Dave & Amy

08/04/2026

If you teach anything — this podcast stuck with me today and is worth thinking about.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/30YQldkFnkPPkJNJcKv4OB?si=GXlnYKpbSRa9tYzZLZyWfw

TLDR (if you need fast information now, you prefer text, or don't use Spotify):

Ros, a BBC journalist, interviews people about their skills at communicating.
In this episode, he’s speaking with a teacher, Isabella Greenan.

Main Points
1.) Dangle concrete goals to get buy-in from the student.
2.) Communication = noticing the reaction you get, then tailoring how you teach as you go.
3.) Be flexible with how you deliver info. A teacher is flexible, a lecturer is not.
4.) Minimise “teacher talking time”. You are NOT there to talk at students — give them tasks, let them interact, let them do.
5.) Listen to questions. Address those concerns.
6.) When teaching, show up as a sincere version of yourself — not the tired one. Find the version of you that actually enjoys being there.
7.) Speak clearly. Take a breath.
8.) Never single out a struggling student — it will humiliate them. Move through the class and give tailored help one-on-one.
9.) Don’t let frustration between student & teacher become personal. It’s very rarely personal. Keep a clean slate.
10.) Find your voice: professional, friendly, approachable — but genuinely you. Not a mimic of other teachers.
11.) Your voice is built through trial, correction, review, and a lot of self-examination. Ask:
- What went well?
- What was terrible?
- How do I make it better next time?
Do this review after every lesson — even just a short moment.
12.) Feel proud when your students reach their goals. But remember: it’s their achievement. You were just a small part in guiding them. They did the work. It’s not about you — keep the ego at bay.

Amy's homework for you: *Which one of these will you practice next time you teach?*

Communicating with Ros Atkins · Episode

26/03/2026

Sharing from 4 weeks ago: End-of-night freestyle Modern Jive from 25th Feb. Challenging ourselves with pace and music genre.
Can you spot the trick move that got an upgrade in the last 4 weeks? 😎 It is in this clip and in "Beautiful Things."
Song is Ever Since U Left Me (I Went Deaf), by French Montana & Max B

25/03/2026

A freestyle at the end of our social night. Both of us feeling totally gassed, but getting our practice in and challenging ourselves with new music!
The song is Beautiful Things, by Kelly Boesch. It's awesome 🤩

04/03/2026

How to find your Teaching Voice and what to do with it.

03/03/2026

I'm starting a project: sharing the stuff that's in my head.

You can help by:
1.) encouraging me to keep going!
2.) Name a specific thing that you want to hear my thoughts about.
3.) Encourage me to keep going, and to keep the bar LOW!
(My ADHD and chronic perfectionism get in the way of projects such as these.)

23/10/2025

04/09/2023

David Ellis and Amy Mak's post workshop freestyle demo at the September 2023 RADelaide weekender.

Improvisational freestyle demo after the Saturday workshops. RADelaide Weekender, September 2023.

03/09/2023

We're on the plane home after a productive weekend of workshops in Adelaide. Grateful to Léa Gambonnet and Michael Siegele for the opportunity to share our passion for dancing with everyone. Big thanks to all who attended and made it a success! Looking forward to more exciting dance moments ahead.

For those who need a reminder, here's what we covered:
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1. IN THE NOW
In this workshop, we’ll explore ways to make our dancing more enjoyable and effortless. We’ll help you be more adaptive in your partnering, connect with the music, and be more present in the moment instead of worrying about what’s coming next. You’ll learn practical ways to immediately improve the flow and feel of your dancing, all while doing less work.

2.INTERNAL CONNECTION
In this workshop, we’re going to delve into adaptive positioning, integrated body movement, and centre-directed leading. No idea what any of that means? No worries, we’ll walk you through it step-by-step. The takeaway is that you’re going to look more stylish, be more efficient in your movement, and feel a whole lot better to dance with.

3.BREATHING IN TIME
Breathing, it's not just for keeping you alive! It's a hidden tool for honing your dance flow and timing. Let us show you how to transform this vital act into your dance floor superpower. With every inhale and exhale, you'll enhance your lead/follow dialogues, becoming more agile and musically in sync. So, ready to breathe rhythm into your dance steps?

4. INSTINCTIVE GROOVE
Humans are born with innate musical abilities, including 'Groove' - the effortless knack for synchronising movement to rhythm. In this workshop, we'll explore a functional, not prescriptive, approach to timing. You'll learn how to tap into and refine your natural rhythm instincts, synchronise your movements with the music's structure, and unleash your intrinsic musicality.

01/09/2023

On our way to RADelaide 2023 to dance with all the folks at Ceroc & Modern Jive Adelaide We've got heaps of new material we've been busy preparing, and can't wait to share it with you!

18/08/2023

It's 2 weeks until the Radelaide Dance Weekender. We're getting ready to bring you 4 workshops packed with tools to improve the flow, quality, and enjoyment of your social dancing.
We're excited to be teaching alongside our friends Léa Gambonnet, Adam Ingerman, Nathan Sawley & Chelsea Sawley

Head to https://ceroc-adelaide.com.au/RAD to secure your spot as places are limited.
See you soon Adelaide!

Dance to the music you love! Ceroc & Modern Jive Adelaide has weekly classes in Adelaide.

22/06/2023

Hey folks! We're Dave & Amy, and we're thrilled to officially launch our page. We've been performing and teaching together for 15 years, pushing boundaries and defying convention in dance instruction. And now, it's time for something new!
We're excited to share this space with all of you where we'll be providing updates about our workshops, classes, and online resources. But most importantly, we're here to create a community for dance enthusiasts, a space to share, learn, and grow together. We invite you to engage with us, ask questions, share your dance journey, and above all, have fun!
Stay tuned for information about our upcoming workshops and online resources!
Let's dance, learn, and create together!

22/06/2023