Learning to Dance from Video

[pygmalion]

I currently have a library of about 100 dance videos, and am shopping for more.

What do you think about the relative value of learning dance from videos?

[dancersdreamland]

Hmm...I like learning from video. It's a nice, inexpensive, personal way to learn a dance. You don't have to worry about looking like a fool in front of other people, and it's a good way to get an idea if you like a particular style of dance.

The major downfall of dance by video is that you don't get any feedback, positive or negative, about what your doing. No one can correct your technique and you coould learn something entirely wrong. Additionally, there is no social interaction with video learning.

Keep on dancin' sista...whether it's by book, video, lessons, or just simply moving with your feelings...keep on dancin!!!! :D

[will35]

I've seen some videos, but I think it takes a certain kind of person to learn from them. Another thing I have tried is to video myself dancing. It's a bit of a shock to find out that what I thought I was doing before watching the video is not what I was doing at all, and not as good as what I thought.

[SDsalsaguy]

While I have any number of videos myself, honestly one cannot learn real quality of movement from a video...if for no other reason then that what you see is only the end result, or packaging, if you will, of any action. Similarly, there is a huge difference between in person observation and awareness of three-dimensional movement then the same motion(s) compressed into only two dimensions.

Will’s point is a different matter though…seeing one’s self on video is invaluable, as it lets you learn the relationship between what your movement feels like to do vs. what it presents as to anyone outside of your own skin.

[pygmalion]

Yup. I use my "training" videos primarily to practice or reinforce things I've learned in my private lessons.

Videos of myself dancing, however, are a different story. Even thirty seconds of Jenn-video is worth thousands of coaching words! :shock: Yikes! Yuck! And a great learning experience.

[pygmalion]

Does anybody else use videos differently? I've seen a lot of salsa folks asking about training videos. Anyone?

[pygmalion]

Oh yeah, and, while I'm at it, let me tell you a funny/weird story. Not long after I started dancing, I got turned onto dancevision, and bought a bunch of videos. About $500 worth. I took them to the dance studio the next day to show my teacher what I had bought. And he STOLE MY VIDEOS! :shock: He said he was borrowing them so we could use them together in my lessons, but many months laters, I finally had to ask for them back. Wonder what that was about? He clearly understood the value of dance videos, not? :?:

[SDsalsaguy]

This was your franchise instructor, right Jenn? :wink:

[pygmalion]

Obviously. :lol:

My independent instructor and I share videos all the time. No problem.

The franchise guy I'm referring to was one of the two sleazeball instructors I've had. This is just me, but I believe he didn't want me watching those videos because I could potentially learn something about dance without having to pay him for it. Twisted. :twisted:

Incidentally, I don't feel I'm good enough yet to use videos as a primary form of instruction. Maybe one day, but not now.

[SDsalsaguy]

Aside from learning without paying him, I'd also hazard a guess that he was afraid you'd be able to call him on all the things he didn't know. Let's face it, the people on most of the videos know what they're talking about!

[pygmalion]

Yup. And he didn't have a clue what he was talking about, much of the time. No way he could compete with Jim and Jenelle Maranto or Ron Montez. Ha! :lol: