Requirements and Expectations
Prior Experience
No prior dance experience is required, just a love for dancing and helping other people enjoy their lives.
Attendance
This is a professional level course, and we cover a lot of material at a fairly fast pace. Missing class is not advised, as you can easily fall behind. If you do have to miss a class, you can generally arrange to work with one of the other students to help you catch up. You can also schedule private lessons with Kevin (for an additional private lesson fee) to make up any work you miss.
Class Times & Exam Schedule
Classes are held Mondays & Thursdays from 5 to 7pm at The Champlain Club, 20 Crowley St., Burlington. Exams are scheduled to be held during regular class times. If you miss an exam, you may schedule a make-up exam with Kevin (for an additional private lesson fee).
Practice
Each class meets a total of 4 hours a week per section. Most students spend quite a bit of time every week studying the material and practicing what they have learned. Though the amount of outside time varies greatly from student to student, please expect to commit one hour of study time for every hour you spend in class (about four per week). Becoming a dance teacher takes dedication and practice.
Shoes
All students will be expected to have proper dance shoes by the second class meeting. This is not an arbitrary aesthetic or fashion consideration. To teach dance, you need the "right tool for the job," and proper dance shoes are literally the foundation for your dancing!
There are different styles of dance shoes for different styles of dancing, but most trainees wear a basic "practice shoe," a practical and durable suede-soled dancing shoe that is made to be comfortable and wearable for long periods. Some students wear flashier shoes or high heeled dance shoes, but this is a matter of personal comfort. You can purchase dance shoes from any dance shoe retailer.
Misc. Expectations: Presentations
Because this is a teaching class, there is a strong emphasis on presentation. You will be expected to present material to the class on a regular basis. You may be asked to demonstrate a figure or to present a brief history of a specific dance. Don't worry, we hand out assignments in advance, so you will have plenty of time to prepare!
Dancing both roles
In order to teach a specific dance or figure, you need to be able to articulate and demonstrate both the leader's and follower's part. We spend equal time in class working on both parts, and every student is expected to dance with every other student as both leader and follower, regardless of gender. This is standard practice for professional dance instruction.