People who don't listen to the teacher

[MartinHarper]

Given a choice between one-on-one tuition by another dancer who I respect, and listening to the teacher, the teacher has to be stellar to make me ignore or shush the person right in front of me. Particularly in MJ, people don't give enough unsolicited feedback, so when they do I tend to perk up my ears.

Also, consider this situation:
MJ Teacher: "ok, class, now try to keep your hands quiet - not too much bounce. Try it again."
Student: *practice first move. Bouncy Bouncy*
MJ teacher: "Keep those hands less bouncy. It's important not to add up and down movement, as that makes leading harder. Try it again."
Student: *practice first move. Bouncy Bouncy*

Maybe the student isn't listening. Maybe the student doesn't really understand. Maybe the student is trying to keep it quieter and failing. Most likely, though, the student just isn't aware of hir bounce. That's why I prefer teachers who say things like "Martin! Stop waving your hands around like you're having a fit!". It's clearer.

[Clive Long]

Given a choice between one-on-one tuition by another dancer who I respect, and listening to the teacher, the teacher has to be stellar to make me ignore or shush the person right in front of me. Particularly in MJ, people don't give enough unsolicited feedback, so when they do I tend to perk up my ears.
<< snip >>

Martin,

Do I understand you correctly? (I may not, which is why it's a question)

You are suggesting it's OK for someone in the line to "coach" during a lesson? If I was in line I would hope I would tell them to shut up or bog off somewhere else because I would find that most disruptive while I was trying to listen to the teacher.

If the teacher was cack I would vote with my feet and not go back in future.

Clive

[David Bailey]

I think Russell's waiting in silence thing tends to work really well if the teacher has got any sort of stage presence

"Stage presence"! That's the phrase I was looking for!

Given a choice between one-on-one tuition by another dancer who I respect, and listening to the teacher, the teacher has to be stellar to make me ignore or shush the person right in front of me.

I don't think this "coaching" is really a problem, except possibly for speed-of-moving-on purposes.

I think the main problems are just general gabbing and not paying attention. At least, in the places I go to, where some (most) of the students are, to put it mildly, a mouthy lot.

And then there are the ones sitting / standing on the side, also having a good old chinwag... It all adds to the noise level, and makes class management more of a challenge, especially if there are poor acoustics.

To go back to the original point:

...It might be the last person off a rotation who doesn't know that the teacher is talking to them when he or she says "...and hurry back to the front becuase there's a man/woman waiting for you".

Or it could be the one single man on the wrong side when the teacher says "all men on my side", and has to repeat it about 400 times before that last person notices.

Or maybe it's someone standing near to, but not in the line of people waiting to rotate in the class who's ignoring the teacher asking (again, about 400 times) "are you joining in?" so he or she can count how many people to move on.

This seems to me to refer to people generally not paying attention - not people not-paying-attention-because-they're-getting-private-coaching.

So the question is, how to attract and retain their undivided attention?

And the answer, of course, is Stretch Limos. It's the answer to everything, up to and including world peace, I tell you...

That's why I prefer teachers who say things like "Martin! Stop waving your hands around like you're having a fit!". It's clearer.

Oh yes, and:

If the teacher was cack I would vote with my feet and not go back in future.

C'mon Clive, there's no such thing as a cack Ceroc teacher, you know that...

[MartinHarper]

You are suggesting it's OK for someone in the line to "coach" during a lesson?

A little while ago, in a lesson, someone said something to me about the move, and I asked for more info, and as a result I learnt that my lead on five was uncomfortable for my partner, and felt to her like her shoulder was being pulled forwards and out of shape.
In my mind it's clear that we both did the correct thing - her in alerting me to a deficiency in my lead, and me in taking that feedback seriously and not telling her to "shut up or bog off".

[Baruch]

In my mind it's clear that we both did the correct thing - her in alerting me to a deficiency in my lead, and me in taking that feedback seriously and not telling her to "shut up or bog off".

I've always been grateful to those ladies who've taken the time to offer advice when I'm trying to "nail" a new move. If nobody did this, there'd be an awful lot of dancers getting things wrong a lot more often.

No teacher is perfect, and individuals can often misunderstand or just not quite "get" the teacher's instructions. That's why it's important to help each other out. I appreciate it when it's done for me, and I try to do the same during the beginners' lesson when it's needed. Of course, I do try not to distract them when the teacher is making a point, but sometimes a little advice like "try relaxing your hand-hold and you'll find turning much easier" makes a big difference.

[foxylady]

I've always been grateful to those ladies who've taken the time to offer advice when I'm trying to "nail" a new move. If nobody did this, there'd be an awful lot of dancers getting things wrong a lot more often.

No teacher is perfect, and individuals can often misunderstand or just not quite "get" the teacher's instructions. That's why it's important to help each other out. I appreciate it when it's done for me, and I try to do the same during the beginners' lesson when it's needed. Of course, I do try not to distract them when the teacher is making a point, but sometimes a little advice like "try relaxing your hand-hold and you'll find turning much easier" makes a big difference.

You are lovely - most men really resent any sort of feedback, seeming to assume it comes of a subnormal, mentally deranged female who has not realised what 'god' status they have assumed.................
:ducks and hides:

Most teachers do their best with the material they get given, and whilst trying to help everyone, cannot possibly achieve that in the time available.. Most do a fab job !!!!!!!


Russell - why did you not intoduce yourself this eve... I felt very cheated, only finding out who you were after you were gone ( I admit the young chicks were eyeing you up from the beginning, but I have to say I thought you were just a lad about town crashing the party !!, you looked too young to be one of us )

[Baruch]

You are lovely - most men really resent any sort of feedback, seeming to assume it comes of a subnormal, mentally deranged female who has not realised what 'god' status they have assumed.................
:ducks and hides:

Thanks!

[Russell Saxby]

Russell - why did you not intoduce yourself this eve... I felt very cheated, only finding out who you were after you were gone ( I admit the young chicks were eyeing you up from the beginning, but I have to say I thought you were just a lad about town crashing the party !!, you looked too young to be one of us )

Wot young chicks ... wot did I miss... it is all that Gus' fault... I was more than happy drinking lemonade, but he did insist..

Anyways I was there from the start.. why did you not intriduce yourself

[Little Em]

Wot young chicks ... wot did I miss... it is all that Gus' fault... I was more than happy drinking lemonade, but he did insist..

Anyways I was there from the start.. why did you not intriduce yourself

lemonade....? well that would be a first !

see you sat young man !