset involved (or so it seems to me) in teaching dancing-on-wheels compared to teaching dancing-on-feet.

For example, classical ballroom dancing involves two legs and two arms (the legs to do the moves and the arms to hold on to your partner and give cues by subtle pressure); if you need your arms free to move your wheels, you'd probably have to re-think quite a few things.

The visual result might be similar, but the techniques would seem to me to be rather different - and not something everybody can teach.

[inalasahl]

I thought that would have been obvious - because of the rather different skillset involved (or so it seems to me) in teaching dancing-on-wheels compared to teaching dancing-on-feet.

For example, classical ballroom dancing involves two legs and two arms (the legs to do the moves and the arms to hold on to your partner and give cues by subtle pressure); if you need your arms free to move your wheels, you'd probably have to re-think quite a few things.
That might be true if people dancing in wheelchairs was a new thing that someone had to "re-think." But it's been an organized sport for 30 years (and I'm sure people did it on their own before that). A class is going to have a mixture of people anyway as people in wheelchairs may have partners who aren't, so a professional teacher should be able to teach both seated and standing dancing.

This site's slogan is "Everyone Can Dance!!!" and I doubt that's a coincidence. The failblog guy is probably not the first to point out that Dance Doctor is behind the times.

[freyakitten]

This is a video of a dance competition (in the UK) in the style I do in Adelaide, Australia. While I'll admit that only one of the four venues we use every week is fully wheelchair accessible (the others have a step up to the front door - given Adelaide summer weather, we prioritise airconditioning over everything else but a good dance floor and clean bathrooms) and we don't currently have any wheelchair users dancing with us, most of the beginner repertoire is definitely possible. Most of our beginner leads and follows have difficulty stepping off on the correct foot, and a lot of beginner leads have difficulty moving themselves and their follow at the same time. We cater for that :D

I've seen our dancers dancing sitting down (albeit only one person sitting down), dancing with a broken leg (propped up on a chair and hopping around the chair), dancing with stuffed wrists and/or knees and/or ankles (that would be me...), dancing with a cup of water being passed from hand to hand and being drunk from, dancing visually impaired or with a hearing aid turned off...

Take a look at the lady in the front being spun at 4:08 in this video. It uses most of the same upper body techniques as Holly uses in this video at 1:29.

One of the things we like to tell our students is that no-one will find that every move will work for them. Individual body mechanics just don't work that way - and you need to take into account the mechanics of both lead and follow when trying to make a move work. There are a couple of beginner moves that I can think of, offhand, that would be difficult (different moves depending on whether it is the lead or the follow or both dancing in a wheelchair), but they're the same moves that are difficult when you have a great height disparity - such as between me at 5'2" and my dance partner at 6'4". When we see such difficult combinations in the class, we always walk through adjustments to make it work. And given five minutes warning, we would probably adjust what moves we were going to teach in beginner that night, if necessary.

Counter - message

[indywind]

A possible antidote to the uninspiring slogan above:

Beautiful examples of wheelchair dancing. I especially enjoyed these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI8TpJ3MvfE (a sexy, muscular Samba featuring bodybuilder Nick Scott & choreographer Aubree Marchione)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibfduPiqI2k (multiple styles, from a very skilled couple of colour, Lisa Bentley & Kenn Perry)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWEBrJtFP_8 (a smooth-style choreography to Five For Fighting's song Superman, Melinda Kramer and Ray Leight of American DanceWheels)