Dance and Community in Practice: Mastering the Art of Following

Dance and community come together in this episode as Liz and Mark share real voices from the Mastering the Art of Following workshop at Ceroc Inspire. Featuring feedback from follows, leads, crew, and the teacher, this episode offers a genuine insight into what dancers gain from focused technique work, confidence building, and learning to listen and respond more clearly in partner dancing.

Recorded during the workshop itself, listeners hear honest reflections on technique, connection, awareness, and how small changes can transform both following and leading. The episode also explores why workshops like this strengthen the wider Ceroc community by supporting dancers at every stage of their journey.

A relaxed, in the moment look at learning, progress, and the value of shared dance experiences.

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:09

Hello and welcome to Sir Rock Inspire's Dance Inspiration Podcast. I'm Liz.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

And I'm Mark. And we're here keeping you up to date with everything that's going on in Ciroc Inspire.

SPEAKER_07 0:19

So let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

So today we're at a Mastering the Art of Following workshop and we're gonna interview a few people and see what they actually think they can learn from this workshop. So what are you hoping to learn from today?

SPEAKER_02 0:38

I think every dancer doesn't matter what you do, Sarok in particular, you can always improve everything that you do. So having those little tweaks, those little finies, finer points that you don't particularly learn as a follower in the lesson, really really helpful.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

So that was with Sarita. So at the moment they're all practicing things. So I'm here with our very own Liz who's doing the workshop. How are you finding it so far?

SPEAKER_07 1:04

I'm loving it, it's absolutely brilliant. I'm learning stuff that I don't think I've ever learned before. And getting to demonstrate with Nick is a bit like my comfort zone, but it's great, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Yeah?

SPEAKER_07 1:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

So that was Liz's version. This is Rachel. How are you finding it so far?

SPEAKER_08 1:21

Hi, um, I really enjoy it, but I feel like I'm gonna learn how to improve the technique a little more. And I'm not very good at eye contact.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Well, that'll come, won't it? Yeah, so we'll we'll see what it's like at the end, then, shall we?

SPEAKER_08 1:34

We will.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

And this is Joanna. So she's here on the Master in the Art of Following. How are you finding it so far?

SPEAKER_04 1:43

I'm finding it really interesting. I like the attention to detail, and what I really love is wearing a blindfold so it really gives your body a chance to feel where the lead wants you to go. It's very exciting.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Thank you. So I'm with Sonia. What are you expecting from this workshop?

SPEAKER_10 2:04

To become a much better follower. Sonia. No, I want to become a crew member, so I also want to make sure that I'm the best follow that I can be and that I can help others become better themselves.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Yay, well, I'll come and catch up with you at the end and see how you think the workshop went.

SPEAKER_10 2:25

Well deeper.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

So we're back with Sarita and Rachel. How did you find that?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Yeah, really informative. It's really good. Knowing the positions of hands and everything that makes it easier for the leads to know what your intentions are as well is really good as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Well, glad you enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_08 2:44

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

So you've just done the workshop as a lead. How did you find that for the followers?

SPEAKER_03 2:51

It was really good. I mean, I got benefit from it as a lead and a follow, so I got to listen in and see. But it was also interesting from the point of view of a lead to see what the followers were learning, and sometimes when I'm leading when it isn't quite how I'd like it to be, what might be the problem? So I found it really interesting. Um, but yeah, you could see certainly some of the followers really coming on as things clicked into place and as they relaxed more, or as they tried styling, or as they learned techniques, and you could see the smiles on the faces as they were getting it and feeling that they're improving.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Glad it's educational for them. So we're with Kristen just after the workshop. How did you find that?

SPEAKER_05 3:39

Yes, I really enjoyed it, thank you, Mark. Really good. I feel quite confident now in doing some of the more technical things, and there was uh lots of sort of little handy tips. Good, good for sort of hand movements and feet movements.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

So you've learned quite a bit from it.

SPEAKER_05 3:52

I have learned a lot from it, thank you very much. Nick and the team, really good. That's a problem, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

So I'm with Joanna, we've just completed the workshop. How do you think that went for you?

SPEAKER_04 4:05

I was just about to go and um tell the lady who was doing the last part of the teaching. I've really loved how she's been able to break things down so that they are more intuitive. So I feel much more confident now.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Good. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you. So I'm here with Kay after the workshop. How did you enjoy it?

SPEAKER_09 4:26

It was great, thanks, Mark. It was um really interesting to think about some of the things that you've been doing wrong and recorrect those and perhaps be a better follower instead of anticipating a bit too much. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

So workshops are always good, aren't they?

SPEAKER_09 4:39

Yeah, yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Thank you, but I'm with Vin. We've just done the how to master the art of following, but he's done it as a lead. What have you learned from it?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Most interestingly, I've really enjoyed it. I've learned a great deal. At least I had the opportunity to dance with girls who are followers who are doing the right thing. Sometimes difficult for a lead to know whether he's leading properly. Now, obviously, I now know more what uh the ladies should be doing, but so it has helped me and helped me considerably, and to a certain extent, it's giving me that extra bit of confidence.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Good, good. I'm glad you've enjoyed it. It's glad to know that a lead can actually get something off a fellow's workshop.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Good. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

So I'm back with Sonia. How did you enjoy that workshop?

SPEAKER_10 5:34

I thought it was amazing. There were so many things in there that I never really pick up on the day-to-day stuff that we do in the in the classes. So it was really, really informative and lots of fun.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Lots of fun for a follow then.

SPEAKER_10 5:47

Yes. Good.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_07 5:50

Pleasure. Bye. Bye. So, Nick, your first ever follow workshop. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 5:58

How are you feeling? Oh, do you know what? I'm feeling absolutely amazing. It was something that since I've become a rock teacher, I've noticed out there that quite often we don't focus in detail on technique and follows as much as we do for leads because generally leads are obviously got a leader move and a routine. So I think for me being able to bring this to so many follows is been amazing.

SPEAKER_07 6:26

Yeah, it has been amazing as for myself doing the workshop for the first time. I actually never danced with you, have I? No, we haven't. No, we've never danced together, and I've been trying this my aim obviously this year is to get back to dancing. So this being my first workshop, I loved it.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 6:41

It was amazing. How do you feel after you've too you've taught it?

SPEAKER_06 6:44

Just great because the scene, you know, you automatically assume people know how to do everything. You do, you think, oh you know, they've been dancing XYZ a length of time, but they've been to so many classes or whatever, and you just assume people know how to do everything. But when you actually sit back and watch, and from a stage or when you're at the front of a class and you're looking out and you just see there's elements that are not quite where they should be, and being able to take those elements and deliver them out to people and they like light bulb moments of oh wow, I never knew that. Oh my gosh, that's so much better, it feels so much better. And for leads to turn around and say how much better they felt dancing with it is is really good.

SPEAKER_07 7:29

It's been really, really good. I think it's something we'll definitely be doing again, won't we? Yeah, uh, because I think it's really beneficial, and I don't think anybody else does it.

SPEAKER_06 7:37

No, I can't say I don't think I've seen one out there. They do lady styling, but that's not quite the same thing, is it?

SPEAKER_07 7:43

So are you gonna do another one? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Yeah, so that was a little insight into uh one of our workshops, our first one of the year, which Liz participated in. I did. How did you find it?

SPEAKER_07 8:01

I loved it, I thought it was great. It was so different to anything else that we've ever done together at most workshops we've done together, haven't we?

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 8:09

It was so different, and I learned a lot of things that maybe I was taught years ago, but actually had forgotten. But different things about the way I dance and a couple of our leads helped me on a couple of things that I was doing that were not helpful to a lead. And Nick showed me a few things that were really helpful, so yeah. As well as a workshop, I got a few tips on the side, so that was good.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

I mean, I I found it good going around as a lead being able to give some insight into how a lead would like the follow to be. All in all, I think that was a good workshop.

SPEAKER_07 8:47

I think it was. I think it was really beneficial. Nick really enjoyed doing it. So I think we'll be doing another one this year, won't we?

SPEAKER_01 8:55

So it would be mastering the art of following the two.

SPEAKER_07 8:58

Yes, Mark II. Yeah, so we hope you've enjoyed this little insight into a workshop, and we'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Yeah, see you next time.

SPEAKER_07 9:09

Thanks so much for joining us on today's Sorroc Inspires Dance Inspiration podcast.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

We hope you've enjoyed the chat as much as we have.

SPEAKER_07 9:17

And you know that you can find us at Sarok Darby, Ashbourne and Burton or online at saroc.com forward slash Soroc Inspire.

SPEAKER_01 9:24

And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for class updates and event news. And also check us out on TikTok and YouTube.

SPEAKER_07 9:33

We'll be back very soon with more stories, insights and inspiration and some special guests. See you on the dance floor.