You’re Teaching Dance The Wrong Way

Is this how you’ve been teaching dance?

  • First, your students watch you do the moves.

  • Then, you explain with words (or sounds) and ask them to remember the moves.
    Next, your students copy the moves by repeating them back to you.

  • Once they know the sequence, you refine their technique by giving them verbal feedback.

  • And finally, (once you see that they can do the sequence) you hit ‘play’ on the music and they do the moves along to the beat. 

  • A few repetitions later, and it’s time to layer on the next part of the sequence.

If you’re still wondering what’s wrong here, this blog is for you. 

Teaching dance, without the music, is like asking a swimmer to race in an empty pool. 🤨

You can’t think your way into dance, the moves have to be experienced and explored and then you can expand from there. 

When we dance and move our bodies along to the music, our brains light up. Synapses are created, creativity is unleashed, and our blood stream is flooded with happy hormones. 💕

But many people never get to these benefits of dance, because

🤦…they THINK they are getting it wrong.

🙈…they THINK they look silly.

🙅🏾‍♀️…they THINK they are “not dancers”.

That’s why when I teach dance, I start with movement to music. Not ‘do whatever you want/freestyle’ dancing (that’s terrifying in itself to beginners), rather guided, synchronized dance along to music. 

Here’s the KEY: use simple, repeatable moves. 

Not combos, not sequences, not routines.  

Simple (easy, repeatable) moves that result in 

✨instant success,

✨instant connection,

✨instant joy,

✨instant motivation, and

✨instant curiosity for what’s coming next.

And when your class is moving confidently to the music, in a way where they are connected to the beat, connected to themselves and connected to each other, you can

…build the routines,

…add the structure, 

…layer on the technique, and

…refine the group performance.

When you begin with SIMPLICITY, CONNECTION TO MUSIC, CONFIDENCE, you’re not only fostering better dancers, you’re helping all dancers have positive experiences with movement that can inspire a lifetime of active living, shaking, shimmying and moving. 🕺🏾

Melanie LevenbergComment