Advice for complete Beginners
This post is intended for dancers and those interested in learning to dance from little or zero experience. Let’s start from the beginning – so you’ve decided you want to learn to dance, perhaps you’ve seen some videos, or your friends dance and you’d like to join the amazing world of social dancing of Salsa and Bachata (or even another style).
No one really expects that you will do any research and perhaps you’re not sure how to determine which classes are better, and we do understand that most of the time you choose based on location or just because you want to follow your friends or your partner, however since you’re reading this post here are a few tips if you truly have a choice in your area.The first piece of advice is to search for information about the classes and the teachers on social media (facebook/instagram etc) or Google, make sure not to just click on the first school that comes up, as sometimes google results are not based on quality for your exact needs.
Check out a couple of dance school websites and try to find information about the teachers’ experiences – look for any qualifications, if they mention where or who they learned with you can try to watch the artists online. Extras would include awards to the dance school or teachers/artists.
My second top tip is to watch videos of the actual classes (if they have them) to see what the vibe is like and if it is something you would enjoy, please remember that if there are not many videos it’s likely taken on a flattering day or possibly not genuine class footage at all. A reliable place to see the REAL vibes of the classes are on social media, go to check out the videos and pics to see what kind of people are regularly attending, the school should be regularly posting on their page or story in live time to see the real deal. You want to check out how the dance students are dancing.A side note is to check out the teachers artists profile – we mean how the teachers dance – do you like their style? If there are very few or no videos of the teacher/s dancing then perhaps they are not confident in their own dance skills, I would try check them out dancing at the social dance night or have a look for someone else.The last thing that we can suggest that you do is to actually send an email or chat on social media to check if the teachers and classes provided actually meet your expectations. Remember when starting to dance – patience is key and to put your trust into your teachers!
Advice for dancer with experience
So this section is directed more for dancers who has little to many years of experience. Most of the time, dancers with experience change dance schools or teachers because they move cities or want to up their game when it comes to dance and improvement, so they need to decide whether to join a different school, and they can have some trouble figuring out what to look for. Here are some ideas for what to look for or what can help you decide which teachers to join.
The first piece of advice is to learn about the coach’s teaching experience, so look for the number of years, competitions won, awards, shows, and dance skills. Some dancers have problems valuing the teachers’ skills; one method is to actually see their results, and in this case, we’re talking about the students.
In the same way, some students are amazed by their teachers’ dance abilities, but most of the time, dancers’ abilities are not the same as teachers’ abilities. If your goal is to improve as a dancer in a short period of time, you should look for someone with proper dance teaching skills and experience.
As last, we want to discuss whether it is appropriate to consult other dancers about which school to attend. Based on experience and research, students who follow the advice of other dancers are almost always disappointed. Of course, the expectations and requirements are completely different from person to person.
As a personal note, look for proper dance schools and ask for proof such as a teaching license, especially for salsa and bachata dance. Most teachers will tell you whatever you want to hear to convince you to join their class for their own gain, whereas a proper dance school will ask you for a level assessment to see where and how they can fit you in.
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