Be aware of your neighbors when moving – An important part of dancing is understanding your space and maintaining an awareness of the space around you.Focus on the teacher and the lesson – If you chat with your neighbor you may miss important instructions or distract the class.Arrive on time and ready to dance – if you miss the warm up you may not be physically or mentally ready to dance and could increase the risk of injury.See what they are doing right and wrong, how and why, and eventually you will become your own best teacher.Ī dance class is a group activity that requires certain ground rules to ensure that you, and the other dancers in class, enjoy a safe, positive and challenging environment. Can you feel what you have just seen? Learn to observe yourself, and others in the class. Are you making the same mistake? the opposite? Use the mirror. When the teacher corrects someone else, take the time to apply the correction to you. You can learn from corrections, whether they are directed to you, or to another student. A teacher may correct mistakes by using verbal instructions, by demonstrating or by physically manipulating the student’s body into the proper position. Much of the learning process in dance has to do with applying corrections. If you are not certain of a step, do what you think it is that’s a definite starting point. A correction is an indication of the teacher’s belief in your ability to progress. Only when you make clear mistakes can your teacher see where you need help. Nobody expects you to get it right the first time. There is absolutely nothing to be embarassed or apologetic about. If you don’t make the visible errors that come from an all-out effort, you will not get the opportunity for correction and you will not improve. But you cannot be noncommittal about dancing. There will be times when you are so unsure of yourself that you may be tempted to hide behind a classmate, fudge an exercise or sit it out entirely. Most beginners make the mistake of being afraid to make mistakes. Your goal should be to become the best YOU that you can be.Įllen Jacob in her book “Dancing” offers this excellent passage on learning from Corrections: Success, whether for yourself or before an audience, depends to a great extent on how effectively you can make your unique qualities of body, mind and spirit work for you. Just as no two people have the same fingerprint, no two dancers look or move exactly alike. Many dancers continue to experience the joy of dancing well into their 60’s, 70’s and beyond.Īll great dancers have a one-of-a-kind quality that makes whatever they do unforgettable. At any age, dancing is a fun, usually low-impact exercise which helps to regulate weight, maintain or increase flexibility and increase overall body tone and health. The US Commissioner of Education has urged that Dance be permanently incorporated into the public school curriculum due to its many physical and mental benefits.ĭancing is also for the young at heart. There is mounting evidence that Dance also entails learning about spatial relationships which can help in reading, writing and mathematics. Dance classes offer a chance to make new friends, build social skills and even help bring parents together. Dancing helps children establish a good body image while building strong posture and may aid in regulating weight. Children are born dancers and most will thrive with the right teacher and environment.
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