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Hard to dance and to keep smiling
Posted by lifeisbeautiful
10/18/2006  5:45:00 PM
Today, I must say that I need to vent.
Apprentice dancers, please share your experiences with me. I have been dancing for 8 months now and it is still a challenge for me to feel confortable to dance with instructors. And it seems as per my perception that the instructors are not understanding me. I have trouble with concentrating so I battle alot with myself on the dance floor to keep on moving. This how I am... And I feel I am really let down. I still do not understand all the steps on simple routines sometimes. I know that after a while teaching is tiresome. Especially if it is always the same thing and I am not such a slow learner but I find that I need to be explained just about everything and most of the time, I do not get this explanation or just that I have chosen difficult dances.....So why is it so difficult to break down patterns... so that I can practice them at home. Isn't it such an impossible task to do so. I have to vent sorry... I guess that I will have to learn to be more assertive out there. And if I am so difficult to dance with, I am trying to learn and battling with my own challenges. I have the right to dance and to try to find my own peace of mind. If you feel had the same difficulties, please share because it feels it is a hard and lonely world there.
Re: Hard to dance and to keep smiling
Posted by phil.samways
10/19/2006  2:29:00 AM
Hi life...etc
Vent away - we're used to it!
I assume you've told your instructor the sort of things you've said here, and i assume you're in a group class. The instructor in such a class simply doesn't have the time to give you lots of individual attention.
Your instructor should be breaking down your dance 'patterns' into standard 'figures' which are the essential components, and which you must simply become very familiar with. Can you take notes while you're at the class? If so, try to write down where your feet positions are, and body position is, on every beat. A text book will also give you this for the standard figures.
Keep at it. You will find that suddenly things start to fall in place.
Incidentally, you do have the right to dance, but you don't have the right to tell your instructor how to teach you to dance.
Re: Hard to dance and to keep smiling
Posted by Laura
10/19/2006  9:16:00 AM
The bottom line is that learning to dance is actually difficult, and despite what shows like "Strictly Come Dancing" or "Dancing with the Stars" might make you think, eight months is NO TIME AT ALL as a dancer. So of course you are going to feel frustrated and confused. The first thing you actually learn when learning how to dance, is how to learn. The figures seem so complex and hard to remember, but over time, as you develop more mental and muscle memory and awareness, it gets easier and easier to learn and retain new things.

It will get better. Ask questions. Keep taking lessons. Try your best to practice even if you feel lost doing it. If you are studying the "International" style, get the IDSTD Syllabus books. If your teacher is teaching from another published syllabus, like IDTA or DVIDA, get those books and videos and study them. Go out dancing as much as you can and allow yourself to make mistakes without getting all upset with yourself about it. It will get better!

As Phil said, you will find that suddenly things start to fall in place. But it takes a lot of effort in the beginning.
Re: Hard to dance and to keep smiling
Posted by Anonymous
10/19/2006  9:17:00 AM
re "you don't have the right to tell your instructor how to teach you to dance"

Depends how you define "right", an experience teacher will interact with students and explain why they teach certain way if asked.
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