A dance lesson is a class led by a professional dance teacher. These classes are typically 45 to 2 hours long and have a set format. Each lesson includes warm-up, bar work, floor routines, and practice parties to help students develop their skills. During a dance lesson, the instructor introduces a new dance concept and provides practice opportunities to develop the skill. The student is guided through the concepts of a particular dance, usually with the guidance of a partner.
It’s important to keep in mind the age, movement limitations, and learning styles of your dancers when building your lesson plans. Younger dancers may be able to master certain moves at an early stage, but it’s often more effective to teach them in smaller increments over the course of several classes. This allows them to build up their confidence in the new move and gain a better understanding of the step as a whole.
In addition, many dance teachers find that it’s best to teach more basic steps first, and then minor stylistic variations later. People tend to retain the first version of a step the most, so it stays in their memory longer. It’s also helpful to avoid pushing dancers too far out of their comfort zone in the form of a challenge. Students learn more, and stay in class longer, when they feel comfortable.
Some dancers may need an opportunity to vent or discuss their experience in the dance class, so instructors sometimes utilize activities like “Pros and Cons” to allow them to do so. Each student shares one thing they enjoyed about the class, as well as a “con.” This allows for open dialogue, and helps instructors understand how to improve their teaching methods.
