Private lessons - How time is spent

T

tiny.dancer

New Member
I have recently started private lessons with a new instructor. We spend a lot of time talking and far less time dancing than I would prefer or am used to. I am somewhat of a beginner (dancing for a little less than 6 months) so I understand that my instructor may feel the need to explain the physics or ideas behind what I am learning. I have already (as diplomatically as possible) asked once to spend more of the lesson actually dancing, but it hasn't changed much. I also try not to ask questions anymore as I am afraid that the time it takes my instructor to answer will detract from precious time spent dancing!

I was wondering what everyone else's experience has been regarding this issue. When learning something as physical as dancing, no doubt it is necessary to have some discussion, but how important is verbal communication compared to "physical communication"?

Thanks!
 
welcome!

I certainly have witnessed students who come to a lesson just wanting to dance....

And while a good teacher needs to be able to balance the "teaching" with the "dancing"....I would say many teachers feel they need to give lots of information to you... because they may think that you can dance and practise as much as you want outside the lesson, but during the lesson they want to "Teach" you as much as they can.....

With Pro/Am students I always have a balancing.... one lesson may be pure information and explaining/technique.....and then another lesson just dancing through the routines....

Are you a competing student?




tiny.dancer said:
I have recently started private lessons with a new instructor. We spend a lot of time talking and far less time dancing than I would prefer or am used to. I am somewhat of a beginner (dancing for a little less than 6 months) so I understand that my instructor may feel the need to explain the physics or ideas behind what I am learning. I have already (as diplomatically as possible) asked once to spend more of the lesson actually dancing, but it hasn't changed much. I also try not to ask questions anymore as I am afraid that the time it takes my instructor to answer will detract from precious time spent dancing!

I was wondering what everyone else's experience has been regarding this issue. When learning something as physical as dancing, no doubt it is necessary to have some discussion, but how important is verbal communication compared to "physical communication"?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
I guess the only advice I could give is try to find somebody you're more compatible with. My first teacher was like yours, he was always talking about something else... but he was dictating how much we would cover... My new teacher is just willing to work with me on whatever I want to learn, at the pace I want to learn it. You're paying for it, you should get what you want out of it. But I don't think you can do much to change someone's teaching style/methods.
 
Leonid Turetsky said:
With Pro/Am students I always have a balancing.... one lesson may be pure information and explaining/technique.....and then another lesson just dancing through the routines....

Are you a competing student?
Click to expand...

What do you mean by explaining/technique? Does this mean you spend a whole lesson just discussing or is there just more discussion compared to lessons during which you dance through routines?

For various reasons, it doesn't make sense for me to compete at this point, but I take learning to dance very seriously and would eventually like to compete. I would like to stay with this instructor, but I just wonder whether or not I am being unreasonable or too impatient, wanting to dance all the time, or if I should place more value on verbal explanations. Ironically, my instructor likes to talk a lot of about connection and stressing that the only way to really learn is by putting in the mileage...!
 
How much time I spend in a lesson actually dancing vs. verbal teaching can vary a lot based on what we're working on at the time. Sometimes we need to hear things three different ways for it to make sense!:rolleyes:

However, my situtation sounds a bit different as I compete with an amateur partner...so I know that I'll get plenty of actual dance time in practice.

So...I figure I'm paying to learn...and that takes more than one form--Provided its not excessive and I actually am learning from the verbal communication, this doesn't bother me.
 
With my current teacher, well, he does not stop dancing to explain certain things. My lesson goes pretty fast because we dance a lot and he gives me a lot of information as well.
 
Well yes i agree that even on explaining/technique type of lessons, I would still have them do it and try it out and then stop them and discuss what I want them to improve... and then again they try it.... its a cycle....

I do agree just talking, without any dancing at all, can lead to a frustrating lesson.


tiny.dancer said:
What do you mean by explaining/technique? Does this mean you spend a whole lesson just discussing or is there just more discussion compared to lessons during which you dance through routines?

For various reasons, it doesn't make sense for me to compete at this point, but I take learning to dance very seriously and would eventually like to compete. I would like to stay with this instructor, but I just wonder whether or not I am being unreasonable or too impatient, wanting to dance all the time, or if I should place more value on verbal explanations. Ironically, my instructor likes to talk a lot of about connection and stressing that the only way to really learn is by putting in the mileage...!
Click to expand...
 
this is difficult to diagnose from afar...a good instructor will take time to explain and show technique...they may even want you to try to do it alone, but I would also be leary of someone who spent the bulk of their time talking and not dancing...again, alot of this depends on your stated goals and on the calibre of the instructor
 
Leonid Turetsky said:
Well yes i agree that even on explaining/technique type of lessons, I would still have them do it and try it out and then stop them and discuss what I want them to improve... and then again they try it.... its a cycle....

I do agree just talking, without any dancing at all, can lead to a frustrating lesson.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. It should be done both ways, not one side. My previous teacher was totally opposite. We spent a lot for just dancing. Guess what? I ended up with switching a teacher. :(
 
sure... the issue here is whether or not the explanations are followed by attempts to execute the information...because talking without intent or purpose is as bad as dancing without intent or purpose...at least at the beginning...imo...one has to have an intentionality about what they are doing and a chance to do it
 
My previous coach, who I thought was an excellent teacher even though he may not be a top notch dancer, said that there are 4 main ways of learning for different people: Listening, Visual, something else I forgot, and doing/feeling for yourself? (Lol I think I butchered his teachings...)

Anyway, he varies his teaching methods by how the individual students learn. He said I learn best by watching, feeling and doing, so he usually shows me what needs to be done, have me feel the muscles on his body that he wants me to focus on, and then I go do it rightaway. With some of his other students, I have seen him spend more time talking and discussing. So maybe this coach has his reason for doing things this way?
 
In a 45 min lesson, I may spend about 5 minutes dancing together with my instructor. The rest of the time the instructor demonstrates or explains a concept or technique. Then I have to try it multiple times on my own before she deem that it is acceptable for us to try together. When that fails, the cycle repeats.
 
I agree with fasc...difficult to diagnose from afar. Questions come to mind...Is he the sort that just likes to hear himself speak and is taking the long way around? Is he wasting time on non-dance-related chit-chat? Or is this bonafide taking the time to address some technique fundamentals important at the beginning? Did you at any point express to him that you wanted to emphasize technique? That in itself is an invite to more talk.

I made that request early on and we spent many months in deep technique without much real dancing, but there was always physical demonstration with me of what we were working on. More recently, when I left off with my lessons, it was mostly all dancing with very little chit-chat.

Different phases, changing objectives, evolving points along the continuum of learning will naturally change the talk/dancing ratio, IME.

Also, am remembering my first instructor was very "schmoozy" and talked a great portion of each lesson on stuff that wasn't dance-related. My current pro (tho it's been months since last lesson...) has never done that. Quite unthinkable, really.
 
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