Can a good teacher be a bad dancer?

[pygmalion]

What do you think? Is it possible for a mediocre dancer to be a good coach, or vice versa? Examples, anyone?

[DancingMommy]

One can not always *duplicate* what is to be done, but one can *explain* it in such a way that it makes sense.

One of my bosses was not that great a dancer, but he really had an *eye* for what was good and bad.

I've also seen great dancers who couldn't always communicate what it was they were doing or how they did it, but they were great at what they did.

Think about it like this - a great musician is not always a great recording engineer. A great recording engineer is not always a great musician. Both need each other to create a great album.

[pygmalion]

I know it works in reverse. I've had a couple very good dancers who were bad teachers. Being able to execute the skill doesn't always mean you have the ability to break it down for someone else.

[Pacion]

"Health warning": This thread has been resurrected! :lol:

Yes, oh yes, oh yes! :lol:

There is a guy here in London who socially, I would say that he isn't a good dancer/someone who would catch let alone hold your attention on the dancefloor. BUT!!! He is a very good teacher. I went to his classes for a while and it was fun, to see the students understanding and being able to do what he showed them.

There is another guy who is a brilliant dancer, lots of body movement and turn patterns and great technique YET as a teacher, not very good. I think if he taught people from a strong dance background, they would be fine. However, "Joe & Jane Blogs" off the street? No good for them :(

[Sagitta]

I know that I have a knack for teaching, better then I am at dancing, anyway. :cheers: :)

[ShyDancer]

Im saying Yes also :D

One of my teachers isnt the best dancer out there, but he is such a great teacher! He knows every detail about every step, body and foot alignment and positioning, body swing and sway etc etc.. and because he is such a perfectionist it has rubbed off on me and its my best style...I have no need for a partner to be there to get the correct direction, I can just do it, something I havent mastered completely in other styles yet and I do put it all down to his teaching.

Then I have another teacher who is a top level dancer...She is a good teacher but she often forgets that I havent been dancing 10 years and some of the technique is still foreign to me, therefore everything takes twice as long to learn and I often feel silly having to ask her to go over things we did 4 weeks ago because she didnt show me enough to be able to remember once I got home to practice.

[randomMysh]

I vote yes. Especially if you count the ability to get people excited about dancing in the first place as an essential quality of a dance teacher. My first teacher isn't a great dancer, and (as turned out later) his technique was fuzzy in places, but he sold me on dancing forever.

[ShyDancer]

I vote yes. Especially if you count the ability to get people excited about dancing in the first place as an essential quality of a dance teacher. My first teacher isn't a great dancer, and (as turned out later) his technique was fuzzy in places, but he sold me on dancing forever.


Oh yes!
I have one teacher who get so overtly excited about teaching even the most basic step that his classes are the most fun to attend, I dont mind taking them even though they are just beginners and I often have to dance the mans part! The excitement rubs off and his classes are always full...thats a man who loves dancing!

[Twilight_Elena]

Definitely possible. Great dancers appeal to your emotions. Great teachers appeal to your logic (not my quote, lads, I'm paraphrasing a DF memeber's signature here and my memory fails me once again :? ).
Having said that, I know at least two teachers (my ballroom teacher and my salsa teacher) who are both great dancers and great teachers. Don't know how this happened, but I'm a lucky lass. :D :D :D
Having said that too, it's amazing to see the two of them dance together. The style blending is amazing.

Twilight Elena

[squirrel]

Definitely yes.

[Purr]

I would have to say yes. But, it depends on how you define "good teacher" and "bad dancer".

For example, I know of a teacher who's philosophy is to teach social dancing in a fun environment. He doesn't teach a lot of technique, nor does he profess to be an expert on technique. He has a lot of clients. His students, most at the beginner or intermediate level, can hold their own in a social dance setting.

In this scenerio, I'd had to say he was a good teacher in that he has developed a successful business, recognizing and giving his client base what they want. However, from a technical standpoint, he might be in trouble if he had an intermediate or advanced level student, possibly interested in competition, show up on his studio doorstep for lessons.

I suppose the solution would be to hire a good coach fast!

[Medira]

It's definitely possible to be a wonderful teacher, even if you aren't the best dancer. This isn't just limited to dancing either. Some people just have a knack for conveying a concept. There are people out there who know how to work with people and appeal to their preferred learning style, even if they can't physically do it themselves in some cases.

The reverse is also true and, in my experience, more common. There are people who can do whatever it is you set in front of them...yet ask them to explain it to you in a way you can understand and they can't seem to do it.

Then again, there is the old saying "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." In some cases, it's quite true. Then again, it's only some cases. :P

[dTas]

oh most definitely... i've had coachings with some people who are the most amazing dancers but just couldn't convey that information to anyone who wasn't already an accomplished dancer.

and the same the other way... there are coaches out there who've past their prime but are excellent in explaining concepts and have a great eye so see exactly what it is you need to do to fix your problem.

it takes a certain kind of person to teach and teach well.

you could be a nuclear scientist but that doesn't mean you can teach nuclear science. 8)

[Larinda McRaven]

Past their prime is one thing... never had the right information to give is another.

I used to argue this with my old boss all the time. I saw a junior instructor trying to teach an oversway. I went to my boss and told him the girl had no business teaching that since she had never recieved any coaching on it oher than a few dance sessions, as opposed to some other teachers in the studio who were competing professionally and spend thousands and thousands of dollars hearing good detailed information on oversways and such.

So at least if someone is "past their prime" they would have the information to give even if thier body is unaccustomed to dancing any longer.

But that junior instructor could get people up and moving better and faster than anyone I ever saw. All of her students were happy and trotting around the floor. Even with all of my training and information I could never do what she does.

[swan]

I'd also vote yes. As long as the person has the right information & knows how to explain, AND must have good eyes to spot problems.

In fact, there are so-so dancers who can produce quite good competitive couples.

[dTas]

I'd also vote yes. As long as the person has the right information & knows how to explain, AND must have good eyes to spot problems.

In fact, there are so-so dancers who can produce quite good competitive couples.

and then comes up the question of... how much is it the instructor vs. natural talent of the student?

[pygmalion]

Yes. :wink: :lol: Meaning, is it really possible to separate the two definitively?

[Purr]

Probably not. Depends on how much each one is willing to put into it.

[Purr]

Maybe the right student might inspire an otherwise mediocore dance teacher to bigger and better things.

By mediocore, I mean technique.

[youngsta]

I vote yes on this too. It seems like most of the instructors in my area are merely average social dancers. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they don't go out just to dance very often. On the other hand I know I couldn't even touch their skill when it comes to instructing people. I have a very hard time explaining stuff I do to others.

[Sobrero]

YES! :D :D
as the others have already said a good dance teacher does not have to be a good dancer! he/she has to inspire the student and be supportive! In addition a good teacher has to have a lot of patience, I know my teacher would have had a stroke until now :roll: :roll:

Sobrero

[HF]

Looking to music ... my instrument is the violin and it is said, that up to now no international top violinist has produced another international star as his or her own student ... this rule holds since 300 year or so with very rare exceptions.

On the other hand there are top teachers that have produced series of international soloists, one after the other in a row. They just know how to do. Same thing I observed for the piano.

Top music performers can be very inspiring if you go to them for a workshop or a summer camp but usually are not the first choice as a regular teacher. Exceptions may happen.