Wow that's really inspirational. You must have been dancing for a while to tuck all those different kinds under your belt. I was adamant that just Ballet, ballet ballet was going to get me what I wanted. I didn't even start out with the intention to teach. I hadn't let go of my dream and kept dancing through my last year of school, not letting reality of injury intrude. So now this year after a bit of pushing and help from my previous dance teacher, got this school going. I totally agree about the other side to it.....and am now much better at this. For the first Month I hated it I was sooo nervous, but now I love it.(and use the nerves to aid energy for class ) Did you feel this way too?

Being a fairly new teacher, I am really looking fwd to a teachers BBO three day intensive, in a weeks time. gaining experience and becoming the best I can is my goal at the moment. I would love to learn more dance to teach.
Have you ever thought about traveling and teaching in another country?

Hi Marama,

I started dancing when I was 7. I began with Tap then after a term started ballet and then jazz and in my teens took up ballroom and latin. I suppose I have always just loved dance and was always eager to learn new styles etc. I didn't start teaching ballroom and latin until a couple of years ago. A friend of mine worked in a school and got let down by a teacher at the last minute and asked if I could stand in. So I dusted off my old technique book and got stuck in. I now have lessons with an examiner to work on technique and keep me up to date so as with all subjects you have to get an in depth knowledge and keep studying to be as good as you can. But I think once you have an understanding of teaching, how to break things down and build things up then that can be applied to most styles as long as you have a depth of knowledge in that subject. What do others think - have you ever had to or been able to apply teaching skills in other areas where you perhaps wouldn't have expected to?

Enjoy your BBO intensive. It is always good to get new ideas and see different ways of teaching. Even stuff that you know it is good to get it reinforced.

I haven't really thought of teaching in another country. Having my own business for 9 years in the UK really kept me tied and now having a family does the same. I quite often see opportunities in other countries nd think if I was 10 years younger.... what about you Marama?

Hi Joanne...
Sorry about the late reply!! I have been away for the last few weeks. But My Teaching course was absolutely fantastic!! I have learned so much. I do have an exam to sit at the end of this year. But uncovering more depth to teaching ballet is awesome. Watching how really good teachers taught the classes was very valuable for me. It's so good to watch, observe and get ideas on how I can model a little on their teaching styles I am all inspired to change and improve my teaching now..
Hope things are going really well for you..Any recent highlights?

Glad the course went well. It is great to see different styles of teaching and learn from them.

I have been pretty busy with end of term presentations and shows. however there has been two incidents that have really stood out for me, both showing how dance can really unite.

I taught a retired persons ballroom course earlier this summer and went back to the school where it was held to teach some of the Yr 7 & 9's who are around 12 -14 years old some basic ballroom dance so that they could dance with some of the older people at a tea dance.

It was so heartening to see teenagers so enthusiastic about learning something new, really wanting to do the best they could and at times having a competition to see how many dances they could get.

Secondly one of my after school clubs did one of their dances for the whole school in assembly. It was lovely to see how excited and enthusaistic the rest of the school were to see them perform.

Dance really is the height of cool in the UK at the moment, phenomenons like Strictly Come Dancing and High School Musical have really brought alive interest and particularly with boys have made certain styles of dance far more acceptable to them. A boy break dancer even one Britains Got Talent and the runner ups were a comedy Bollywood style dance act.

How is dance faring in other countries, any particular styles that are top of the heap at present?

Wow! now that is exciting. You must be feeling pretty good right now I'm very impressed. The closest my high school ever got to dance on a bigger scale was in the last year when a T.V series sparked a similar competition. Sadly dance and boys here is very minimal...The Kiwi Rugby "Bloke" mentality over rules. But now that you mention it, ballroom is making a bit of a comeback. There is nothing like a bit of T.V to get people interested.

Here in my little Bay I have no boys...but maybe in the future I might entice some.

I'm just about to head back into term three with new determined plans and better class management skills under my belt. Just out of curiosity how long would you give say grade 2, 7yrs upwards? Because what I've been told is you have to be some kind of super teacher to get them ready for exams on less than 1hr per wk.

so great to hear your exciting newz

Dance is becoming more popular here with several dance competition shows on TV doing very well. I so pleased. I hope it is translating into more business for dance schools.

Hi LMCTech.

I think generally it is translating into more business for UK schools and I certainly have faced very little resistance with boys I have taught over the last year or so. I go into a lot of schools and teach whole classes i.e they are there whether they want to be or not and without exception they are all dancing by the end of it and the majority will partner a girl with very little coaxing. It is great to see and I'm sure that even five years ago it would have been a different story.

Marama - Grade 2 ballet. It is difficult training students that can only attend for a limited time a week, but it can be done. I think it is important to build the grade work up each lesson but also to work on some free stuff too, to keep there brains actively dancing and that will also help them to transpose their basic technique into a variety of steps etc. I also found that some simple floor barre exercises helped to strengthen basic technique too - I would do this sort of thing from Preparatory/Pre-Primary upwards. Also try and connect stuff tht they do in a floor barre and at the barre with the exercises and steps that they are helping to prepare them for. Get them thinking about which exercises build into which steps etc. That really helps to strengthen technique as well.

They do have to accept that it does take longer to accomplish an exam with only one lesson a week. Is there a possibility that they could come to some extra lessons in the run up to the exam? I used to find that was a big help as it doubled their class time and they came on in leaps and bounds.

Marama - it's been a while - just wondered how your classes were coming along?

An excellent book that has an excellent chapter about adults novices learning dance is:-

Kimmerle M & Côté-Laurence P [2003] Teaching Dance Skills A Motor Learning and Development Approach New Jersey J Michael Ryan Publishing

It is the sort of book that every dance teacher should have and dip into regularly. I recommend it to the teachers in my training and development work (including all the BBO teachers I worked with when l was a lecturer on the first two years of the new teaching qualifications).

Advice re teaching adults, treat each of them as a person as well as a dance student. Help them to flourish through their dance activities by helping them to enjoy and benefit from learning to dance. Reward effort as well as progress and involve them in the learning process by encouraging the asking of questions.

My website www.decodanz.co.uk is being updated at the moment but it will soon have regular teaching development information and teaching tips on it so you might want to check it out from time to time for relevant info.

Enjoy your adults - it's a whole new way of teaching, learning and sharing dance.

Sho

Thank you for sharing this information and advice. Your website has some good information, therapeutic exercises and relaxation techniques.