| When I began writing newsletter articles on swing | | | | dance instructors teach their classes. What behavior |
| dancing years ago, I wasn't sure how I could best | | | | do they have in common? The answer is that all of |
| describe the many patterns and techniques that I was | | | | these successful teachers instruct in a very supportive, |
| learning at the different swing clubs around St. Louis. | | | | nonjudgmental manner, and they do it with a great |
| Should I emphasize Jan Altman's* insightful philosophy | | | | sense of good-natured humor. |
| that: "you can choose to make dancing as easy or as | | | | The St. Louis dance community is blessed with many |
| challenging as you want; however, the easier that you | | | | of these gifted dance instructors, and the lessons that |
| make it, the harder it is for you to become very good | | | | they teach are memorable because they conduct their |
| at it?" Or, should I downplay the challenging details in | | | | classes in a fun and interesting manner, not because |
| favor of Marie Jamison's* more folksy philosophy that | | | | they teach them with excessively detailed |
| she sums up with her quote: "open and close, open | | | | explanations using a lot of confusing "swinguistics" or |
| and close, how you get in and out is what swing's all | | | | lingo. An effective instructor understands and accepts |
| about?" | | | | that not all students are interested in improving their |
| Because these two philosophies are not mutually | | | | dancing skills; some participants are attending the class |
| exclusive, they open up Pandora's box with the | | | | to fulfill their ardent, heart-thumping expectation of |
| question of just how much detail is too much detail, and | | | | meeting the alluring person across the room in an |
| this controversy is slipperier than the slopes of the | | | | upcoming partner rotation. Dance class is often a |
| fabled glass mountain in Grimm's Fairy Tales! Writing a | | | | microcosm of the Love Boat. |
| dance article and teaching a dance class are entirely | | | | Supportive, good-natured instructors always attract the |
| different disciplines but after much deliberation I ended | | | | largest classes because they have learned from their |
| up writing my articles more like Webster wrote his | | | | experience that every student is unique and is |
| dictionary; that is, with sufficient detail for the motivated. | | | | motivated by his or her own personal goals which |
| So, what's the most effective way to teach a dance | | | | range from classroom socialization to dance floor |
| class? | | | | proficiency. These instructors teach us that the most |
| One of the most enduring axioms of life is that "nothing | | | | effective way to teach a class is to be flexible, to |
| succeeds like success," and a reliable way to | | | | simplify our patterns whenever possible and to try to |
| determine the best technique for teaching a dance | | | | present them with a little humor because when all is |
| class is to take a look at how the most outstanding | | | | said and done, fun and interesting dance lessons rule! |