How important is the teacher?

[Martin]

From reading threads about a venue with a regular teacher, who then moves on, and rating your venue, where a regular teacher got plus 5 points...

How important is a regular teacher at a venue?
I used to think it important, now I am not so sure, as a business model.

I first learnt in Worthing / Brighton with Graham, within 2 weeks I was going to London, Viktor on Wednesdays and Mike on Fridays.

I did find it comfortable, as a beginner, knowing who would be teaching me.

Many years later, moving to Aussie, they rotated teachers through the venues... so the focus is venue, rather than a single teacher.
The more established, popular venues, did get the better teachers.

I did suggest that I took over a venue or set one up with me as the only teacher, but the "local guy" said that was not the idea, venues should be "stand alone" as venues.

Any thoughts?

[dep]

no teacher = no class

So important to have consistency.
Rotating teachers sounds like secondary education and we all know that our kids don't adjust well from nurturing teacher in the primary setting to the grown up school.

We adults should be able to make that adjustment, but I suspect subconsciously we learn better with a single teacher, or single style of teaching.

[Martin]

or single style of teaching.

That is the point, if you have a single style of teaching, but different teachers... does it matter?

[dep]

But, would one get a single style from rotating teachers?
Or, could that only come from a pair of well matched teachers?
Do we need anything other than the "Ceroc" style to learn from?

[Martin]

But, would one get a single style from rotating teachers?
Or, could that only come from a pair of well matched teachers?
Do we need anything other than the "Ceroc" style to learn from?

I guess I was comfortable with knowing that I had a certain teacher, when I first started.

I never had the "Ceroc style" coz I learnt first from non Ceroc, then went to the 2 Ceroc venues which had the most "out there" teachers who did Ceroc plus...

The thing being, does the teacher make the venue, or is the venue the important thing...

[Andy McGregor]

In this case think teachers are like chefs. If you're looking for McDonalds it doesn't matter who makes your burger and fries. If you're a Michelin restaurant with a celebrity chef it really does matter.

I think there's room for both models. As all Ceroc style teachers are trained in the same way and given a script to memorise and a list of moves to teach it really doesn't matter which one you get. I think this is good, it means that you get a consistent product in any venue you visit. And it means you can visit any venue.

Once you start looking for "celebrity" teachers your choice is far more limited - just like it is when you're looking for Michelin restaurants.

Me? I'm more of a friendly local Bistro with an ever-changing and exciting menu

[Astro]

So important to have consistency.
Rotating teachers sounds like secondary education and we all know that our kids don't adjust well from nurturing teacher in the primary setting to the grown up school.

Fulham (in London) used to rotate teachers every week. Now they have the same teacher every week, but rotate the DJs.

Don't forget that teacher's swap venues (is it every 4th week)?


Gender of teacher
I wondered about whether a female teacher would be better for me, as a female follow, to learn from?

But on the other hand, if it's a male teacher, I may be lucky enough to have a dance with him in freestyle.

It's the opposite for male learners. Do they learn faster with a male teacher?

Any ideas on this?

[David Bailey]

Gender of teacher
I wondered about whether a female teacher would be better for me, as a female follow, to learn from?

In classes, it's almost irrelevant - female teachers still teach the male moves.

In privates - depends what you're looking to learn. I'd probably prefer a female teacher, but I'd definitely prefer a good male teacher to a less-good female teacher.

[DavidY]

It's the opposite for male learners. Do they learn faster with a male teacher?

Not the same as learning faster, but I've probably learned more tips & tricks ("if you do xyz it's easier to lead in freestyle") from male teachers.

[Twirlie Bird]

I do like the sound of rotating teachers. In reality though it probably wouldn't work too well. People tend to get far too comfortable with their current teachers and don't like change.

[Trouble]

In this case think teachers are like chefs. If you're looking for McDonalds it doesn't matter who makes your burger and fries. If you're a Michelin restaurant with a celebrity chef it really does matter.

I
Once you start looking for "celebrity" teachers your choice is far more limited - just like it is when you're looking for Michelin restaurants.

Me? I'm more of a friendly local Bistro with an ever-changing and exciting menu

Yes i agree totally with you Andy. The better one gets with ones dancing the more one wants out of ones teacher. This however, is not usually got from a normal lessons night but by private lessons and weekenders sometimes. For week on week teaching, i think a good personality, politeness and a love for newbies is a must rather than ego and see what i can do attitude that can sometimes be seen from some teachers.

As for your Bistro, i have tried its menu and it was very exciting

[frodo]

In classes, it's almost irrelevant - female teachers still teach the male moves.
...

In Ceroc, when the teacher is female the teaching is from the followers position.

I find this harder to track. It doesn't make a big difference if the teacher is female or male, if they're leading.

[dep]

Hi,
here in Edinburgh we have had four teachers in the last couple of years, running with two females at the moment.
Without doubt the popularity of our best teacher is down to her understanding the needs of her pupils and I think this is helped by being a professional teacher (primary education).
Her class has quickly become the busiest even though she's new to Ceroc teaching.

I see a difference between male & female teachers in the little details that come forth. All teach the move from both the leaders and followers perspective. The female teachers are better at defining that bit extra that the leader needs to do to enable the follower to recognise where they are expected to go. As for the bits of style, the male teachers don't even get close.

[~*~Saligal~*~]

In classes, it's almost irrelevant - female teachers still teach the male moves.

In privates - depends what you're looking to learn. I'd probably prefer a female teacher, but I'd definitely prefer a good male teacher to a less-good female teacher.

Sure female teachers do teach the male moves - but for beginner dancers it can help to have someone of the same gender to emulate.
Men and women have distinctly different styles. For instance, I used to find it easy to pick the male ballet dancers who were trained by females rather than males. Their moves appeared more feminine than masculine because the poor fellows only had women to emulate rather than men. Thankfully in partner dancing there are more male teachers around. I think for the beginner classes it helps to have a good balance of both genders when selecting teachers.

[Jhutch]

Sure female teachers do teach the male moves - but for beginner dancers it can help to have someone of the same gender to emulate.
Men and women have distinctly different styles. For instance, I used to find it easy to pick the male ballet dancers who were trained by females rather than males. Their moves appeared more feminine than masculine because the poor fellows only had women to emulate rather than men. Thankfully in partner dancing there are more male teachers around. I think for the beginner classes it helps to have a good balance of both genders when selecting teachers.

But there is a demo that they can try and emulate? Was there any demo available for the ballet dancers? I suppose that as the teacher is talking then peoples attention may be drawn more to them though.

[~*~Saligal~*~]

But there is a demo that they can try and emulate? Was there any demo available for the ballet dancers? I suppose that as the teacher is talking then peoples attention may be drawn more to them though.

No demo "dollies" at ballet to mention.

I find I watch the teacher rather than the demo partner if there's a male teaching. Maybe that's my "dance upbringing" to focus on what the teacher says and does rather than watching the demo partner execute the move. That doesn't mean that I ignore the demo partner - just that my focus is more on the teacher. Plus I find the teachers have the styling that I would prefer to emulate than the demo partners (no offence to the demo partners out there).
(not sure if I've explained myself well above... I'm sure I'll find out if I haven't )

[Daisy Chain]

For me, the teacher is only important if I don't like their style:

ie The teacher has a loud head piercing voice
or always put a dip or drop in the routine
or regularly teaches unleadable moves
or teaches moves which mess up my hair

Otherwise, I enjoy a variety of teachers.

Daisy

(A Teachable Little Flower)

[Andy McGregor]

As for your Bistro, i have tried its menu and it was very exciting

Please look at the blackboard for today's specials

[timbp]

How important is a regular teacher at a venue?
I used to think it important, now I am not so sure, as a business model.

Many years later, moving to Aussie, they rotated teachers through the venues... so the focus is venue, rather than a single teacher.
The more established, popular venues, did get the better teachers.

When I started dancing (in Sydney), I knew nothing, and I went to the most convenient venues. As Martin said, the teachers rotated through venues, so by going to a couple of convenient venues, I experienced a lot of different teachers.
For me, that was good -- I like getting lots of perspectives and picking what works for me. For others, maybe having a single teacher would have been better.

When I had been dancing for a while, I knew the main teachers, and I started choosing my dance venues according to who was going to be teaching.
About then, one Sydney company stopped publishing who was teaching where. But I kept choosing my classes on the teacher -- if I did not know who was teaching, then I ignored that class (ie, I ignored all classes by that company).
So the teacher was important to me once I reached a certain level.
Now, I go to venues where I know I will see friends and favorite dance partners. So the social aspect is more important than the teaching.

In general, what does a beginner know? I choose classes by teacher name because I know the teachers.
Beginners will stay or not according to whether they like the class. Rotating teachers is probably irrelevant: if a first-timer does not like the class, he/she is unlikely to come back next week even if the teacher is different.

[Maxine]

I have seen a venue really go down when a certain teacher left and it was a shame, one because this was my local venue and two because this was a place people used to travel a long way to ger to.

I also think that the teacher and demonstrator should stay after the lesson and try and dance with as many of the class as possible.