This year Blues Muse will have 4 hours of leveled classes two hour -long classes on Saturday afternoon and a two-hour long Sunday morning block. Other class blocks will have All Levels classes, though there will be idiom focused classes with pre-requisites or a Bring Your Own Partner class structure.

 

Our level descriptions are below. We encourage you to look through them and self-select your desired level before registering. If you self-identify with levels 1, 2, or 3 you do not have to audition and we will have a class on Self-Assessment at the same time as auditions for you to develop vocabulary and have a clearer idea of what you might want to work on over the weekend. If you self-identify as level 3 we will have two tracks, either on building close embrace skills or stretch and compression skills. If you self-identify as level 4 or 5 you must attend auditions first thing on Saturday morning. If you audition and do not place in either level 4 or level 5 instructors may leave a note to help direct you into the track that they believe will be the most useful for you on your dance journey. If you do not audition, you can choose between the level 1, 2, or 3 tracks during leveled class periods.​​

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Level 1

This level is great for dancers who are new to blues (think one year or less experience). Maybe you are still working on getting comfortable dancing within blues aesthetic. You may also need more blues vocabulary (solo and partnered) to start making your own movement choices. This track will help you find your dancing voice, as well as hear and respond to your partner. This is a great track if you are looking to practice expressing yourself while leading/following clearly at the same time. Levels 1 and 2 will be in the same leveled classes together.

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Level 2

This level is designed for people who are getting the hang of blues, but who need more ideas on how to dance creatively. This level is great if you need some help distinguishing between your ballroomin' and jukin' movement, and if you do not feel comfortable dancing solo for an entire song. This track will help you find your dancing voice, as well as hear and respond to your partner. Levels 1 and 2 will be in the same leveled classes together.

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Level 3 (two tracks)

This level is targeted for people who are intermediate blues dancers. A solid leader and/or follower, you are probably a pretty good solo dancer- you're definitely able to dance solo for a song without running out of steam. You are often in high-level classes, and confidently dance differently to jukin' and ballroomin'. Often, you may get feedback about needing to really solidify your voice, push your blues aesthetic to be stronger, or improve your composition.

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The Close Embrace Focus Track will be a good fit for you if you come from other dance forms that don't regularly use close embrace. If you struggle to maintain comfortable close embrace through an entire dance, this track is for you. The Stretch and Compression Focus Track will be a good fit if close embrace comes naturally but your mechanics when dancing in open or closed position need polishing. If you struggle to build, maintain, or use stretch and compression within your dancing, this is the track for you.

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Level 4 (by audition only)

This is a high-level track, for dancers who take learning very seriously. This level is designed for people who are scene leaders, who are constantly taking workshops (and very possibly teaching them), and who have a very strong practice ethic. If you have a strong sense of yourself as a dancer, and have excellent technique, Level 4 may be for you. You understand jukin' and ballroomin', and have an excellent grasp of solo vocabulary and movement. This track will be limited to roughly 20 leaders and 20 followers, by audition. Students who audition should plan to attend all leveled classes during the weekend.

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Level 5 (by audition only)

This is a high-level track, for dancers who take learning very seriously. This level is for dancers who have many years of dancing under their belts and regularly work on improving their dance skills off the social floor during practicums and private lessons. This track will be limited to roughly the top 15 leaders and 15 followers at the event, by audition. Students who audition should plan to attend all of the leveled classes during the weekend.

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FAQ

Why does Muse have leveled classes?

Having leveled classes allows dancers with similar skill sets to work directly with each other for deeper learning. By having leveled classes we can gear class content to specific leveled goals. Anyone who auditions will get indirect feedback about where they are on their dance journey.

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Should I audition?

Good question! Here are some things to consider...

- If you want to take level 4 or 5 classes you have to audition

- Placement is relative to other attendees, and your placement does NOT reflect your value as a community member

- Roughly the top 35 leads and 35 follows will end up in levels 4 and 5

- Will placing in a level you didn't expect ruin your experience of the weekend?

- Auditions start at 10:30am on Saturday, can you be on-time?

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I dance both roles, why do I have to indicate which one I dance when I register? Can I audition for both roles?

Leading and following are different skills and we want folks to focus on one or the other in our leveled classes. We have a lot of people audition each year and our audition format, which allows everyone to dance directly with an instructor, can't accommodate auditioning for multiple roles due to timing constraints. If you truly don't care what role you take classes in, we suggest you take classes as a lead as we are always short on leads. You can dance your other role in electives and on the social floor.

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During registration you will need to indicate what class level you plan to take and what dance role you'll be taking leveled classes in. This helps us know:

- How many folks to expect during auditions

- How many leads and follows to expect in each class. This helps us keep roles balanced when we place you into levels and gives instructors a good idea of what to expect when planning classes.

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With better information we hope to provide a better experience for you! You can change your mind (without needing to tell us) on both dance role and class level up until auditions.

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