students
On Teaching Dance…
I don’t think my students know how much I love teaching.
There is something almost magical about imparting your knowledge in a way that it comes out in someone else’s technique. It is an amazing feeling that is hard to describe. When you are a dancer, you are self-focused. When you are a teacher, you are other focused. Different mindset.
Catherine L. Tully, 1987
It is both challenging and freeing to have this shift in focus. The challenge is in figuring out how to take what is in your head, heart and muscles and translate that into something that makes sense to your students. Not having to focus on your own technique is the “freeing” aspect. You are free to spend that energy helping someone else perfect theirs. It’s a wonderful thing!
I always thought I would love dancing more than teaching. Truth is, I love them both, but teaching is the perfect fit for me at this point in my life. I’m older, and quite frankly, it hurts to do much of what I enjoyed doing in dance. Now I get more joy out of helping others reach their potential–whatever that means for them as an individual.
I love teaching for so many reasons, but probably the biggest one is its similarity to performance in terms of concentration. When I was on stage, I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than what I was doing. I never was aware of the audience–I never saw the conductor. Much like that, when I am teaching, the outside world drops off for me. The only thing that exists for that hour and a half is my students and the music.
And there’s nothing quite like that feeling.
And I’d love to know if anyone out there can relate to that.
Dance Teaching Tip: Left-Handed Students
Let’s get this out of the way…
I’m a lefty. And yes, that is why I am doing this post.
As a left-handed dancer I know that there are a few special challenges that teachers should be aware of. For one thing, learning turns may go better on the left side. This is actually a safety issue when you are working on teaching pirouettes for the first time.
I always ask my students if there are any lefties in the room, just so I am aware of the fact that they may have more difficulty picking up combinations that are demonstrated and done first on the right side.
Not all dancers follow handedness in the dance classroom, however. For example–even though I am left-handed, my turns are better on the right. Each student will need to be assessed individually to discover their strengths and challenges. Still, if you are aware of them, you will be more effective as an instructor.
If you have not yet asked your students about this…consider incorporating it into your class. For some students it can really make a world of difference.
Teaching Tip: About Practicing At Home
I have beginning students ask me what they can practice at home to improve their dancing. My usual answer is…nothing. As a new student (especially in ballet), doing steps at home can actually be a bad thing. If the student doesn’t understand technique, they can begin to develop bad habits which can be very hard to break.
This view may seem extreme, but I have found it is a good one to advocate. When students have some knowledge of technique it is fine to give suggestions for practice, but with a rank beginner it is better that they come to class and learn how to do the movements right first. Understand the theory behind things a bit before they try to do it on their own. In my opinion it would be better for them to double up and take two classes if they want to get more practice.
It’s something to think about if you are a new teacher, or if you have never taught beginning students. Be ready with an answer–you are sure to be asked.
5Teaching Tip: Beating Burnout
If you are feeling burnt out and wonder if your dance students are able to tell…guess what? They already know.
Chances are good that by the time you are feeling fried, you have been teaching on auto-pilot for a while already. Students are the first to notice. What is the best remedy? It’s different for everyone, but here are some simple things you can try to shake off the blahs:
+ Take a class. Mine some ideas from another teacher. It’s ok. You’ll put your own stamp on them. It’s good to get new perspectives and we can all learn from each other. This is a great way to find new things to do in class.
+ Take a break. Get a substitute and go to the movies for the day. Sometimes just clearing your head is all that is needed to refresh yourself. This can be especially true if you teach multiple classes. It’s hard to give your all when you are constantly going.
