Maybe you want to change your current dance teacher or just want to start expressing yourself through the art of ballroom dancing. It’s hard to know from the beginning whether you’re going to be a professional or not. But finding a good dance teacher is what you should aim for if you want to get the most out of your experience.

More Than A Dance Teacher

A dance teacher is more than a mentor to his students. I was taught discipline, endurance and how to overcome hardships. I was taught how to never stop learning. For all of these things, I am grateful to my dance teacher.

You might say that the technical skills or the amount of the awards one owns, will definitely make them the right dance teacher for you. Actually, there’s a flaw in this type of thinking because dancing is very different from the act of teaching someone how to dance and training them to become a professional. Of course technical qualifications matter, but that’s not the only thing. 

How much do I need to take into account his years of experience as a teacher? What character traits is he required to have? Should I talk to his actual or former students? Does the school matter?

I will share with you 4 aspects that you should consider when choosing a dance teacher:

1. Experience

Before even attending classes and seeing what their teaching methods are, check their dancing background. 

For how long have they been active in the ballroom world? Their former education is very important because you get to know the people from whom they have learned.

2. Motivation

Talk to them about why they are dancing in the first place and what’s their motivation for being a dance teacher. It’s important that they are passionate about it and that they care about their students. 

A dance teacher with no motivation should not be teaching a dancing class. The should show emotion!

3. Empathy

You can’t be a dance teacher if you lack empathy. Because of this, you will fail to get a sense of the needs of your students. 

No matter how skilled they might be, the moral qualities of a human being make all the difference.

4. Adaptability

Go and watch how they act in the class. Are they supportive of all the students no matter what their skill levels are? I know this may seem hard at first sight but a good dance teacher is able to adapt according to the level of his students and inspire them to become better. Also, he is there to help you understand and not repeat your mistakes. It’s the only way to grow.

Teaching Is A Way Of Life

Remember when you were a child and you had those teachers in your class that made learning seem like something extraordinary? Why was that happening?

Because for them teaching is a way of life.

Just like a professional dancer, they are fully focused and they also feel good about it. They show you a particular step while paying attention to how you’re feeling and how much you’re able to understand. They are dancing with you but they don’t look down on you like you’re just a trainee. 

Good dance teachers have patience and trust that under their guidance you will get there. Even more, they make sure to leave space for you to think on your own and question their methods. Not because they don’t believe in what they’re doing. They just want you to be a self-motivated dancer.

Is his/her class more like a family than just a regular teaching space? Is he/she able to bring all of the students together and help them overcome any conflicts that may arise? 

Answering these questions will help you get a better idea of who it is that you’re dealing with.

There is no such thing as the perfect dance teacher and you should be ready for downsides. Still, I believe there are those who are able to inspire the passion of dancing in the next generation of ballroom dancers.

If you want to also find out how to look for the right dance studio you can check this article. 

Photography: Stefan Strassenburg

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