Sa lsa D ancing 101: I nstructional Salsa D ance Step-By-Step Course.
Salsa Instructor 101 - Tips For Being a Better Dance Teacher So You Think You Can Be A Salsa Instructor? Well let me tell you..You can! If you have the dedication, passion, time, and necessary investment then you are on your way. But those things are just prerequisites. Being a GOOD teacher requires much more and we have some tips to strengthen your teacher status. For the fresh-out-the-box or the seasoned veteran, these tips will remind all teachers what it's all about. 1) Firmly Embrace Your Salsa. I mentioned before that passion is a prerequisite but more than that it is fundamental to being a good teacher. No one wants to be lectured on the specifics of the dance or get a history lesson when they are first learning. If you do this, your students will likely give you the same reaction as a college student would in a lecture at 8am in the back row, Snoresville! You have hopefully gained enough experience dancing that you are comfortable and can honestly enjoy it, and that should be reflected in your teaching. 2) Immerse Yourself in the Salsa World. You know that feeling when you go out and see your student at the club or your teacher. It can be a little awkward especially in a normal grindbooty dance club, but at Salsa Night I've always felt that to be endearing. To see your teacher having fun and practicing what he/she preaches only further instills the desire to dance. So go to the club and dance, even with your students. If you want to show that this dance is worthwhile you need to be its flag bearer. 3) Go Back to School. Go to salsa congresses, gain more experience. Take lessons again. Starting from scratch is difficult but luckily there have been many before you. So check out what other teachers are doing and mimic them. Nothing jump starts your teaching skills like receiving lessons yourself. Plus everyone can use more training; there is so much out there you can't possibly learn it all but you can learn enough. 4) A Leader is to a Follower as a Follower is to a Leader. What I mean is if you are a leader learn to follow and vice versa. If you only stick with one role you are missing out on half of the experience. To truly understand how your partner moves, you should dance in their shoes, figuratively. This can be an immediate confidence booster when teaching by yourself. Furthermore, if students see that you can teach both roles then your credibility will have risen. I know those traditional gender roles will be challenged but get over it! Sorry, you want to be able to teach, you need to be fluent in both roles. 5) Find Your Own Style. At first, you will resemble those you admire. After practicing and teaching regularly, you need to develop your schtick (not the razor). Even that "(not the razor)" thing is part of my schtick, which most people will probably scoff at as stupid. But nevertheless I enjoy putting a little absurd, self-deprecating, slightly narcissistic humor into my lessons. Whatever works for you, just make sure it also works for your students. Again look to those who are successful teachers and "borrow" what they do. 6) Become a Tag Team. Get a partner that compliments your teaching style. A teaching couple is far more appealing than one instructor and can help on the nuances of leading and following. This, however, DOES NOT negate the benefits of learning to lead and follow. With that being said make sure you two are compatible. Arguing teachers leaves your students in a state of confusion and is disruptive to the positive energy. On the other hand, don't be a drill sergeant. This is a social dance, not a military exercise. Be positive, informative, FUNNY (it helps), and responsive to questions/concerns. 7) Don't Get Stuck in a Loop. So you've spent all this time working on your script and salsa vocabulary, now let's change it. Once you find a good method to teaching, DON'T stick with it. I know that sounds backwards, but let me explain. Familiarity breeds contempt. If you teach the same pattern, the same way, your students will either feel bored with your instruction or overconfident to the point of being arrogant dancers with limited ability. That doesn't mean
start speaking another language or dropping everything you've learned. No, instead refine and concisely edit while at the same time add. Offer different styles, challenges, complex moves, choreography, anything that you feel is helpful with salsa and keeps your students on their toes. "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless." - Bruce Lee 8) Challenge Those Who Need To Be. There are times when you will be teaching beginners and advanced in the same class. Therefore make sure the move you teach is interesting or adaptable for both levels. If you can accommodate both parties without over-stressing the beginners or boring the advanced, then you're doing it right. Variations include multiple spins, more advanced styling, slightly different hand holds, advanced footwork, etc. Another method to appease all is to offer multiple variations. While it might not challenge the advanced dancers fully, it will give them more possibilities to play with during the move. 9) Community Outreach. Become friends with your students (unless they are creepy). I would not be as involved in salsa if it weren't for my salsa instructors befriending me. The benefit for the student is a new group to dance with, the advanced dancers. The added benefit for you is a stronger connection with your students as well as increased credibility in being a great teacher. If there isn't a salsa night in town, start one. If it wasn't for my friends and I, our Salsa Night would have disappeared. When we started, we were completely ignorant about salsa music and dancing for that matter. We just knew that we got a job DJing but we hadn't bought the equipment yet and we had to find the music, etc. It has since blossomed and it is a great source of fresh students who want instruction. 10) Be humble. Arrogance is useless. It will lose you more students than gain you. Looking down from your ivory tower just proves how alone you are, so strive to be the sparkle in the crowd, but be apart of the crowd. Turn your nose down and engage your students eye to eye. Help them to be as good, if not better than you. There is no glory in ending your career without inspiring another generation. It's impossible to make a list of all the things that work and don't work but if people come up to you at the end of the lesson and say "thanks for the lesson" then you succeeded. Conversely, don't get discouraged if you don't get any praise, just ask your students what they like and don't like and become a better instructor for them. We hope that you want to teach at some point in your life. It can be a very rewarding experience; and can seriously improve your own abilities. Enjoy and we'll see you on the floor! For more information on salsa instructors visit our website, I Live Salsa. Katie and Ian are the creators of I Live Salsa http://www.ilivesalsa.com - a site dedicated to giving free salsa lessons online for beginners to advanced dancers. Visit I Live Salsa for free salsa lessons, articles and tips on salsa, information on Salsa Congresses, popular salsa videos from around the world, and an open forum for all your salsa discussions. See you on the floor! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Callanan Salsa D ancing 101: I nstructional Salsa D ance Step-By-Step Course.