How much does a dance teacher's personality matter?

[pygmalion]

We all have people that we click with, and people that we don't in every area of our lives, I'm sure. And that goes for dance teachers as well as anyone else. Question: How much does your dance teacher's personality matter to you? Do you have to like your teacher in order to learn from her/him?

I know quite a few people who have switched teachers or even quit dancing because of a personality conflict with a dance teacher. On the other hand, I also know quite a few who see the dance teacher as a coach and who put aside personal conflicts in order to get good training.

Where do you stand?

[SDsalsaguy]

Where do you stand?
On my feet! :tongue:

[pygmalion]

:doh: Never would have thought of that, silly. Well, that's the last time I spend my wee morning hours thinking up witty and thought-provoking stuff to post. So there! :tongue: :lol:

[SDsalsaguy]

Ok, this is a tangent, but it's dance related and important, so here it is... actually remembering to stand over your feet is one of the most overlooked keys to successful dancing! It's all well and good to try adding fancier moves, patterns, styling, or what have you to your dancing... but where are you standing? If your body lines up over your foot, i.e. you're really standing on it, you're on balance and able to control and direct your movement as needed...

[pygmalion]

Yes. The concept of knowing where your weight really is, and controlling weight transfer, is key. That's actually on my list of threads to start in the future.

But for now, how much does a dance teacher's personality matter to you? Anyone? :D

[borikensalsero]

Oh Boy... Here we go... This one hits home because I really had an instructor who was a total HOLE...

I don't mind the instructor who expects perfection and has a hard will, however, are profesional enough to not look down upon a student and above all doesn't dis-respect the student. He/She who knows when to give a kick to the rear end, and when to give a hug or tap a shoulder in understandment.

However, I do mind the isntructors who believe you are dancing as you are because of them. The ones who go out of their way to make your dancing life impossible. The ones who throw the attitude around when questioned. The ones who could care less if you learn, but are more than happy to tell you when you owe money. Basically those instructors who aren't people oriented. If you don't know how to deal with people you shouldn't be teaching.

I had one instructor who was by far the cleanest, most skilled social dancer I've ever seen, yet all his skills didn't make up for his horrible attitude. I stayed as long as I could in hopes to figure him out and learn the most I could from him, but after a couple bad disputes between him and I, because of his foul attitude, I decided to thank him for his time and teaching and move on. I finally realized that if I'm going to become the best dancer I can be, It won't be because my instructor's qualifications but because I desire to be the best dancer I can be.

Now, as soon as I get to know an instructors attitude and deem it worth not my time, I move on. I rather learn from someone less qualified but more suited for an interpersonal relationship, than the instructor who thinks the world owes him because he can't be touched on the dancefloor.

After all if I'm going to get there it will be because I want to not because my instructor has been there.

[Spitfire]

The previous owner of the studio I attend was indeed a rude and abrupt person who just didn't have any understanding of how to handle people. This is why she was out of business in a year; and I might add left town is disgrace.

Can you imagine going to a dance and someone calling out your name and with a serious expression on their face pointing to someone as a gesture to demand you dance with that person? She did this a lot. She also was the only teacher I ever knew who would tell you not in these same words that your dancing sucks! :o

Was a shame since otherwise she was a good teacher.

[SDsalsaguy]

Fine Jenn, I’ll actually post on topic… :sigh:

I think the personality match is quite important, but it also depends on what you mean by “teacher.” I think you can think someone is an @$$ and still get something out of a group class that they teach. For private lessons, however, I think the compatible personalities become a lot more important. Even here though, I think working for a couple of lessons with a specialist or visiting coach can be workable – certainly not ideal, but still workable. If, on the other hand, we’re talking about your regular, home teacher/coach, it’s a different matter entirely. Your teacher is someone you need to feel supported by and as if they have an investment in you and your dancing…

[Taita]

Good Question Jenn,

I tend to have a pretty thick skin about these things. For me, I think of it as something I asked for and am paying for. I am paying for a coach to teach me what they know. If the coach is very pleasant and gets along well, even better! Sometimes the coach has a huge ego and rubs me the wrong way. In these situations, I am comfortable with myself enough to not let that bother me and to focus on the lesson.

There is a coach that I work with on occassion with a gigantic ego. Considering his many accomplishments and the breadth of his knowledge, some might say his ego is deservedly large. There are even a number of dancers that shy away from working with him because of his ego (To me, that just makes him more available for lessons! :wink:). During lessons, he has given me his honest opinion in a way that may seem harsh and would cause others to cringe. However, by setting aside my own ego, I have found he is by far the most outstanding coach I have ever worked with. By staying focused on my outcome, I find I can learn from anyone and enjoy it at the same time!

back to lurk mode.... 8)

[SDsalsaguy]

Enough of you and this lurking thing Taita...give it up! Anyway, I understand where you're coming from... but do you think that such a dynamic would work if this was your primary coach? I guess that, overall, that would also depend on what one means by such a coach, how often one takes lessons with them, what one's dance goals are, etc., etc.,...

[Taita]

LOL! I think I can hardly give up lurking in the company of many such articulate and knowledgeable dancers in this community. You guys write such excellent posts, my input is hardly needed.

Back to the question.....

I am very blessed to be working with a partner who has similar goals to mine. But to answer your question, the only reason why he is not our primary coach is because of his availability. Yes, he still has a huge ego and can be rough to work with sometimes, once he even spent half of the lesson talking on his cell phone! Even still, we work with him just about every other week and we are quite happy with the results so far.

Back to lurk mode... 8)

[SDsalsaguy]

LOL! I think I can hardly give up lurking in the company of many such articulate and knowledgeable dancers in this community. You guys write such excellent posts, my input is hardly needed.
I will be more then happy to start posting absolute drivel if that is what it takes to lure you out of lurker status… Some other members of the forums might object to my new postings however, and I wouldn’t want you to be subject to the brunt of their ensuing wrath… so why don’t you just stop lurking?

[pygmalion]

For me, it's all about the dancing. I'd prefer to have a teacher I like, but my first priority is to get a teacher I can learn from.

My first teacher had the world's biggest and most fragile ego, and was sometimes verbally abusive as well. I mean, the guy literally had screaming fits at his students. But I took lessons from him for over a year -- because I thought he was the best available (WRONG! :lol: ) and I wanted to learn dance badly enough to put up with any abuse.

Now, I've been blessed with a coach I trust completely, and also like as a person. AND who's a good teacher. The best of all possible combinations. But truthfully, considering what a good teacher he is, he'd have to be pretty obnoxious for me to switch to someone else.

For me, learning to dance is what it's all about, and it's just like any other working relationship. It's certainly easier and more fun if you like your coworkers. But you don't have to like them to get the job done.

But that's just me. Others differ, I'm sure. *shrug*

[Sarah]

Where do you stand?
On my feet! :tongue:
As opposed to standing on someone else's? :D

Cheers
Sarah

[SDsalsaguy]

Where do you stand?
On my feet! :tongue:
As opposed to standing on someone else's? :D
Hey, I've seen plenty of people do this...especially while dancing!

[Danish Guy]

Later, you can take lessons from a pro with attitudes

But as a beginner, half scared, or with high or low expectations, there have to be some common understanding and a positive atmosphere to keep the beginners going.

[MissAlyssa]

Most definetly. People buy people. If I had a student that wasn't going to continue dancing because of me I would get them a different instructor.

[HothouseSalsero]

I agree that it matters a lot more for private lessons. When I first started taking privates, I was incredibly nervous about the whole thing. My teacher was supportive and non-threatening enough to get me through that initial awkwardness, and I'm not sure that just anyone could have done that.

She also isn't the sort to over-praise, which was great for me, because I can find that distracting. I didn't need to be motivated, I just needed to be made comfortable.