Would you rather have a teacher who has the book memorized perfectly,

Or would you rather have a teacher who had to check the book often, but who could break down the figure in a way that you could fully understand?

There are things that some students can not understand unless you break it down for them. There are other things that I will explain incorrectly, because one particular student can not understand the technical definition.

If memorizing the book was all it took, any idiot with a good memory could teach people how to dance.

A great teacher can translate the technical stuff into to words that are easy for his students to understand.

Furthermore, I am sure that some of the techincal stuff is incorrect.

The last time I heard, scientists could not even explain exactly how people can walk and run without falling over.

We watch people dance a figure, and then we try to explain it as best we can. (And Alex Moore, who I have great respect for, did the same.)

We really do not fully understand how every muscle is involved in basic movement. (Let alone dance movements.)

In my opinion, you are not a teacher unless your students actually learn something from you.

Memorizing the book is a very small part of teaching dance.

Attitude and the ability to watch your student and come up with different ways to explain a figure, if he can not get it, is more important than memorizing the book.

What I do expect from a Professional who is teaching competitive dancing is that he can go to the book, and in a couple of minutes come back to his student ready, and able to explain said figure.

If we were to exclude all who could not memorize every book to the smallest detail, we would not have many teachers.

Some of us actually believe that there is a bit of Art invloved. Unlike science, art is pretty flexable.

The Fool

PS The fact that some of you are debating how to do the basic figures pretty much proves that the book is not perfect. I suspect that one of you has had success teaching said figure one way, while another one of you has had success teaching it another way.

Does it matter who is right? Or is the students progress more important?

And always remember, "It ain't the things we don't know what causes all the trouble, It is the things we do know, but ain't so.