Happy Move Like a Champion participants in Pittsfield, MA
Happy Move Like a Champion participants in Pittsfield, MA on November 2, 2014
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The program has made a real and positive impact in my life.
Testimonial from BDTC Graduate Karin Jensen John Adams is supposed to have said, “My father was a soldier, so I could be a politician, so my son could be poet.” In my case, I always thought, “My mother was a waitress, so I could be a professional, so my daughters can be anything they want…
Do Dance Teachers Need to Plan their Lessons?
Heck yes! Suppose you went to your music lesson and your teacher said to you, “What piece were we working on?” Or what if your lawyer said, “What is your case about again?” These clearly are not professional responses and are likely to fill you with doubt about whether you hired the right person. Now,…
One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes to Teaching Dance
Your 6:00pm student is waiting for you, dance shoes on, notebook out—she’s been ready since 5:30pm. You greet each other and she mentions she would like to review figures 6 and 7 before going on to figure 8. You review the figures with her until she is satisfied that she knows them. Before the lesson…
Finally, a Solution for Keeping Your Shoulders Down When Ballroom Dancing
How many times have you said to your students, “Put Your Shoulders Down”? A sure fire way to recognize an accomplished dancer is by looking at their upper carriage. Even with their arms up in a frame, good dancers’ shoulders are relaxed and down, their necks are long and their sternums are lifted. You know…
Kathy Wappel, Recent BDTC Graduate, Tells Her Dance Story
Hello BDTC fans! To kick off November we’re sharing two unique stories from students who went through our Teacher Training Program in 2013. Both came from out of state to take our 4-month intensive program (completing the entire 16-month training in just 4 months!). Each had her own reasons for attending and individual goals she…
Elizabeth Wilson, Recent BDTC Graduate, Tells Her Dance Story
Hello BDTC fans! To kick off November we’re sharing two unique stories from students who went through our Teacher Training Program in 2013. Both came from out of state to take our 4-month intensive program (completing the entire 16-month training in just 4-months!). Each had her own reasons for attending and individual goals she wanted…
Dance Student’s Revenge: When Dancing Goes Wrong!
On Halloween afternoon, October 31, 1991, my student and I were practicing our student/teacher showcase routine. My student (I’ll call him Keil*), had been taking lessons with me for many years. Keil came up with an idea for a humorous routine called “Dance Student’s Revenge”. It was about a student getting back at his teacher…
Whoops! How to Handle Embarrassing Ballroom Dance Moments Gracefully
Embarrassing things happen. They always have and they always will. There is no “Embarrassment Spray Guard”, so we’d best learn to expect it and be ready to deal with it in the best possible way. What would you do if: You pass gas loudly while doing a Paso Doble leap in your lesson with a…
Top 10 Characteristics of a Successful Ballroom Dance Teacher
Dear Diane, I love the idea of becoming a ballroom dance teacher. But how do I know if I have what it takes to be successful as a dance teacher? Wanting it to work, Alice Hi Alice, This is an excellent question and you are smart to ask it. Great dancers often assume they’ll automatically…