Instructors disorganised ?

Welcome to the world of dance !!--

There are organised and dis-- people in the world-- little to do with capability or knowledge .

ALL my teachers ( when I had schools ) were given a lesson plan ( all chains do this as well )

Even today, when I teach my social groups , I have a format and a sequence of events that seldom vary .

If one were trained in the Medal test system ( as in the UK ) then very strict rules applied .

BUT-- even if social is the name of the game--- one should apply the same or like, rules .

I can assure you- not ALL teachers are that haphazard in their approach .

"Anonymous. Mainly nobody would be able to say that that person allowed us to do the basics incorrectly. The instructions would be spoken and the pupils directed to the clearly stated instructions for all to see either on a print out, or better still on the wall. And also ask questions like on a Whisk in the Waltz. Is there any turn for the man on step three. Is there turn for the lady. This they would have been told the first time the Whisk was introduced. I've heard so many times before, Its only a Social class. We don't bother about footwork. What they do bother about is taking the money at the door though."

It's not that teachers shouldn't make reference to reference materials, recite book details as they walk the class through a figure, or even post charts or use handouts.

It's that real teachers know that these things on their own do not capture what it means to dance. They are supplements alone, and if they replace real live instruction as the source of authority the result is not dancing. If given more attention than their due, the absoluteness of these incomplete written descriptions is harmful rather than helpful.

But used as a supplement or memory or organizational aid for what's presented in class - that's great.

The Basic Technique must be learnt first. It repeats its self continuously throughout the dance you are doing. The person who if they make a mistake and have difficulty starting again. If the had learnt their groups in eight bar sequences they would have no difficulty starting into either there first group or there third group
or and so on.
And ask questions on the simple things they have been told. Like explain in 8 words the rise and fall in the Waltz on the first step of a Natural Turn for the person going forward. And then ask in two words on the same step for the person going backwards. Made you stop and think didn't it. That's what is needed. Think and know what you are doing.

You couldnt be farther from the truth.

The 2 things most important to an absolute beginner ?-- Direction and Speed.

It is impossible to add techn. to movement that does not exist .


If it were ( as I have said ) a medal test class, then yes, break it down to an acceptable level .

The majority of " older " students are more interested in negotiating a dance floor, than being concerned with techn. in the early stages of development .( have tried all methods over the last 50 yrs-- this ALWAYS works best )

I am of course refering to Social style .

Terence. Without wheels you can't have direction and speed neither can you with a flat tyre or tyres. Its like painting a surface. If you put the wrong paint on everything that goes over it afterwards is doomed to failure. Get that Basic footwork correct from the beginning.
I wonder what might happen if you hung a sign outside your studio saying come inside and learn to Waltz. If it could be proved that you were able to teach correctly and didn't bother. If this went to court. I wonder how the judge would rule. What do you think. Is it too much.
If the majority of older students are more interested in negotiating a dance floor than being concerned with technique in the early stages of developement ( your words ). Surely a Heel. Toe. Toe Heel isn't too much for even the older student, and for the younger also.

I think you missed my point-- being an examiner, of course I realise the importance-- but -- like all things-- you must consider context.

Rudimentary footwork such as heels and toes is always mentioned -- but that is hardly " technique " .

And--- I still disagree with your analogy-- just because someone does NOT have correct techn., it does not imply that they are unable to get around a dance floor-- even if in very poor fashion.
Even tho I am now in the UK, I still teach the Amer. social style for ALL latin and smooth .I get immediate results ( with few exceptions ) and thats why they keep coming back !!

For most, a dance floor is for movement to music (often but not necessarily with a partner) that is positively meaningful. I would evaluate instruction in that context, i.e., does it advance "movement to music that is positively meaningful."

Wasn't it Martha Graham who said:

Freedom to a dancer means discipline.
That is what technique is for—liberation.

This is an interesting discussion. Let me add something in a little different direction. Suppose you really wanted to add some technique on the wall. Lets take rise and fall for example, since that is the example which started this discussion. Let's assume you want to explain "commence to rise at the end of one". Remember the people reading this do not have your background. A beginner (or even the average social dancer) reading this will probably make some bad assumptions about what it means, or have no clue at all about what it means, so just writing "commence to rise at the end of one" will serve no purpose. Writing this is far more complex than you may think intil you sit down to do it. Here are some of the items that must be explained for this to have any meaning.

1. What dance(s) does this apply to?
2. How many different ways can this be applied in the same dance, for example in different directions. Are there exceptions?
3. How is it different in each dance, for example waltz and foxtrot. What about quickstep? Oh, and this will get even the advance dancers and many instructors, how is rise and fall done in bronze American foxtrot?
4. When is 1? When is the end of one? Is it a point in time or a period of time? Is this a step number or a unit of music? Are they the same? Are they sometimes different?
5. What is the definition of rise.
6. How do you do rise? Is footwork part of rise? Are there exceptions? What is footwork?
7. What is commence? How much is commence?

How big is that wall?

I saw this attempted once. After most the above questions were either answered or assumed, the article attempted to explain just the lowering action for a foot closure in waltz. It took 4 type written pages to describe, and still it was somewhat unclear. I'm sure someone may be able to do better, but it isn't easy. Even if you are able to write something that covers only a few of these items, the only person that will ever read it will probably be Anymouse.

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. A video much more. I don't think anyone has ever estimated how many words a teacher is worth.

I just wonder how many of the respondees are teachers ? .

Pragmatism sometimes has to supplant the "will " of the teacher.

Of course I would LIKE all my classes to be of the highest technical instruction-- reality and multi yrs of experience, has taught me my wishes are not always the best remedy for sustaining a class-- it is-- after all is said and done -- a business .