How do you teach kids to dance?

[squirrel]

Several people asked me if I would accept to teach their children Salsa... and I'm talking young kids, 10-12 years old...

How do you teach them? How do you handle them?

[KevinL]

I don't think of 10-12 yr olds as young kids. Sure they are still kids, but they are getting to an age where they can focus on things and learn well.

I've only had a couple of kids in my classes, and I treated them just like any other student.

Kevin

[pygmalion]

At least in the US, with 10-12 year olds, you can often still get away with the autoritarian teacher stance. Often, when teaching adults, you can't. I suspect that, outside of the US, you can probably be even more strict.

[Sakura]

Being that I am a "child" myself (at least, to most adults) and I have a 10 year old brother ( :x :roll: :x ), I would like to think I could offer humble advice! :wink:

First off, do these children have an interest in learning, or is it merely their parents' desire to have their children learn? If they want to learn, your job will probably be very easy. If someone wants to learn something they will. If not; you may have to be stricter with them, or you might want to try getting them interested.

For example, you may want to start off their first class with a Salsa performance between you and your partner. Pull in steps from all over the experience level from basics to potentially some stunts (if you and your partner do those.) If you find a step a child who wasn't interested likes, then you can start getting them interested. You can also get the kids more determined in their work if they have to work up to a higher level to do certain steps.

Another way to get kids to behave or excel: offer treats! Like candy! :D :D No kidding here; all kids like candy. (If they don't, I'd say there's somthing wrong with them.) So if you give them tiny treats (mini-candies or something) when they master a particularly difficult step, they're motivated to do more or do better. Obviously, one starts out giving more rewards in the beginning, and then it gets toned down as they get better and have less to be "rewarded" by.

Are any of them interested in competitions? If they are, you might devote a class every so often to little friendly competitons between themselves where parents, friends, and realitive can come and see them and what they've been working on. (Of course, if they don't like competitons, then you can just give them the chance to show off what they know! =^__^= Most kids I know like being in the spotlight.)

That's all I have right now. I hope from a kid, some of these ideas prove useful! ...Of course, if they don't, you can always hang some huge paddle up on the wall... :roll: :twisted: :twisted: :roll:

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

[dancin_feet]

Having been a child student of dance, I think I can answer this one from my experience.

Firstly I would not even attempt to teach someone who didn't want to learn. Especially with kids, they are probably already involved in enough things they don't want to do (certain subjects at school) that it would be hard to introduce something else. Sure get them to try it, but if they still don't want to do it, parents should not force them.

If they do want to try it, I would just treat them like any other student. Except for the more "adult" moves and concepts, I would teach them as much as they wanted to learn. Your approach, like with any sort of teaching, would depend on how they learn.