Inexperienced students believe what their instructors tell them, so virtually nothing is "beyond their beliefs." They lack the judgment to discern otherwise.

I must take issue with your implication that US trained instructors may be somewhat less - shall we say "forthcoming" - than "English pros." The behavior of professionals is determined more by the market in which they compete than by the source of their training. I have had good and bad experiences with both.

But this entire argument is getting away from the point of this thread. moxie obviously needs an activity which will give her both some exercise and some relief from stress. Ballroom dancing is an excellent choice UNLESS she gets into the clutches of an unscrupulous studio (and notice that I said "studio" in my original response and not "instructor"). With all that she has going on in her life, the stress of a poor choice of studio could be very painful and even damaging to her, hence the severity of my warning.

jj

I've never had an dance instructor - franchise or independent - tell me that I'm a "natural" or otherwise "puff up" my abilities.

JJ, I feel sorry for you, but you must accept the fact that we've not all had the same negative experience that you've had. You obviously carry a lot of anger. Does it occur to you that you might be insulting Moxie's intelligence in addition to insulting every professional instructor with integrity? (Yes, they are out there!) Moxie, work it out! Dancing CAN change your life for the better! Get in touch with Terence.

Gee, did you make up that ID just to respond to me? I'm flattered.

While not all of you may have had negative experiences, many have and I would alert moxie to the potential for difficulties. She's clearly not in a position to add more problems to an already burdened agenda.

No, I don't believe that I'm insulting her intelligence. I have some experience dealing with younger adults and am fully aware that their desire to dance (and moxie clearly displays that desire) can compromise their critical capacities as consumers.

moxie also complains about depression, something else with which I have some experience. I know that depression, like anticipation, can interfere with one's judgment.

I have also dealt with enough professionals to know that those with integrity don't care one bit what you or I or anyone else may say on this board. That integrity ensures that their students will remain loyal to them and word of mouth will keep them busy.

My instructor has a small studio in a small town in north Georgia. She stays completely booked even though she tries to keep open spots in her schedule for newcomers.

I must take note of the defensive nature of your response. Is it your position that these boards should not allow the sharing of unpleasant as well as pleasant experiences? Do you seriously maintain that newcomers should NOT be advised that there can be serious risks in pursuing a dance education?

Also, why are you advising moxie to get in touch with Terence? If he knew anything about the studios in her part of Michigan he would have already advised her.

I've done some research on her location and it appears that there is not an active USADance chapter near her; that organization would be able to provide her with the best information about local dance training. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be active in the Detroit area, perhaps due to the depressed economy there. Accordingly, I realize that these boards may be her next best alternative for that information.

jj

I coached in that area for many yrs... ( and yours ) and.. we have been exchanging mails...

so , again , you seem to know more about my profession than do i !!

I'm sorry, Terence, but I have not been exchanging emails with you.

You must be thinking of someone else in the greater Atlanta area.

jj

I did not mean you.. I was refering to the poster asking for help

OK. In that case, you need to use the "Reply to this message" link on her message.

jj

I did !!..... i believe YOU said " If terence knew etc ", that is what i was responding to

I see. My confusion extends from your use of "we." Perhaps you could have written "she and I" instead.

jj