Keep Fit. Have Fun. Enjoy Life.
Don't be afraid to ask questions...
Any respectable studio/teacher should be upfront about thier experience, credentials, memberships and if they have actually had training in the style of dance they will be teaching.
*(Above Devon Panko Teaching a class at Panko DanceSport Studio, Edmonton)
Once you have decided to take dance lessons, it is important that you find the right studio. When you begin your search, keep the following qualities in mind:
- Qualifications
Does the teacher teach different styles of dance? Some dance teachers conduct classes for several dance genres, such as Ballroom, latin, country swing, ect. Make sure the teacher is actually qualified to teach the style you prefer, not simply filling up his or her enrollment book.
- Experience
How long has the teacher been teaching? How long has he or she been dancing? Find out what dancing certifications, if any, he or she has. While credentials are important, don't overlook retired professional dancers.However, for good social dancing, a trained instructor has taken the time to learn their craft and more importantly the proper way to impart that knowledge and not kill your desire to dance or help you to build bad habits through their own lack of knowledge. A retired professional,or certified instructor is very different from someone who has merely taken lessons for years and has now decided to teach.
- Dedication
Does the teacher seem truly dedicated to dance? Observe the way he or she teaches a class. A dedicated dance teacher will appear to be completely in love with the idea of teaching others how to dance. Being a dance instructor IS a profession . Like any professional do they keep their knowledge and credentials updated? Are they continually striving to improve their own dancing and teaching expertise.
- Truly, in any city or town you will find that most instructors are not trained as instructors.Especially if they are not affiliated with a ballroom dance studio. They are merely intermediate or advanced students who decided to teach. Problem is, if they have not bothered to take the training neccisary to teach well, how dedicated really are they to their craft? Some would say even beginners deserve a good quality instructor with dedication and training. I say ESPECIALLY BEGINNER DANCE STUDENTS. It is much more difficult to undo bad habits, and very frustrating as a student to learn from a non teacher. You wouldn't build a house without a good foundation, so why would you build a fun social dance life without a good foundation? LEARN IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. You will have so much more fun, and you will never be with out a partner!!!
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- FUN ! FUN! FUN!
This last tip is a given. How much fun are the other students having? Our ballroom dance studio has three
different types of students...social or recreational dancers, exhibition dancers and competetive dancers. If
you are just starting out, you will probably start in a social dance class. 90% of our students are social or
recreational dancers. Visit our dance studio. Ask if you can watch a class. But make sure it is the right
class. If it is a technique class or a competetive student class, although they are having fun, they tend to
be more serious. When looking for a studio you will know
how encouraging or enjoyable the teachers and their lessons are by the way their students behave
toward other students.
What are our dance bios?
To learn more about our instructors and their training and experience click here.