My husband is hard of hearing (it is a processing issue, he can hear but not understand it fast enough for a class speed) and does not learn well in groups, but the cost of private lessons is way too high for us.

So I signed us up for two classes in the basics, one is focused on Tango, and the other on the basics of Waltz and Foxtrot.

But I know these are useful for my learning and useful for OUR practicing, but not so much for my hubby to learn.

I need some suggestions from the teachers out there, what to do with a student who over thinks everything and cannot hear the instructions?

He has a wonderful dance frame and loves classical music and can hear when music is right so much that his friends who are professional musicians occasionally ask his input when they know something is off but they cannot figure out what.

But a teacher speaking to an entire class--not gonna work-- so are private lessons the only option?

I'm thinking one private lesson, then practice in class, then another private lesson half way through the four week intro class--and maybe I can swing that cost.

But advice would be most welcome--perhaps there are other options?

Hi kaiara,

I don't know how classes are structured in you area, but when I teach we run private classes and then weekly practice classes, with professional teachers (including the teachers who run the classes) who can offer help on a 1 to 1 basis.

This would be a good option for you I feel. That way you can have the private lessons when you want and come to practice classes, practice, get tips on an area to work on, keep practising it and then book another private lesson to take things a stage further.

Hope this helps! :)

Where we are, there are group classes and for a much higher fee there are private lessons.

I think regular group class is around $45-$50 for a four week class; private lessons are $65 per hour for one couple, or if two couples share a lesson it is $75 for the hour.

Hubby really needs the full hour attention! Last time he spent more than half the time dancing with the instructor to get the hang of the basics. This was fine with me because I already knew those steps and only needed to stop "helping" him lead.

If I do private lessons for me, it will be to improve my ability to follow! I follow fine with other guys, but keep wanting to help my hubby and that is a no-no!! and needs nipped in the bud!

We don't have practice sessions, but there are monthly dances for practice.

Kaiara,

Speaking as a Sped Professor...With a processing defecit he probably does not learn auditorily and so anything we tell you along the lines of tape it or videotape or so on isn't going to work. We all will have good intentions but this more than just about private versus group.

Figure out your husband's learning style, and I am going to guess he is either a logical or visual learner, not kinesthetic or auditory. From his ability to think through problems with music etc. best guess is logical, and appeal to that way of learning. Let him see the dances in full glory and than pick them apart and discuss them and think about them. Perhaps even have him reason out why some things are done in some ways, and perhaps ways he would improve or not improve. Let him look at origins and emotion and from there he might have an easier time with the rest and it will speed the learning curve. That is assuming he is logical and global in learning style. He may be visual and that would alter my advice.

I would no matter what else get him a few of the better books and go through them, again not videos (too much info too fast and that is frustrating)and work through the dances at a different level. I found Alex Moore's book to be brilliant though it is directed at International Standard.

I got several DVD's and hubby got a program that works on the computer and allows him to slow the instruction to frame by frame so he can pick it apart.

He prefers to learn by doing, over and over and over, and my knees cannot handle too much repetition, and he only learns if I am with him.

it is a struggle because I learn totally differently than he does.

He only seeks to dance because I love it.

I believe the problem is much more fundamental..( apart from the "hearing " )

is it possible your expectations of how quickly everyone should learn, is the same ?

Men traditionally
are much slower in developing concepts ( in dance ) than ladies.. there are numerous reasons .

From your post, I gather that you are beginners, and may tend to judge your progress by those around you .Even if you attend regularly on a weekly basis, it is going to take several months before most men will adapt their taught lessonm, to practical terms .

Hi kaiara

In this situation, I would suggest following a group lesson you pick an element of the dance to work on and try to explain the concept to your husband in the best possible way. This way he will achieve things and you will both learn a lot quicker. He will feel confident having the techniques explained by you, as girls are faster learners and from experience over many years learn the guys concepts too!

Hope this helps! If you need help explaining things, let me know and I'll help!

Good luck :)

We have our DVD's loaded into a program called Handbrake, which allows us to slow the instruction down and still have good image quality and even some audio if you don't slow it too far.

I mean to use it as review and discussion of movements.

But I cannot learn from a DVD, I learn best in a classroom where we keep trading partners. In short, the way classes here are run, I do well.

But hubby will not trade partners because it is too miserable for him!

You just need to repeat the class.There is nothing wrong with repeating a level.Ballet dancers do Piles the rest of their lives they keep repeating.He just needs repatition for now and just be patient.