What You Need to Know about Taking Classes
How would you act if taking a class from
-- Einstein, Gene Kelly, Calvin Klein, etc.
Edited and reprinted with additions and
permission by Deborah Székely
- Be willing and have the ability to laugh
at yourself.
- Be willing and have the ability to take
a correction. (don't take it personally, they are correcting you
because they want to help you to do it as successfully and
beautifully as possible within your ability and goals.)
- Challenging the Instructor will hurt you
more than help you. It doesn't make anyone look good or feel
comfortable. Handle disagreements or confusions with the instructor
personally after class.
- If there is something about the
Instructor(s) or class delivery that you don't or didn't like, take
the details up with the promoter or the teacher and resist the
temptation to discuss it publicly. More often than not, these things
result from misunderstandings, lack of communication or temporary
situations. (this is their living, sometimes teachers have a bad
day, be respectful)
- Try to have some tact when confronting
an Instructor about something that may have offended you. Attacks
usually result in a defensive or attack in response.
- Give the Instructor(s) the same benefit
of the doubt that they give you when you enter class.
- Teaching: DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT DO
IT. It is not only rude to the student, but it is
rude to the teacher. Be quiet and pay attention. Usually, when you
start giving advice is when the teacher passes out that hint or tip
your partner needed, but could not hear over your voice. If you are
having difficulty, stop, get the teacher or assistant's attention
and ask them for help. Do not be afraid to ask questions; that is
how you get answers. Concern yourself with your part, which is why
you are there; you don't know what your partner is supposed to do,
you are just guessing. Consider the fact that in most cases the one
passing the blame is the one at fault. It is quite possibly your
lead/follow, not your partner's, that is the problem. If all else
fails, ask the "expert" to please be quiet and worry about their
part, so that you can hear what the teacher is saying.
- Rotating: Many people believe that they
can only learn or get better with their own partner. In fact, the
opposite is true. When you stay with the same partner, usually one
or the other will compensate for their partner's mistakes. That
makes the one partner think that he/she is doing it correctly. When
they try to dance with someone else they can't understand why that
person can't lead/follow like their partner; it's because that
person doesn't know all their little idiosyncrasies. Rotating also
teaches you to adjust to different partners, as when you get one on
a lower or on a more advanced dance level. When the teacher calls
"Rotate" do not try to sneak in just one more, thank your partner
and let them go. You'll not only get the line to move much faster,
but you'll get to dance more and maybe even get a better partner.
Couples, if you insist on not rotating, please stay out of line or
on the ends and as they rotate let the next person know that you are
not rotating so they can move along.
- Workshops are meant to be fun as well as
informative.
- Understand that there is not enough time
in class to give personal attention.
- If you want or need personal attention,
privates are the best way to get that.
- Instructors are there for instructing as
well as entertaining.
- If Instructors teach as a couple and
they joke around with one another, understand that it is just that.
Styles of humor vary -- their words and actions are never intended
to offend you. And what may offend you may be funny to someone else.
- If an Instructor teaches alone and jokes
with a student again it is just that.
"ANGELS CAN FLY BECAUSE THEY TAKE THEMSELVES
LIGHTLY!"
Instructors are in the public eye, the center
of attention and often feel that they are under a microscope. Their
impact when they perform well is huge, likewise when they are less than
perfect it is noticed by the majority and sometimes becomes a magnet for
criticism. In the best interest of all, Look for the good, right,
positive, beautiful, funny, simple, and special in everyone.
- Deborah Székely
