Dance teacher: how to become a professional?

To dance, you don't need a lot of experience, higher education, or diplomas, but passion, passion, and a little persistence. And what does it take to teach dance? On the eve of World Dance Day, we interviewed two professionals and found out what qualities are necessary for those who want to become a dance teacher(https://dancebibles.com/).

Ekaterina Demina, teacher of American Tribal Style, head of the studio Tribal Mafia:

On personal experience

I was involved in oriental dance for a while, then I liked tribal with its energy, costumes, folklore. After four years of regular classes, I was pulled out to teach. There was a free room, and my instructor suggested I "occupy my time" there and I had a couple of other girls to keep me company. Then I began to be invited to other studios for replacements, so I built up an audience, then began to invite me to other cities. At the same time, I was constantly training, went to seminars, and performed. It was like a ball of wool.

About the qualities important for a dance teacher

To understand what kind of person will become a teacher, I look at how he communicates with people, how he reacts to this or that situation, whether, for example, he can explain something to his partner, a colleague in a group or on staging, and whether he has such qualities as patience, attention to the person, concentration. A person has to be able to present themselves in class, to work with people. If I see that the person has the prerequisites but is shy, I try to help him open up and feel confident.

It is also very important how a teacher behaves in social networks and the environment, what he broadcasts to the world. In the dance, I want to give kindness, a general state of harmony and balance inside. All this can be seen in the comments on social networks, his reaction to criticism. Egoism, harshness, and especially matting are not the qualities one wants to see in a dance teacher.

About who should not teach.

If a person does not have patience, if harshness, impudence, if he likes himself more than helps students, I will not cooperate with such a teacher. It is always visible: in the mirror he always looks only at himself, does not work with people, not trying to bring them something, but just giving out information and goes further, that is, dancing for himself.

About professional experience

For a teacher it is important not only to have experience of classes in the studio but also of performances, visiting master-classes, seminars. He has to be an authority in his field, even if he is just starting to teach. Then all the more he should be active in his field, and it should be noticeable.

Dance experience in general is not important. Some go for 5 years, and some went for a year, and already begin to teach. Usually, those who have been dancing from childhood have better body development and dance skills, and they will master this style quicker.

Maria Changer, the head of "Maria Shanger's Author's Dance Class":

About personal experience

I came into Oriental dancing by chance - I used to attend all kinds of classes at the dance studio, just when it was convenient for me. One day I went to belly dance, I got hooked on the music, relaxing and energetic at the same time. Started to go more often, began to work, even the coach was putting me in front of her in the classroom and group dances to the center. After three years I began to replace her in her classes.

After a while, I realized that I wanted to dance more than three times a week in class, preferably every day and for more than one or two hours. Only teaching can provide this kind of regimen. I decided that I would get a job at some cozy little fitness center and teach classes and rehearse on my own in my free time, usually for trainers halls are open for rehearsals if there are no classes. I had some small experience of giving lessons in my home studio. It was scary, but I wanted to dance more. So I went clubbing. They took me right into the big and beautiful one.

About the qualities that are important for a dance instructor

Teacher, as it seems to me, it is important to create the right atmosphere in the class and share, above all, his pleasure from the dance, it inspires and energizes students. They leave the class with the feeling that they are already dancing beautifully, and there is a desire to get even better. After that, of course, it is important to be able to find the key to each person, to explain figuratively and understandably. This comes with experience.

About Difficulties and Needed Knowledge

There are problems with body awareness. I would say that it happens very often. When you would like to do it but cannot when you have explained it in five different ways and the student understands everything but cannot do it. Then it is necessary to spend some time to find the necessary muscles, to stretch what does not stretch, to make mobile what has long been frozen. I did a lot of Pilates, yoga, stretching, myofascial release (it's a long story) and eventually found a set of exercises for almost every movement of Oriental dance, which prepares the body and makes the movement itself voluminous and bright. I now successfully use these same exercises with those who "do it well" and they are starting to get a lot better! So all the challenges of teaching only make you a stronger educator, the law of life works everywhere.

About who should not teach dance

Those who cannot and do not like to communicate with people, those who are not inspired by the dance itself, for whom dance is something routine, very tedious, real work. Such people, even if they have once won titles or earned a name, only discourage dancing. Standing in the back, you always read the atmosphere, immerse yourself in the state that your teacher is in. To be high on the movements, the music, and the state of the dance, to love those who come to your lessons and want to share with them - all that is necessary for a teacher. The rest comes with experience.

Are there any dancers or dance teachers among you? Tell us your story in the comments!