Intense Study
I asked Gloria how she might teach someone who wished to cross-train between Country, Ballroom, Latin, and Swing dancing. Yes, there ARE people who do this. Gloria suggested the following approach:
First, I would find out if they have any special events coming up, what type of music they like (or dont like), what made them decide they wanted to learn to dance (movie,song, friend....).
I like to get an idea of their personality. It is too confusing to try to learn all the dance styles at one time, so we would come up with a plan of the dances to start with based upon the likes/dislikes of the student and also based on the difficulty level of the dance (some dances are much easier than others).
Once the student learns about timing, lead/follow, balance, memorizing patterns, spinning, etc. this carries over into other dances and makes them easier to learn.
They made it!
Jeremy and Emily started with Gloria in late 2004. They joined the Advanced Class in February 2005. Their energy and enthusiasm are infectious and inspiring.
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When I started taking classes with Gloria, she was offering a Beginner Salsa/Merengue and an Intermediate Salsa class. That Beginner class was special, as she only occasionally adds Merengue into the schedule. She now offers a Beginner Salsa, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Advanced Salsa. The Advanced class includes lessons the average person wouldn't normally associate with dancing.
Every teacher, every school, has their own curriculum. Like Gloria, they will build on the skills their students acquire. So, the longer you stay involved in dance classes and lessons, the more advanced techniques you'll learn. Gloria's Advanced class includes instruction similar to what she gives in privates.
Working with a teacher one-on-one, you can learn to control yourself much better than in a class environment, because you have the teacher's full attention and evaluation. In a class environment, experienced students usually pick up the finer techniques and more difficult moves with less individual attention.
Of course, not everyone can afford private lessons. Gloria's solution to helping many people advance beyond basic Salsa dance skills has been to expand her curriculum, offering more detailed instruction at several levels. The commitment a student makes to following the curriculum helps compensate for the lack of private instruction. I have watched students I thought would never be able to dance move up to the Advanced Class.
"I find the biggest challenge in learning to dance is the students mental attitude," Gloria explains. "Once a student gets past the 'I cant dance' to 'maybe I can' and, better yet, 'this is fun', then it becomes very easy." Hm. Well, I'm not ready to say that seven back-to-back turns is easy, but I'm not hitting the wall (and other students) as much as I used to, so it IS becoming more enjoyable.
And, so far, I am in it for the fun. I seriously doubt I will ever compete -- certainly not professionally. Salsa is a social dance and Gloria teaches it that way, even in the Advanced Class. She stresses dance etiquette at every level, and she reminds men not to go wild and do things that would hurt their partners.
"Obviously," she points out, "I would hope that everyone is considerate of their partner and others on the dance floor. Of course, in my opinion, we have a great group [of students] with some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Everyone is there to have fun and while we all want to dance well and 'look good' at the club -- the most important thing when you come off the dance floor is not, 'was everyone watching me?' or 'was I the best?', but 'did my partner enjoy dancing with me?'. Being a good dance partner requires proper timing and good lead/follow skills (and a smile)."
I read somewhere that there are 1500 Salsa moves. I don't know who would have enough time on their hands to count them all, but the truth is that many Salsa moves are shared with or borrowed from other dance styles. There are "familes" of moves which are simply variations on a basic turn or combination. I asked Gloria how she plans her classes. Is there a secret Dance Teacher's Master Guide To Creating Lesson Plans?
"I wish there was," she laughed. "It would make things much easier for me."
But Gloria does use lesson plans. I've seen her mark off objectives as each class progresses. So, I was legitimately curious about how she developed her curriculum, since she couldn't just buy it on eBay.
"My goal is, first of all, that everyone has fun," she tells me. "Secondly, the moves need to be leadable for students to be able to dance them at the clubs successfully. Also, all the levels from Beginner to Advanced build off of the level before, so the students progress at a pace that is challenging but not frustrating."
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