Statements that your coaches have made with which you have disagreed

[DanceMentor]

Look, I know this thread is getting side tracked, but I can think right off the top of my head many, many coaches that teach social dancers. Just to give an example, Glenn Weiss regularly works with Victor and Anastasia AND he teaches quite a few less serious dancers too who don't compete and are often seen dancing socially. When a teacher a skill for teaching, people are going to seek them out.
(and when they say some "scr3wed up" things, they are going to push people away!)

 

[Mr 4 styles]

a dance professional can be a teacher to some and a coach to others and choreographer to yet others

i would have thought that was self apparent

and yes you can get coaching on a show dance... lets just get that covered too

 

[wooh]

Does it really matter if you call someone a "coach" or a "teacher"? Unless you want to be snooty about it, with a, "Oh, I'm going to get coaching!!" because seeing a dance teacher is somehow beneath you, as if you no longer need to be taught anything, only "coached."

 

[fascination]

honestly, I have no idea why we are even splitting those hairs....bottom line for me is that, whatever a professional wishes to be called, if they take your money they should be open to teaching you and to hearing what your priorities for yourself are and you should be willing to respect their perspective as an expert....if not, don't pay/take the money

 

[rels77]

Back to the original topic. I had a very fancy name coach tell me that heel leads were fine in bolero - "because they're more natural." Uh, no. Probably best to keep your coaching to smooth

 

[Dr Dance]

Thank you Larinda for clarifying your point. I do get the idea that a non competitor may be better off not paying exhorbitant amounts of cash for top level pros to teach them technique. I tend to agree. But still... this is up to each individual to make that choice. And as a non competitor, I have found that I can get high level teaching from lower and moderately priced pros. I simply needed to look harder to find this!

I also agree with your point about "being emotionally vested" in your students who are demonstrating that they are "serious." I do get that you don't want to "waste your time" with the fly by nights who may only have a passing interest in dancing's finer points. This is your prerogative. I don't believe that anyone is taking issue with this. Nor should they.

My issue was a face value reaction to ex coach's statement, "If you are not competing, then you are simply wasting your time." Even if that were true, it's still my time to use how I see fit. A lot of my reaction had to do with his presentation.

Perhaps his pill would have been easier to swallow if he had phrased it differently, "Are you sure that you just aren't wasting your time by not competing?" That would have at least allowed room for dialogue and possibly a further expounding of his point. But as it was, it came off as judgmental and more than a little rude.

 

[Dr Dance]

Of course social dancers of which I am one (as well as compete not mutually exclusive) care about technique. They just probably wouldn't spend 250 dollars for 45 minutes with miss Shirley to have Coaching on Latin rumba walks

Generally speaking, the "more qualified" teachers and coaches do charge more. But I have found that it isn't always true that an expensive teacher is great while a bargain basement priced teacher is not so great.

 

[Dr Dance]

And I think sometimes no matter how good you are you don't always click with someone. It's normal. Life goes on in most cases, although not sure what Larinda does with the non-committed.

She'd like to have them committed.

 

[Mr 4 styles]

I didn't say that Dr D. ...but it can vary i agree

 

[vit]

My issue was a face value reaction to ex coach's statement, "If you are not competing, then you are simply wasting your time." Even if that were true, it's still my time to use how I see fit. A lot of my reaction had to do with his presentation.

I don't know much about earlier history of ballroom dancing (there are some respectable members who do and may correct me about this), but it looks like competing has been a kind of driving force in ballroom during at least recent 6-7 decades. So preparing for competitions is actually integral part of whole learning process. Without it, ballroom dancing wouldn't be the same. So it's understandable that ballroom teachers think like this. Although nobody so far said me that I'm wasting time by taking their lessons and not wanting to compete anymore, I have a strong feeling that most of my teachers so far didn't really understand why I'm doing this and I think all of them asked me at least to consider competing as senior

 

[Dr Dance]

I didn't say that Dr D. (edit by me: "that more expensive teachers are always better than less expensive ones") ...but it can vary i agree

Agreed. Less expensive teachers that are outstanding at teaching technique may have other drawbacks that would prompt them to charge less for lessons to bring in more students. They may only be mediocre dancers themselves. They may be personally challenging and difficult people. At the risk of appearing to be sexist, such teachers may be physically unattractive. (Oh come on guys! You KNOW that beauty is a factor!! Admit it!)

:shout: