Help! I'm a dance teacher.

[pygmalion]

Today, I got the email I've been hoping for and dreading. A friend emailed and said that, although he can't afford lessons, he'd like to learn some ballroom. And he wants ME to teach him. :shock:

I'd love to teach him, and have a fair bit of teaching experience in technical areas, but no dance teaching experience that counts (at least to me LOL), but I'm going to do it. For free, of course, so I can still be considered an amateur, and so he can afford it (he's a good friend). and also because I don't think lack of funds should keep somebody who loves dancing, from dancing.

My goal, in his first few lessons, is to teach him how to dance and lead a combo or two that can be used in multiple dances, so he can feel successful on the dance floor as quickly as possible.

So I've been thinking about a teaching strategy, and I need input. Since this guy already knows some salsa, cha cha, bachata and merengue, at least for now, leave that alone, with plans to do some Latin motion breakdown in the future. His hips and ribs are a bit stiff for my taste.

For the other dances, I was thinking of teaching a box step/seven step turn and a box step/walkaround turn combo. You can use that in rumba, and, if you're in the slow lane, waltz and foxtrot. Then, for foxtrot, teach him a basic, a left turn and a right turn. And for waltz, progressive change steps. No rise and fall, footwork, or anything else to start.


Does that approach sound reasonable, or does something else work better? what do you think?

[dancin_feet]

You actually have a guy wanting to learn?? :shock: Rare breed, I've offered to teach some of my male friends, but they are not interested.

Your approach sounds OK to start with. You don't need to work out a plan or anything, so just take it as it comes. If he picks up on the basics easily, you can decide where to go from there.

Good luck :wink:

[pygmalion]

I'll let you know how it goes. :wink: :D

[Sagitta]

A suggestion. Teach the hesitation step. Often the floor gets crowded or you are not sure what to do, then as a leader if you know a hesitation step you can hang out and then go for it again. It is similar enough for waltz and foxtrot. I agree that for waltz the forward progressive of big step, small step, small step forward is easiest. I also suggest a progressive turn to add to the walk.

[pygmalion]

Yup. Hesitation is a good one. I was thinking about this while I should have been sleeping. To keep it simple -- a left turning figure, a right-turning figure, an around the corner figure, and an emergency step for waltz and foxtrot. Basically, all I want to do is get him down the line of dance, around the corners, and provide a safety valve to prevent collisions. So I'm going to pull out my bronze tapes and study the guy's part for those four figures. Should be pretty straight forward.

[pygmalion]

I got a very nice PM from someone who reminded me not to forget connection/partnership and technique. I agree those things need to come in very early on. So my plan is to give him some Latin motion exercises to do on his own -- that stuff takes forever to develop, anyway. And as for smooth, not too much, too soon. I may plant a few verbal seeds, but to ask a smooth newbie to do anything more than walk the patterns is too challenging to start, I think. I'm going to let him get familiar with our amalgamation, so to speak, than add a little technique at a time.

And as for connections, I hope I'll be demonstrating them as I go. :roll: :wink:

[KevinL]

Good luck with your first teaching experience!

I'll agree with dancin' feet, you don't need a really solid plan, just try to go with the flow. You already know more than you think you know, so go with what you feel you can teach easily.

What I teach in my beginning classes:
Waltz: Box, progressive, left turning box, box with underam turn
Foxtrot: Progressive, left rock turn (easily becomes hesitation - just don't turn), promenade and promenade w/ UAT. In wedding workshops I'll sometimes trade the promenade's for sway steps.

Have fun!

Kevin

[borikensalsero]

did I read salsa somewhere in this topic. Salsa salsa salsa... Ahhhhh... I smell salsa from far away, even if it is when it says no salsa. All I hear is salsa. The no turns into number of salsa songs... :D

[danceguy]

Salsa? :wink:

Look what you started Boriken...now its got me too...can hear the congas in my head...feel the rhythm move inside my body...

Yea! :P

[pygmalion]

This guy already knows how to salsa! :roll: The mission is to get him ballroom dancing. Ha! :lol:

Kevin. Your lesson plan sounds great. I'm going to try to go with the flow. You never know where someone else is coming from, so I'm not going to assume anything. I'll just make sure I'm prepared, and do my best.

[Vin]

If he already knows some dances I like this idea of yours so long as you start out with one dance and then the following lesson you could show him how the last pattern he learned transfers to the new dance he is learning.
Good luck

[pygmalion]

Thanks, Vin. That's what I was thinking. Lesson 1 -- foxtrot. Lesson two (or three, or four, depending) introduce foxtrot. A little at a time.

[tangotime]

well -- nevera good idea to teach anyone close to you-but -- if you must-- start with something he may relate to readily -- rhumba--- it will show him musical connections to what he is already dancing -- having taught in chain schools for many yrs-- probably the most use less and at the same time -- usefull step is box the problem in the "swing dances " is-- it offers no forward progression --but--- will teach rythm and timing-- if you decide to go ahead beyond that -- quarter turns lady in line will suffice-- and -- he will see the intent of travelling around the floor -- good luck

[cornutt]

The one thing I'd differ on is, don't get too far in waltz before you introduce the idea of rise and fall. He doesn't have to do it perfectly, but I think he needs to at least get used to the idea of going down into his leg on one, and rising on two. If you put this off too long, he'll wind up having to unlearn a lot of bad habits.

[redhead]

so how did he do in 2.5 years? ;)

[cornutt]

Oh, man, I didn't realize how old this thread is... Sure are a lot of old threads being revived lately.

[Chris Stratton]

but I think he needs to at least get used to the idea of going down into his leg on one

???

[latingal]

so how did he do in 2.5 years? ;)

I'm curious too....how did he do?

[tangotime]

Asked the same question to one of my teachers in the u.k- phrased the same way- his reply- I think youre beyond help !!!-- he was probably right