Hello All,
I've been dancing for almost 10 years, and I've been teaching private lessons for the past few months. Up till now, I've been working with advanced dancers who are looking to improve their technique. This week I start teaching my first beginner class. Its at a gym and its supposed to be a bellydance fittness class. My boss wants it to be something that anyone can drop into at any time. I'm used to class registration being cut off after a couple lessons so that new people won't be lost. I need to structure my class so that its user friendly to people dropping into class #1 or class # 31. Any suggestions?
thanks in advance
~J
I've been dancing for almost 10 years, and I've been teaching private lessons for the past few months. Up till now, I've been working with advanced dancers who are looking to improve their technique. This week I start teaching my first beginner class. Its at a gym and its supposed to be a bellydance fittness class. My boss wants it to be something that anyone can drop into at any time. I'm used to class registration being cut off after a couple lessons so that new people won't be lost. I need to structure my class so that its user friendly to people dropping into class #1 or class # 31. Any suggestions?
thanks in advance
~J
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Richmond
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Re: Any advice would help
Mon, March 3, 2008 - 5:58 PMOMG, LOL, I knew when you took this job it would be HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, it's why I'd never teach a drop-in beginners. Because I just can't figure out how you'd go back to the beginning every time you had drop-ins without eventually boring students that have stayed with it awhile.
The only constructive suggestion I can think of is to teach it more like an exercise class where it's basically the same "routine" every time you teach a class. Since it's a belly dance fitness class they might be expecting a regular "workout" based on belly dance rather than expecting to eventually dance like us. Maybe. :)
Good luck J !!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Any advice would help
Mon, March 3, 2008 - 10:09 PMI had a similar situation last summer at our rec center. It actually worked out pretty well! I structured the class in a very organized and systematic way. Here goes....
1. Warm up (easy, fun, good stretches, fun fast music, appealing to the masses)
2. hip isolation of the day. Made a list of various fig. 8's, lifts/drops, omi's, circles, and so on. Nothing too complicated.
3. Upper body isolation of the day. Slides, lifts, drops, circles (and fig 8's if theyre 'getting' it)
4. Walk of the day. (step hips, twisties, basic Egyptian, pony step...)
5. Arms. Usually seated snake arms (its a great workout for 5 min. or so at a time if theyre not used to that!)
6. Stomach rolls. THis is always funny and a great ice breaker! The moans and groans...
7. Shimmy! I always end with a really fun fast song, starting off slowly (with the movement) and speeding up 'till we're shimmying!
I do each section for about 5 minutes or so (except for the WU, that lasts longer.) This seems to be a good amount of time to let the movement sink in enough without losing attention spans! I have a list of songs that are various speeds, categorized into my sections (ex. hips (list of tunes), Chest (list of tunes) and so on, so depending on my mood ( or the rhythm of the class) I can pick and choose my music.
This structure seems to work well for me. THat way, if you go over stuff like basic stance and the concept of isolations every class, anyone can drop in wothout being totally lost. And once you loop through your list of moves, just start over again. Even the people who may have already done the moves before are happy to practice more!
I hope this helps! Have fun!
Molly -
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Re: Any advice would help
Tue, March 4, 2008 - 8:21 AMWhat Molly said. Do a warmup and cooldown that are consistent and can just be followed as you do them.
Then... focus on a handful of steps or concepts each day. Try to keep them relatively independent from the last class, but you can review & build on material from a couple of classes ago with drop-ins too (after a couple of weeks, the people who were there the first time will need the review). -
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Re: Any advice would help
Tue, March 4, 2008 - 1:16 PMApril & Zafira,
You guys are everywhere on tribe, just like me! Thanks for the tips. Thanks to you too Molly. I've got things pretty well planned out. Classes start tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
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Re: Any advice would help
Tue, March 4, 2008 - 1:16 PMBrilliant, Molly. We are starting to teach through the local community schools, we may be in the same situation.
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Re: Any advice would help
Tue, March 4, 2008 - 3:43 PMHeh Molly!
Thanks for the great ideas for a "drop-in" class. I've been repeatedly asked to teach one but declined due to the nightmare logistics. You make it sound so easy!!!
:)
~Z. -
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Re: Any advice would help
Tue, March 4, 2008 - 4:56 PMIt is pretty easy, once you get going! And most of the time, you have pretty much the same group of students anyway, with a few randoms here and there. The only thing I ran into was when the students start getting more toward intermediate. I started up another class for the intermediates, but kept the drop in beginner class the same. Sometimes people end up taking both just for fun and more practice (good for us, good for them!) It is really quite fun! -
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Update
Thu, March 6, 2008 - 7:49 AMWell, I had the first class last night, and it was awesome! Everyone was uber enthusiastic and seemed to have a great time. I was nervous beyond belief, but managed to pull it off. I think everyone had fun and by the moans and groans during the squats and when I reminded them to keep their arms up, I think they got a good workout too. Again, thanks for all the advice.
~J
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Re: Any advice would help
Sat, March 22, 2008 - 11:19 PMI have a similar set up with a gym. I do have an advanced class that is closed and the dancer must have my approval but the beginning is a multi level class. I do different things...some examples:
- When teaching routines, I just rotate teaching the moves and explain that as they continue to come, they will learn it all. This has worked for me. My beginning routines stick to basic moves. The new people get their feet wet and the experienced students must add zills to it and refine the technique.
- Combos are great. Teach basic technique and combos....then add more and more like arms and such. The beginners stick to the basic move.
- Games and such...where they are all challenged at different levels.
-- Zills zills zills....I challenge the experienced girls with zills.
-- Some classes I just teach new moves then put together more challenging combos.
--Monthly themes to make them want t start at square one.
In all of my beginning classes - we go over posture and I spend time getting the advanced girls started then addressing any new people. I have had this class for 5 years. It is tough and took me a while to refine how to give new people the posture and basics but also challenge those that have that down. When they are moving, nice technique, great posture, and playing zills....they are moved into my advanced class.
Do be sure that you explain to the newbies....to stay with the basics and not try to do the tougher additions....this will ensure they get the basics but also they get excited seeing what is next.
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Re: Any advice would help
Sun, March 23, 2008 - 9:30 AMI did this same thing!
After a few months of the same students, we would move forward so they didnt get bored.
Then came the crasher! ... And we would have to take it back down to their level.
I would split the class so that one group would be doing one thing, then the newbie would do the beginner thing. Ended up, the newbies would leave after one or two classes. Seemed they felt out of place for all sorts of reasons.
It really did get a bit disjointed with people who come and go and then people who stay.
Good Luck!
Health clubs are a challenge.
(here is an embarrassement - My choli bottom band slipped to show the tan line under my breast - In a club they talk - I walked down the stairs alone after class to see they had already gathered to tell management about my unappropriate behavior and clothing. Any other dance forum, it would be a correctable mistake. In a club, its a scandelous behavior that "The dancer" has.)
Hopefully - Your club is a bit more open.
