Andabien

I started teaching dance when I was in college. That would be in the late '60s. These are my thoughts about how to do it effectively. Although the ideas are more specific to Argentine Tango, I think they can be generalized to most social couple dances.

Guidelines

1. Never ever be critical. One discouraging word can dishearten a student forever. Always be positive and constructive.
2. Don't say anything that is wrong. Broad generalities and blanket statements are almost always incorrect in some way. Clarify exceptions. (Refer to #39)
3. Know everything about the step.
4. Be prepared to teach. Rehearse your teaching first. Plan your method. Know ahead of time what you are going to say and how you will approach the step. Select appropriate music.
5. Don't let your class stand around listening to you talk. No one ever learned to dance by hearing a description of a step. My teaching motto is "Less Talk, More Rock". Get people moving as soon and as much as possible. Students learn to dance by dancing.
6. You are responsible for the physical safety of your class. Be aware of possibly hazardous situations and warn or prepare your class.
   • If you ask them to walk backwards, warn them it is dangerous and warn them to be careful of where and how they step.
   • If you ask them to use certain muscles vigorously, be sure the class is well warmed-up first. (Corté practice may overwork the quadriceps. Ocho practice may overwork muscles that twist the spine.) Have them stretch gently afterwards.
   • Knees and backs are vulnerable to improper bearing of weight. Learn about safe movement technique and inform your class.
7. Be patient and supportive. Remember your own experience with trying to learn to dance. Part of your job is to nurture the mental state of your students.
8. People learn in different ways. Therefore, describe steps in multiple ways:
   • Which foot to use - left/right/left.
   • Which action to do - step/point/close.
   • Which direction to go - forward/side-R/backward/side-L.
   • Rhythm - slow/quick/quick/slow.
   • Counts - 1/2/&/3/4.
9. People have trouble with different aspects of a step. What is difficult for one person may be easy for another. Discover with each person what they need to learn, and work on that.
10. Dancing is not an analytical or knowledge-based activity. Limit your use of analysis and information as a teaching tool. However, these methods may be useful for some people as a pathway to the step. Teach movement, not information.
11. When presenting a step for the first time, don't give every detail of it. Each person will have trouble with different details, so don't bore the class with details that individuals may not need to think about. You can always teach more later.
12. For unfamiliar or difficult movements, it is often useful to begin with a rough version of the step, then refine it in several stages, like a sculptor.
13. For longer sequences, build smaller, more discernible segments, then hook them together.
14. Cease referring to elemental steps as soon as possible and begin referring to larger movements. Encourage men to think in "words" instead of "letters".
    Note: It's true that Argentine Tango has some standard movements that are composed of sequential steps. However, I now think that full attention should be devoted to each individual, elemental step, because that is what makes tango so expressive. Make sure students give full value to every step.
15. To cultivate men's leading and women's following skills, offer variations in the step. This also encourages individuality and personal expression.
    • Show various entrances and exits for steps.
    • Offer variations to the step itself.
    • Showing variations in the timing, direction and size of steps.
16. To improve comprehension, contrast and compare new steps with previously known steps.
17. Teach to the majority. If some students are getting left behind, you can help them individually later.
18. Don't stifle the class by teaching too slowly or too thoroughly. Few, if any, steps will be perfected in a single session. Always review the following week.
19. Encourage students to ask questions. Someone may be trying to uncover a subtle distinction. Listen carefully. Make sure you understand the question before you respond. Answer thoughtfully. If you don't know the answer, say so.
20. Identify difficult or subtle parts of the step. Focus attention on them. Don't waste time teaching what doesn't need to be taught.
21. Sometimes steps will have a key, such as a particular transfer of weight, or a necessary placement of a foot. If so, identify it and give special attention to it.
22. Explain important leads for the men. Be sure the men know what the women are supposed to do, and how to get them to do it.
23. Never (rarely) tell the women what to do regarding the step. They should follow their partners lead.
24. Identify difficult parts for the women. Explain how proper technique and careful following will alleviate problems.
25. Suggest places and types of embellishments for the women, depending on the level of the class. Normally embellishments should not interfere with the movement of the step.
26. Suggest to the men that they leave space in their choreographies where women may include embellishments.
27. People should dance in relationship to the music. Remember to turn it on, fairly loudly, whenever you are not addressing the class.
28. Remind dancers to travel in line of direction. Design your teaching to encourage it. Consider teaching in the middle of a circle. If you teach in a circle, change the direction you face regularly, so everyone gets to see you well.
29. Instruct people often to change partners. Couples who do not change partners usually learn to compensate for each other's mistakes. I've seen several couples who refused to switch partners, and they have always done poorly. Switching is good, but too often is counter productive.
30. Use an exercise to develop familiarity with a new movement or skill, first, independently from the context of the step. Explain how each exercise applies to the step. If an exercise is a teaching method only, but is not actually part of the step, be sure everyone knows it is only a method.
31. If a couple is having difficulty with a step, either or both of them may be contributing to the problem. Make sure they both know what to do. Try not to let the fault lie on one person.
32. Emphasize and restate fundamental techniques. Many problems can be resolved through improved basics. You may solve other problems also by reviewing a basic technique. For example, women should always bring their feet together, and, a good frame cures many ills.
33. Promote individuality and personal expression. Don't urge conformity. Some ways of dancing work better than others, but there are no rules in dance.
34. Don't point out an individual's mistakes in front of the whole class. Sometimes you can speak to individuals indirectly by addressing the entire class.
35. If the majority of a class is having trouble with a step, it is your fault. Acknowledge your difficulty to the class, then recover. Don't let the class suffer for your problem. If your teaching is unclear or too fast, regroup and start over. If you have chosen a step that's too difficult, or you are not well enough prepared, say so to the class and teach something else. Don't waste the class's time while you figure out a step.
36. Leave your ego at the door. Don't promote yourself as an expert (refer to GUIDELINE #39). Be willing to learn from your students. Their experience may be different from yours. Listen to them carefully.
37. Be prepared to teach more than you expect to cover. You never know when either you or the class might do especially well.
38. Review your work soon afterwards. Write down what worked well or not so well. Think about what you could do next time to make it easier for your students to learn quickly and well. Review your notes before you teach again. In your review session you will have a chance to correct and/or improve your work.
39. Everything I have said here is wrong to some degree or in some context. (Refer to #2)
40. Maintain an atmosphere of fun and humor. Students will learn much easier if they don't take things too seriously.