Group Lessons - Ouch!

[elisedance]

Find the best instructor you can afford and learn to dance like them. my coach always said, "dancers teach dancers who teach dancers who teach teachers." Go to the source of the information. Often in the US, you can find coaches who are either world champions/finalist or one removed from them

[er, dance pro included... BB ]

 

[_malakawa_]

Find the best instructor you can afford and learn to dance like them. my coach always said, "dancers teach dancers who teach dancers who teach teachers." Go to the source of the information. Often in the US, you can find coaches who are either world champions/finalist or one removed from them

with this i don't agree. no body is dancing the same way.

you need to find a best instructor that will make you a good dancer.

 

[dancepro]

Find the best instructor you can afford and learn to dance like them. my coach always said, "dancers teach dancers who teach dancers who teach teachers." Go to the source of the information. Often in the US, you can find coaches who are either world champions/finalist or one removed from them

I agree that you should find the best instructor you can possible afford.

There is quit a few world finalists and one removed from them in the US. All you have to do is start doing some research. Some of the world finalists are not advertising their achievement for different reasons. Just of the top of my head I can think of a least 12 coaches in the US that are either world champions amateur or world professional finalists. To find one removed from shouldn't be that difficult if you would ask the world finalists for students that they have trained.

I would however say that you shouldn't copy everything about the coach, find a way to develop your own personality. Copy the good technique and at the same time find out what is special about you and develop that.

Dancepro

 

[Terpsichorean Clod]

I do think you can learn a lot from group classes. I, myself was trained the first 3 years with group classes only. Mind you I was in my teens and didn't have the money to take privates. I had to pay for all my dancing by myself. I was lucky that the studio I was trained in, had both step classes and technique classes. There was 10 technique classes (all 10 international dances) and only two step classes (one for standard and one for latin) a week. I know several dancers that have ended up as national champions and even world finalists having been trained in group classes only. So if the group classes is constructed the right way, the teacher has the knowledge and the students are willing to learn, then you can go really far with group classes. I have however noticed that many studios in the US use the least experienced teachers for the group classes and that will of cause not produce high level dancing. You need to look at the teachers teaching the classes and the policy of the content of the classes for each studio to determine if you should go the group class way or the private lesson way.

Dancepro

Wow! A ratio of 5:1! We have a ratio of 5:1...the other way. Among the studios in my area offering standard classes, I count 23 for choreography and 4.5 (one is every other week) for technique. A few are taught by former U.S. and world finalists. I think up until recently, there was another taught by Glenn Weiss.

 

[waltzguy]

I would however say that you shouldn't copy everything about the coach, find a way to develop your own personality. Copy the good technique and at the same time find out what is special about you and develop that.

Dancepro

I agree so much. You are your own fingerprint in the dance world.