brujo
08-28-2003, 03:13 AM
Hiya all,
In toronto, there is a school that has a volunteer instructor program, where advanced dancers show up to a beginner's level and either serve as teachers or lead/follows. Most volunteer instructors know both the men's and women's parts, so if the male-female ratio is off, they can function as both ( most often the men are follows ).
My experience is that the program works best when the volunteer instructors are lead/follows with less experienced students. The student gets the individualized attention that is found in a private lesson at a lower price, many subtle things like leading and connection can be corrected that might not be detected in a larger group lesson, and there is less of the 'what the hell are we doing' vibe that goes on in lessons where both the lead and follow are in the same level.
However, I find that when some volunteer instructors explain a turn pattern, they usually end up rushing through the steps, and the student doesn't get the detailed pattern breakdown that more senior dancers and instructors (who actually earn a living dancing) can provide.
In my beginner/intermediate class, most of the women I've talked to that are volunteer instructors have been dancing for a year or more, while some of the men have been doing it at least 2 or 3 years. On a good day, the volunteer instructor - student ratio is about 1 to 1.
A bonus to the experience is that students get to know dancers that are more established in the salsa scene.
Is this done anywhere else? What do you guys think about it?
In toronto, there is a school that has a volunteer instructor program, where advanced dancers show up to a beginner's level and either serve as teachers or lead/follows. Most volunteer instructors know both the men's and women's parts, so if the male-female ratio is off, they can function as both ( most often the men are follows ).
My experience is that the program works best when the volunteer instructors are lead/follows with less experienced students. The student gets the individualized attention that is found in a private lesson at a lower price, many subtle things like leading and connection can be corrected that might not be detected in a larger group lesson, and there is less of the 'what the hell are we doing' vibe that goes on in lessons where both the lead and follow are in the same level.
However, I find that when some volunteer instructors explain a turn pattern, they usually end up rushing through the steps, and the student doesn't get the detailed pattern breakdown that more senior dancers and instructors (who actually earn a living dancing) can provide.
In my beginner/intermediate class, most of the women I've talked to that are volunteer instructors have been dancing for a year or more, while some of the men have been doing it at least 2 or 3 years. On a good day, the volunteer instructor - student ratio is about 1 to 1.
A bonus to the experience is that students get to know dancers that are more established in the salsa scene.
Is this done anywhere else? What do you guys think about it?