Let’s look back over the
past few months at comments from various artists about teaching.

 

From Dana Lawton, age 46
(Oakland, CA):

Find a mentor! Have her/him watch you
teach and give honest feedback. Go watch class instead of taking; this will let
you see the students' reactions when the teacher is talking/demonstrating/correcting.
Lastly, my biggest pet peeve… know your music! I know it is hard to find music
that supports your movement ideas; not all music comes in measures of eight or
has a steady 4/4 time signature. If you’re using recorded music then listen to
the whole song. Not having the right music is like serving soup on a plate; it
doesn’t work and is a disservice to your students.

From Annie Arnoult Beserra, age 38
(Chicago, IL):

If you want to have a life as a
dancer, you will teach. Recognize teaching as a craft that takes the same level
of attention, skill and practice that your physical practice has taken. Become
a member of NDEO (www.ndeo.org), get on the list serves that appeal to you, and
eavesdrop on the conversations that teachers are having with one another. Start
paying attention to how rather than what your favorite teachers are teaching.
Take Dance in Education courses/workshops/intensives. Go and observe teachers
you or others know and respect in action. Sit in on classes and take notes
about the structure of their classes, the language they use, and the way they
engage their students (i.e. do they model/participate/play?). Then… and this is
the best piece of advice I have… assist, demonstrate or co-teach with great
teachers. Offer to do this for free – and you won’t believe the amount of
willing mentors you will have.

From Shaunna Vella, age 32 (Oakland,
CA):

Teach things that make you excited.
Continue to be a student. Stay curious and dream big. When you are in dance
classes notice things that you might want to incorporate into your own
teaching. Make fun playlists and research new music. Talk to other teachers
about games, prompts, and explorations they love to use. Take time to prepare
classes. Once I started getting more radical about classes and less worried
about teaching straight knees, it really became the best job in the world. The
dance world is evolving and we must be the couriers of that change.

From John Beasant, age 41
(New York, NY):

If it's possible, study directly with
those who are passionate about teaching, particularly if they have a
style/philosophy that you are drawn to.  Go to your local library or visit
an online book retailer and pick up some well-documented approaches on dance
teaching and/or memoirs of those who have been highly established.  There
is no single way to teach in this art form and it will continue to evolve…
what things are important to you in technique, in performance, in just being? 
Planning is an essential tool for any teacher; however, the more you do it, the
more confident you become, to the point where mapping out ideas for class
becomes second nature. Do not be afraid to be yourself!