On average, a dance lesson lasts anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes. In that time period, your students will have a warm up, some review, an introduction to new material, time to practice said material, correction, adjustments, and any additional notes or practice time. As an instructor, it is your job to make sure that your student walks away feeling accomplished, challenged, and entertained.
There is always the potential for an instructor to be verbose in his/her explanations and instructions. More often than not, there is good intention behind it:
- The instructor is eager to make sure that students receive all the information needed to successfully execute a pattern or exercise
- There is an over-exuberance about the dance or the pattern that the instructor wants to share
- The instructor may have a concern that the complexity of the pattern or exercise requires very careful explanation.
- The instructor may be fairly new to teaching and therefor not quite set in a structure or flow
It’s important for you to remember that your students are coming to class primarily to dance. The more time they spend listening to instruction/explanation and not dancing, the more dissatisfied they may become. There are ways to make sure that information is shared without making students feel like time was wasted.
- Give yourself a limited number of times to explain a pattern. If you follow a specific class structure, marking two or three specific times to stop the music and speak is much easier since you will know exactly how much time to devote to explanation.
- Make general corrections and notes of detail (such as “eyes up” or keep the frame up”) while the music is playing and students are practicing. That way, the “stop, look, and listen” details (such as specifics on hand connection or foot placement) are fewer and will take a note of higher importance.
- Ask your students if they have any specific questions. Chances are, if one has a question, several others may have the same question.
- warm up
- (1st class) into to rhtythm (2nd or later) review of material
- introduction to new pattern (no music)
- practice with at least 3 different partners with brief corrections between partner changes (no music)
- practice with music with at least 4-5 different partners
- introduction to next pattern or variation of original pattern (no music)
- practice with at least 3 different partners with brief corrections between partner changes (no music)
- practice with music with at least 4-5 different partners
- introduction to next pattern or variation (no music)
- practice with at least 3 different partners with brief corrections between partner changes (no music)
- practice with music with at least 4-5 different partners
- closing remarks (no music)
- final practice combining all patterns with at least 4-5 different partners
“When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men’s minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson,and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind” – Marcus Tullius Cicero