The workshop offers 4 levels of classes – beginner, intermediate, advanced and masters level.
The Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels get at least 8 hours of level-specific classes and 2 or more hours of mixed-level classes and electives. There are no level checks for beginner & intermediate levels. The advanced level requires a level check on Saturday morning. The masters level is 6 hours of classes and requires an invitation or video audition.
Class Levels
Beginner/Advanced Beginner: This level is for dancers who are newer to Slow Balboa. Maybe you’ve never tried it or only taken some tasters or a series a while back. Maybe you took this track last year, but haven’t really social danced it much and need a refresher. Classes will teach the fundamentals of slow dancing, build a toolkit of various Slow Balboa styles, teach fun rhythm play and stylings, and give you tools to create your own Slow Balboa voice. Experience with Slow Balboa or Balboa is not required.
Intermediate: This level is for dancers who already social dance Slow Balboa and have taken at least a workshop or series on the dance form. If you have not taken a Slow Balboa course before or want to improve your skills in advance of Stardust, two of the instructors at Stardust have two excellent online courses you should consider available on their website. People signing up for this level should feel comfortable dancing Slow Balboa with folks of all levels and may even have competed in Slow Balboa before. Experience with Slow Balboa is required.
Advanced: This level requires a level test that will take place during the first class on Saturday morning. You may be moved to the intermediate track if you are not a good fit for this level at this time. Dancers hoping to reach this level should be vey familiar with the basics of Slow Balboa (Dean’s basic, the slow out, Laminu, etc.). Dancers at this level have likely taken multiple class series or workshops for Slow Balboa and currently social dance Slow Balboa locally. You may teach or compete in Slow Balboa (though this is not required). The length of time you’ve been dancing Balboa or Slow Balboa is not the same as the intensity level (e.g., practice and consistent social dancing). Substantial experience with Slow Balboa is required.
Masters: This level requires an invitation or video audition. To audition, dancers will need to fill out an application and submit a video of themselves doing basic patterns in Slow Balboa (Dean’s basic, the slow out, Laminu, etc.). Acceptance into this track last year does not guarantee acceptance this year. You can find the application here: Masters Level Application
Not sure which level is the best fit for you? There are many reasons you should consider the beginner class
- Do you social dance Slow Balboa regularly? If not, you may want to solidify your fundamentals and muscle memory with the beginner track.
- Have you taken a Slow Balboa class recently? If it’s been a while since your last class or series/workshop, it could be helpful to dive deep into the fundamentals and refresh your skills with the beginner track.
- Are you already fairly familiar with Slow Balboa, but looking to learn the other role? While many aspects of the dance are similar across roles, there are many fundamental aspects that are different. It’s best to build up your lead or follow skills with solid fundamentals in the beginner class.
- Are you familiar with other types of slow dancing and/or Balboa, but never tried Slow Balboa? Slow Balboa has a different technique and grammar than many after types of slow dancing (e.g., blues). While general slow dancing technique and/or experience with Balboa will be helpful in developing your Slow Balboa skills, it is a separate dance form with its own unique characteristics. It’s worthwhile to build a good foundation with the beginner track.
If you attend the first class and feel you are in the wrong track, please reach out to an organizer so we can help you find the most appropriate class for you.
Instructors retain the right to move students to another level at any time, for any reason.
