Ever have that moment?
You know, where the fun quickly leaks out of your dance lessons and dance events like air escaping an untied balloon?
Psssssssssssst.
There it goes. The hobby that changed your life, and lifted you up, can deflate with just a few unanswered questions. Questions that become concerns. Concerns that become full-blown, ballroom dance hobby ending darts that can leave you frustrated, confused, and deflated.
That's why we've got solutions and dance advice. Ten of them, to be exact. Ten concerns that are matched with ten solutions that will allow you to continue to make uninterrupted progress in your social dance hobby.
Just when your comfort zone was starting to adapt to dance lessons, your teacher had to go and make an attempt to change it. Sure, it was probably to help you improve your dancing, but sometimes it can lead to a thought process that can become disastrous.
Solution: No one is really ever ready for something new, slightly scary, and generally outside of your comfort zone. So if your dance instructor is inviting you, they believe that they can prepare you to go and enjoy it.
Your teacher is proud of you. Your teacher can see the obstacles in the way of your progress, and they are well aware that your dancing is a journey, not a destination. The only thing that will actually disappoint your teacher, is if you give up on the idea, or your hobby altogether.
Solution: Ask them. Instead of allowing your brain to come up with wild, imagined ideas, ask your teacher what would disappoint them in your dance classes, and have them repeat it, or write it down, if necessary.
Your teachers want you to succeed. In fact, when you don't, they don't. That means that they've got a vested interest in your goals, and the steps to get you there. When a competition is around the corner, that event will take a much higher priority, but no single event will ever overtake your big picture dance goals.
Solution: Your dance teacher may have invited you to a dance competition, or similar event, but any recommendation will always be tied directly to your long range goals, and not a short range competition.
Teachers are professionals, pure and simple. In any industry, the professional dynamics completely change if a pro and a client have a personal relationship. At Arthur Murray, the goal is to create a safe, professional, learning environment where your dancing, and goals, are the primary focus.
Solution: The Fraternization policy at Arthur Murray is designed to keep things professional, safe, and consistent from one student to the next.
There are times when a teacher may need to speed up or slow down the delivery of the teaching information. This might seem a little awkward to bring up, sort of like telling a masseuse for a softer or firmer massage, but this is where it's great to have a check in with an executive.
Solution: The Progress Check is a regular visit by management to ensure that things are progressing the way that you want.
There are times when your teacher will work on certain subjects in seasons, and in some cases, they will approach that season like a great show on Netflix. That means they may have you binge on things like hip motion, arm styling, or the choreography to your new Waltz routine.
The reason is simple: To build up your skills as quickly as possible in that subject.
Solution: If it really starts to wear you down, is to communicate how you are feeling, and assess the progress and plan of attack.
Dance teachers have an important objective: To help you achieve a goal in dancing that may even exceed what you thought was possible.
To do that, they need to know what motivates you. While your teacher may share some common interests, or anecdotes, the focus of the lesson should, naturally, be centered around the student. Which would be hard to do if the teacher was constantly sharing their life story.
Solution: Typically, this is only an issue when the literal, or figurative, momentum begins to slow in your lessons. Your teacher shouldn't stop being human, or coldly ignore friendly conversation, but ultimately, they want to help you make progress in the most fun, quick, and easy way.
There's a moment when you first walk into the gym where your brain, in some weir way, will convince you that everyone is staring at you, sizing you up, and openly mocking you for showing up at their fitness hangout. Wrong.
The same thing can occur in a ballroom dance studio.
Solution: This rarely is an actual issue, and introducing yourself, or having your teacher do the honors, can virtually eliminate this perceived threat.
Once in a blue moon, an advanced student will offend a new student, and it's a real bummer. This usually occurs when an advanced student attempts to give constructive feedback that isn't as constructive as was intended.
Solution: In the rare event that the advanced student says something that is intentionally vindictive, it's best to chat with your teacher or studio Supervisor about it. There are a wide variety of things that can prompt it, and the solutions will always be most readily available when coming from a teacher or management.
At some point, your dance teacher may have moments where they aren't as effective in their communication, teaching style, or ability to connect to you.
Or maybe, there's a teacher that you identify with, appreciate their ability, and are interested in working with. There are plenty of reasons that are normal, valid, and important enough to warrant an adjustment in your teaching team.
Solution: The Supervisor who oversees your dance program needs to know this, or they may recommend this concept before this concern takes away from the momentum of your learning - it's called Team Teaching.
This concept allows you the opportunity to work with multiple teachers, and keeps the instruction centered around the strengths of the teacher for the benefit of the student.
There are plenty of things that can derail your Dance Hobby that are unavoidable: A change in location, employment, or family dynamics, to name a few.
Consider this a list of avoidable derailments.
Things that can, with a mix of communication and clear strategy, can be avoided. Pitfalls that are mapped out, accounted for, and easy to pass. Like guard rails on a mountain pass, or caution signs on a wet floor, your hobby is too important to succumb to any of these concerns.
You worked too hard, risked too much, and have come too far. Question, concern, or problem, you've got a team of experts assembled to help you get past them, and in the process, they may just team you some great dance stuff too.
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Footloose Image used for editorial purposes only