Your first dance teacher
- Thread starter chomsky
- Start date
?Tangos_with_Tim
Member
We were a bit worried when our first teacher left. He had been an OK teacher in terms of we learnt steps, but there was no comaraderie there, and he wasn't bothered with us beyond a certain point when it came to technique, so we figured a new teacher had a fair chance of being an improvement. It wasn't a big deal to get over to be honest!
A couple of months later, we landed our current teacher who we are really happy with, so it worked out in our favour. However, we are only social dancers, I guess when it comes to competition level the requirements on teaching quality become more exacting.
Are you looking about for a new teacher, or just waiting to see who replaces your old teacher at your school? If the former applies, try and find someone by personal recommendation - can your old teacher help with this? Either way, you'll just have to see how things go - if it doesn't work out, try someone else.
A couple of months later, we landed our current teacher who we are really happy with, so it worked out in our favour. However, we are only social dancers, I guess when it comes to competition level the requirements on teaching quality become more exacting.
Are you looking about for a new teacher, or just waiting to see who replaces your old teacher at your school? If the former applies, try and find someone by personal recommendation - can your old teacher help with this? Either way, you'll just have to see how things go - if it doesn't work out, try someone else.
chomsky
Well-Known Member
I am not looking, I am just wondering what will happen in case I have to change my teacher. I wouldn't like to be as dependent as I am now, you see.
It's the newbies worries, that's what it is. You don't know what will come next when you're so inexperienced. My fear is something bad is bound to happen especially when you put so much energy and hopes on a part of your life. It's a first for me, so if dance is everything then what happens when I lose it?
fascination
Site Moderator
zomg...that is about 20k of my 50k posts...answer = very hard, harder than it should have been...you live and you learn...you take the best and move on
GGinrhinestones
Well-Known Member
I went through this same questioning not too long ago, as no doubt pretty much everyone on this forum has (or will) at some point. In the end I realized I just had to ask myself why I am dancing and why I love it so much - because of dance, or because of my teacher? It's really a bit of both, but I finally did realize that it is dance. I did not, at least not yet, have to find a new teacher, but asking myself that question and coming to the conclusion that I would be okay dancing with someone else made me less dependent and actually made it more fun to dance with him. So it's a great question to ask and answer yourself, no matter your intent.
fascination
Site Moderator
thanks...he looks great...there are things about it with me that need improvement, but I still got it because it was the first comp where I got to do that particular move...the line is bad on me as well as the angle, and there is too much upper body tension, but it will improve...now...BOT...I think it is natural to develop a bond to your teacher in some way, to some degree....suffice it to call this an understatement; it is essential to keep it in perspective
chomsky
Well-Known Member
Wow!!!!! Couldn't agree with you more. What you said is so so true!!!
JudeMorrigan
Forum Master
My relationship with my first instructor was ... not a healthy one. I don't think that having a crush on one's instructor *has* to be a poisonous thing, but it certainly was in that case. In all honesty, moving on when I did was a relief. It helped that the instructor I moved on to was a significantly better instructor from the standpoint of dancing and that was the point I really moved to working on getting into something vaguely resembling competition shape. It added a nice bit of "no, it really is the dancing that I care about" to the transition.
Also: I like the new avatar too, fasc.
Also: I like the new avatar too, fasc.
fascination
Site Moderator
what Jude said...exactly
danceronice
Forum Master
Yep. It also depends on the circumstances of the split. (I'll just say 'bad' to 'nasty' and leave it at that.) OTOH, it was the BEST thing that could have happened as my NEW teachers were ten times better, plus allowed me to make the connections that resulted in my dancing with new pro once I moved, another very good thing.
Just think of it as an opportunity to move on and up if you must.
little watcher
Member
i have been blessed. i was with my first teacher 4 years. we had a good connection. he left the state to open a new studio. i was with my second teacher 4 years. he had more experience and was a better fit size-wise. he was injured during a performance, and i ended up leaving the area. i was with my next teacher 2 years, and we mostly worked on technique, not performance or choreography. that was my least good fit.
i currently alternate between two teachers. i find this very useful.
with each of my previous teachers, we have gone through the "crush" phase and the dependency phase. i think the advantage of multiple teachers (through time, as well as through alternation) is learning what parts of your dancing are "you" and what are you as part of a partnership. i would study/dance with any of my teachers again, anytime, any place.
transition was not easy, but it has gotten easier as i learn that "i" can dance, not just dance with my teacher. as much as i have enjoyed each of them, i would not have learned about my own dancing without the transitions.
agree about the new avatar
i currently alternate between two teachers. i find this very useful.
with each of my previous teachers, we have gone through the "crush" phase and the dependency phase. i think the advantage of multiple teachers (through time, as well as through alternation) is learning what parts of your dancing are "you" and what are you as part of a partnership. i would study/dance with any of my teachers again, anytime, any place.
transition was not easy, but it has gotten easier as i learn that "i" can dance, not just dance with my teacher. as much as i have enjoyed each of them, i would not have learned about my own dancing without the transitions.
agree about the new avatar
