http://web.mac.com/blankprod/Dance_.../22_Get_The_Most_From_Your_Dance_Lessons.html I for one have spent a lot of money (a lot for me) on dance lessons that had no structure or point because I didn't have any goals. Not to mention spending money I didn't actually have on days when I didn't really have the time or energy. This is all great advice anyone could use but especially useful to newbies like me.
I find that working towards showcases inspires me to do better, because my dancing will be seen. It's like when I got writing published: Knowing that someone would see it made me work harder...
great idea to start a thread on this!!! I find to get value for money is to plan the training day before what you want to work on in the next lesson, which I think is also covered in that article with having the right mindset. bookmarked
I was told that to get the most out of my lessons, I should practice 3 hours for every 1 hour of lessons I take ..........
The tip about writing down notes about lessons is terrific! This week, I started taking notes. It definitely helped me retain it. It always frustrated me that I would learn something in class and not be able to remember it the next time I was dancing. Thanks for the link to the article.
Similar to this, when I was a kid, my violin teacher (and my mom) both constantly told me that for every time the teacher corrected me on something, I needed to go back and practice it 10 times by myself. Slave drivers, they both were.
We always put in 4 hours practice for every 1 hour lesson. Our teacher always knew if we hadn't. A threat of losing our lesson slot would be used if we failed to improve! A goal is a must, showcase or comp is a great incentive, making notes is a good idea but some teachers get irritated if you are stopping and jotting every five minutes in a lesson!
I never thought of writing during a lesson. I dictate into my phone after the lesson. And I am sure I don't remember everything. But I certainly get a lot more than I used to.
Bought a new pretty little notebook to put notes in after practice and lessons. I've started this before, and got out of the habit after about two lessons, but I'm going to try it again. It was nice after our practice today, I wrote down the specific problems we have so I can be sure to ask about them at our next lesson, instead of spending half the lesson trying to remember what it was that was so troublesome when I should be paying attention.
I've had mixed results with notes. My now social studio always put major emphasis on choreography in group lessons rather than technique, and it was darn near impossible to remember an entire lesson from one week to the next without writing down what we did. Also, near as I can tell, the owner never followed a formal syllabus - class content seemed pretty random. Problem was I'd forget my notebook or leave it in my briefcase or whatever, so I didn't always have my notes handy to review. DP and I now take privates with a pro at a different studio who puts a lot of emphasis on technique and does follow a syllabus, so I don't note a whole lot of things - just a small jot, if any, to remind me of certain details. DP and I must increase our practice time but our current schedules make that difficult - I work afternoons and evenings and she travels around the country almost weekly...
I think competitions are the best way to go. If you're serious about learning, aim for 3-4 per year. Thanks, Matt
