Those are good. Where do you teach Venus? I want to come to your class!
As for clapping, I always thought a Motown moment would be a good thing, about halfway through every body has to sit up and sing backup and do a Temptations boogooloo. Good reasons? I'm a goofball who likes a laugh in the deadly seriousness of spin class- AND having to talk/ sing is a self regulating device to get to your "exercise whithout killing yourself" heart rate.
Finger snapping is a good device to loosen the arms when they get tense too.
I say the alphabet in class to find that zone when I'm blowing up, I hate to take a HRM all the time 'cause I stare at it and get all nuerotic over numbers. Boring!
A silliness moment isn't nessacary every class- but I think they'd be a nice treat every once in a while!

Lizzy