Private classes

[Yasmina]

Dear all,

What's your experience with private classes? If you don't know the instructor very well and the instructor doesn't know you very well, how do you decide what you want to learn and how does the instructor decide what to teach? For example: I like some instructors, whom I know from workshops, but I don't know what their strongest points are, what they could teach me best if I had let's say 20 hours with them in private.

What's the best way to preserve the knowledge you acquire through private classes (because when you do regular classes, you repeat and repeat over a longer period of time, so there's no danger of things getting "deformed", does this make sense)? So is for example recording rare or normal?

How many hours/days do you think are necessary in order to have a meaningful plan. I know this differs greatly according to competence, desires and style of instructor, but I'm interested in your personal experiences.

Looking forward to your reactions!

 

[Yasmine Bint Al Nubia]

Hi Yasmina, I have a private lesson at this time. The lesson plan really depends on the level of the student. Beginners have very litle understanding of the dance and must rely on the teacher to create the lesson plan.With one student it's easier for the teacher to observe body habits and guide the student accordingly. For students who are intermediate and above and have a strong foundation in the basics then a loose outline may be peferable. Where as the student describes what they hope to learn(Oriental techniques, folklore,props etc) and the teacher constructs a plan around the needs of the student.
Certainly, in each case the student/teacher bond could be stronger simply because of the one-on-one relationship.
Yasmine

 

[KuteNurse]

I also want to take private lessons eventually. I would think it would be important to get to know your instructor beforehand so both of you feel more comfortable to learn before private lessons. :dance:

 

[Outi]

I only teach privates at the moment. I used to have weekly classes when I still was in Finland, but here Cairo that isn't possible for me.

As a teacher I always ask the student if she has any preferences. If she wants to learn some specific style or prop etc. Of course I will concentrate on these and hope to give her a lot of information as possible. I like talk about the style or background of the dance and music, costumes etc. Many times there are some technical issues I think that learning them will benefit the students a lot. I will teach her those things too. So I have part of the teaching form students needs and part of what I think is important to her to learn.

As a student please tell teacher before hand, what you like. Tell your experience and your previous teachers. That will give the teacher idea what are your needs.

Good teacher will see in a minute what the student will need in technique wise. So she really doesn't need to know her before. Teacher can't teach anything she doesn't know. There is no point of asking me to teach American style, because I can't. So it's better if the student has seen the teacher to dance, so she has an idea what things she will like to learn from her. Or at least if the student has heard, that the teacher is really great in this and this subject. I would not take a private, if I didn't know anything about the dancer/teacher before. I could have a one class just to see her style and if I were just interested to find something new and have an idea.

 

[summerdance]

Private Lessons

I'm also getting really interested in taking private classes. I grea up Belly Dancing, but would love one on one instruction . Does anyone know a good teacher in Seattle WA?

 

[Yasmina]

What about choreographies? Is it possible to learn a choreography by a known instructor / choreographer and then use it on stage with his permission? I mean is this common / acceptable? Are the rates other than private classes where you learn technique?

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dear Yasmina,
I occasionally have dancers, both professional and amateur approach me with learning choreography in a private class. Depending on the length and complexity of the choreography, the number of classes required to learn it will vary. For example, I choreographed for and taught a drum solo to a dance company from the Seattle area. The class was "private" for then alone. At a later date I choreographed a cane dance for them, too. ( I eventually asked permission to use this one on stage. They bought it and they own the copyright as far as I am concerned, even though I choreographed it.) I also have been commissioned to choreograph pieces of music for solo dancers.
It goes something like this:
They need to choose a piece of music and I need to hear it to see if I CAN choreograph something to it. Sometimes, depending on the music, it is not possible because the music is, say, Tribal, and I do not do that style of dance or know enough about it. If I can dance to the piece, I can choreograph it for others. I need to keep in mind the skill level of the dancer, among other things. If I am successful and feel the end product is good, then the dancer buys both the choreography and the private classes to learn it.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Yasmina]

Dear Donya and A'isha Azar,

Thank you very much for your replies.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Private

I'm also getting really interested in taking private classes. I grea up Belly Dancing, but would love one on one instruction . Does anyone know a good teacher in Seattle WA?

Dear Summerdance,
What style of dance are you learning?
regards,
A'isha

 

[summerdance]

Aisha

I grew up dancing the basic egyptian style. I learned from family and friends and danced at parties, weddings etc. I think learning with a professional instructor may just help me get polished. A BD class may not be for me. I am seriously exploring the idea of private lessons.