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ICLDI Union Crew Award Recipients
The Union Crew (UC) is a line dance organization located in Baltimore, MD. In January of each calendar year, the UC hosts their annual line dance awards ceremony. Their event is a weekend celebration devoted to recognizing the members of the R&B/soul national line dance community for outstanding and exceptional accomplishments. The awards presented are based on decisions made by the UC leadership and the individual winners of select categories based on the highest number of votes attained. The UC Awards event presents the winners of the best in categories from the four regions of the country, east, south, west and mid-west.
Each year, the UC awards presents their most prestigious award, the Lifetime Achievement Award based on Oustanding Contributions to the Line Dance Community.They also present awards for such categories as, best choreographer, best dance, most improved dancer, upcoming choregrapher, best instructor, a classic award and new and special categories based on the accomplishments made by line dancers during the year. Members in the ICLDI have received many awards over the 10 years of the event.
Here are the awards earned :
2008 - Lifetime Achievement Award, Sharon Lynn Holmes
2008 - Stepologist Award, Meldoye Robinson
2009 - Trubo Man Award, Michael Elmore
2010 - East Coast Instructor Award, Danita Moses
2011 - Line Dance Made Easy Award, Aline Goodman
New Choregrapher Award, Terri Moore
2012 - Lifetime Achievement Award, Kenneth Johnson
East Coast Instructor Award, April Love Jones
2013 - East Coast Instructor Award, Denise Bryant
2014 - Classic Award, Sharon Lynn Holmes
East Coast Instructor Award, Rose Williams
Humanitarian Award, Roland Ford
2015 - Showcase Performance Award - LDC: Michael Elmore, Sam Tucker, Sharon Lynn Holmes & Sheila Snipes
2016 - Up and Coming Choreographer Award, Patricia Lowe-Copeland
2017 - Lifetime Achievement Award, Roland Ford
2017 - Best Southern Dance (Choreography), Rolline Sullivan
2017 - Turbo Man Award, Douglas Hawkins
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The ICLDI Certified Instructor - An Open Discussion
The Consortium was founded as an organization with a mission to offer professional and technical training to line dance instructors to improve their knowledge and understanding of the art of dance and instruction. Over the last 13 years, the ICLDI has offered an Accelerated Instructor Certification Program (AICP) Level 1 course aimed at informing and sharing critical information to experienced dance instructors. The AICP Level 1 is designed to orient instructors on several components deemed as basic requirements for successful dance instruction. Upon successful completion of the two day training course, attendees are awarded a certification designation. The AICP Level 1 course includes an overview of business development, injury prevention - physical therapy, legal aspects of instruction, teaching techniques and a detailed presentation on dance apprecation and music theory. A current certification in CPR is mandated for all instructors.
The AICP Level 1 requries all participants to have a minimum of 18 months of dance instruction experience and 105 hours teaching. This requirement can be met with a combination of line dance instruction as well as experience from other venues, such as hand dance, swing, ballroom, salsa, zumba and aerobics. All applicants who met these basic requirements are approved to attend the course of instruction. All particpants attending the AICP come into the training with various dance skills and abilities. It is accepted and understood by the ICLDI management corps (Executive Council), that after two days of intensive instruction, the instructors are awarded a certification. However, the ICLDI Executive Council understands that additional training over time is required before those certified at Level 1 can progress to a higher skill attainment.
As in any industry and profession, continuing education is always mandated as a way to strengthen and improve the skill and ability of the individual professional, in our case the dance instructor. Each member of the ICLDI is required to complete at least four (4) hours of professional dance instruction each calendar year. Certification in and of itself does not always mean an expert level of dance proficiency. In the case of the ICLDI, we understand and appreciate the fact that it takes time and practice to achieve a high level of dance technique and performance.
The AICP Level 1 certification is the beginning and basic first step to learning and growth for the individual dance instructor. Our AICP Level 1 members each recognize they have more to learn as they work to be the best they can be. We don't claim to be the best dancer or instructor! We also have Level 2, recertification training and a new Level 3 Master Instuctor designation.
"At the end of the day, trying to be the best we can be as a Dance Instructor, is the goal!"
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YOU THE INSTRUCTOR
Instructors, do you have a protocol you use when teaching your line dance class? Tailor your class to your individual personality and preferences, but also using the following guidelines when preparing for and conducting your line dance class, will help to contribute to the overall effectiveness of your class.
Class Preparation
Question: Do you have a plan of what dances you will teach at each class?
If not, develop a class lesson plan to include selecting dances and preparing music. Also develop plans for music, sound system, batteries, power extension cord and audio adapters with a backup plan. Lastly, make or update notes on each class during or after class to help prepare for next class. What worked in class? What didn’t work etc.?
During Class
ü Introduce yourself or visiting/guest instructor. If guest instructor is teaching; be on the floor and learn the dance.
ü General instructions: review proper attire and footwear, your teaching style, health benefits of dancing, etc.
ü Teaching the dance: give name of dance, choreographer, song name and artist name if known. Tell class how to obtain the music.
ü Demo one or two rotations of the dance (use your judgment whether to demo)
ü Tell class the number of counts/beats for the dance, level of complexity and number of walls.
ü The more ways you can break down instruction of a dance, the more effective you are as an instructor. You should be able to break down instruction of a dance by phrases using # of counts/beats, including the step pattern’s direction and what foot to use when executing a step pattern. Sometimes giving a step pattern a name can help students remember that particular step pattern. Be flexible in your instruction, watch the students and assess their skill level.
ü Teach the dance using industry dance terms as much as you know.
ü Present the entire dance in order by phrase (8 beats/counts=1 phrase of music) if you are able.
ü For longer dances, play music at intervals throughout the instruction.
ü Emphasize other physical aspects of the dance beyond footwork such as call outs, verbal shouts, special arm/body movements.
ü Repeat the name of each dance taught. Mention video availability on You Tube, Happy Feet etc. If you desire, email video links of line dances taught in class.
ü Authenticity of the dance should always be maintained staying true to the dance choreography. If the dance or music has been modified by you or the line dance community at large, let the students know and inform them of the true choreography.
Above all, have fun!
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Accelerated Instructor Certification Program - UPDATES
The Accelerated Instructor Certification Program (AICP), Level 1 course has been revised. All new applicants interested in attending the course only have to have 18 months of dance teaching instruction. However, they are still required to have 105 hours of instruction experience.
Also, all applicants must provide a video link or viewing access for the Executive Council so they can be seen actually teaching and dancing in their industry. This video presentation is a part of the mandated criteria that each applicant must submit in their application package to be considered for approval to attend an AICP session. Each participant in the class must also participate in a written test and dance floor exercise that will be administered during the class. The results of both tests will be discussed in the class.
The AICP Level 2 - six hours of recertification instruction was implemented in 2015. This course uses the teaching material from the Level 1 instruction as the base for this session. Members are presented another degree of instruction on the basics of instruction, music and dance understanding. Each participant is expecated to be able to master the techniques of counting beats of music, syncopation and execution of dance steps. Work on dance execution, learning the names of universal dance steps and body movements is presented. Students are tested in writing and on the floor through individual demostrations.
All of the AICP music and dance instruction is administered by a Master Dance Instructor or experienced dance professional. The instructors who work with the ICLDI have an extensive background of formal education, extensive experience and recognized certifications.
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AICP Updates
In furture sessions, the AICP Level 2 course may include a discussion on the importance of writing Step Sheets (SS). The SS is a critical tool for a choreographer and instructor to incorporate into their teaching techniques. The ability to write a step sheet demonstrates a critical understanding of the steps, names of steps and the inclusion of the beats of music. The use of SS in daily instruction enforces the ability to effectively beakdown the components of the dance into beats, measures and phrases. Thus, those who use this teaching technique are able to instruct their students on these important music and dance criteria. Over time, the students will begin to learn how to count beats of music correctly.
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Calling All Instructors and Choreographers |
The ICLDI contiunes to conduct an outreach effort to identify and locate line dancers in the R&B/soul and progressive line dance industry. After being founded in 2010, 10 years later there are many instructors and choreographers who are not interested in participating in the accelerated instructor certification program, (AICP). The AICP is a basic entry level program that aims to teach fundatmental concepts and theory on music and dance. In support of these two critical topics, the AICP also includes presentations on physical fitness, legal aspects of instruction, teaching techniques and business development.
These components comprise what is considered some important and necessary learning to improve the proficiency of line dance instruction. Review and observation of the many line dance videos on YouTube shows that much of the line dance industry doesn't understand most of the core elements of instruction and dance presentation. The most obvious indication and proof of this issue is the need for more training. Such an effort would be focused on the continued lack of ability for dancers to effectively demonstrate steps and associated counts of the steps to the beat of the music.
In the ICLDI music theory and appreciation teaching, one of the first things taught is there are two types of beats to the music in 4/4 time; also called contemporary time. They are the down and up beat of the music. When you count the beats of music in 4/4 time, there are only two beats of music in one unit. Thus, when counting the beats of music there are four units in a phrase of music or 8 beats. The count is 1,2.. 3,4.. 5,6...7,8
...... there is no 1, 2, 3, or 5, 7 or 9............Come to the Accelerted Instructors Certification Program and learn why this counting is incorrect.
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