Technique or Chreography training

[leighqt]

I was just wondering if most classes are learning technique via a dance routine or more technique focused (drilled )

to clarify by technique I mean the movement shown ,taught practised until it becomes natural, rather than not be sure of correct technique and trying to learn a routine at the same time.

 

[Shanazel]

Class time is too precious to spend on drills unless the students are beginners. I demonstrate a new technique for continuing students, have them run through it until they have the movement down well enough to practice on their own, then let them drill at home. The rest of the time we spend polishing old dances and choreographing and learning new ones.

Others will disagree and their views will be as valid for their students as mine are for my students.

 

[Darshiva]

I go in the complete opposite direction to Shanazel. I teach technique in class so I know that they have the motion right as it needs to work on their body, which they can then go home & practice knowing they aren't prone to injury, and the rest of the class is improv &/or games. Choreo comes in once they have their basics down and it's a very small part of the class - basically another drill session on learning how to put the moves together or how to learn something someone else has created (aka basic workshop learning/ettiquette skills)

I try for a rounded experience that mixes middle eastern learning style (improv, follow the bouncing butt) with a heavy western style of drilling technique until you've got it right.

As Shan said, there is no one right approach for teaching style, and in fact it's probably a really good thing to have several wildly different teaching styles in one area so that students can go to/move on to the classes that mesh best with them rather than turning up & it not working for them due to the mental clash & having them drop out entirely.

 

[leighqt]

Thank you for both of your replies, is kind of as I expected no right or wrong answer, .

 

[Shanazel]

Full disclosure: over the years, my rec center class has become more of an informal dance troupe than regular class. Some of my gals have been dancing together for years; one student who could teach the class as easily and at least as well as I has been dancing with me for (ahem) a quarter of a century. We originally met in someone else's class and our paths crossed so many times that they have now practically melded together. I can't imagine being without her. We are celebrating our 50th (her) and 60th (me) birthdays together in March.

 

[Daimona]

And then some teachers offers both in separate classes.

Drilling is necessary to get a crisp technique, but dance routines and supervised improvisation are both necessary to learn how to interprete the music and subgenre stylization within the context of our beloved dance.

 

[leighqt]

I like the idea of having the opportunity to do both in separate classes, personally I would prefer to get the crisp movement but guess that comes with time and practice.

 

[Kashmir]

I use choreography as a way to teach technique new choreo- new set of skills. The exception is when we have a formal performance coming up when we do choreo over and over until I spot a technique hole and then we drill that. Then with the technique nice and solid we can do some improvisation.

 

[Aniseteph]

I like classes that are a bit of both. Just drills gets boring if you aren't in the mood, and is frustrating if you are made to slog away at something that you know is going to take a week or so to get your head and body round. Just choreography works if everyone is at a similar level and on top of the technique, but could be equally boring if you are never pushed technically. And if you are putting some more technically challenging bits in, you have to spend some time focusing on getting them right, which means drilling them IMO.

 

[leighqt]

I find myself in a bit of a dilema , hence why I ask.

I have only been dancing between 6 and 8 months.

what I am finding is that I don't feel 100 percent on technique as well as trying to learn various Chreography.

for me personally as a person, if I am going to do something I want to do it to the best of my ability, not sort of bumble along, I want to become a good dancer and fear by dancing nowhere near the best of my ability, it is bad not only for my self confidence, reputation but also that of my troupe, that said I do practice and don't want to let the troupe down, , but I am really not enjoying it..

any advice will be great and appreciated

 

[Darshiva]

Time to stop being hard on yourself. You're still so very new to this, of course your technique isn't perfect! Keep up the practice and take the encouragement of your troupemates to heart.

 

[Jeanne]

I like to mix up a variety of teaching techniques. I usually do some kind of technique drills as the first thing after warmup. After that, sometimes I teach a choreo, which might be a full song that we work on over several weeks, or a short combo for that night only, usually emphasizing whatever technique was drilled. Other times I like have a section for improv practice or some silly fun thing.

 

[Shanazel]

No one dances to the best of his or her ability all the time. And you know what? At less than a year, you may well be dancing to the best of your ability at this point. I suspect you are not dancing to the best of your expectations for yourself, which is something completely different. It isn't your self-confidence involved here- it's your ego and I say that in the most compassionate way that I can. Self-confidence says, "I can learn to do this; I can improve." Ego says, "If I'm not the best, nothing else matters."

Technique will come with practice. Give up your fear, curtail your ego, and start seeking the joy of the movements, the music, and your companions while you practice. Joyful dance without technique may be sloppy but technique without joy is exercise.

 

[da Sage]

I find myself in a bit of a dilema , hence why I ask.

I have only been dancing between 6 and 8 months.

what I am finding is that I don't feel 100 percent on technique as well as trying to learn various Chreography.

for me personally as a person, if I am going to do something I want to do it to the best of my ability, not sort of bumble along, I want to become a good dancer and fear by dancing nowhere near the best of my ability, it is bad not only for my self confidence, reputation but also that of my troupe, that said I do practice and don't want to let the troupe down, , but I am really not enjoying it..

any advice will be great and appreciated

It sounds like you would enjoy some technique/drilling-heavy classes. If you like your current teacher, perhaps she has another class that does more drill work, or you could book her for a private lesson or two.

It is okay to sample or change to another teacher if you just feel lost or like you're not making much progress. But it can be even more useful to stay with the same teacher and supplement her classes with classes from a teacher who does things a little differently (not too differently, or it will get confusing).

 

[walladah]

Both!

plus musicality, expression etc.

I think that each class or lesson cycle can have different content, but the important thing is that choreography only is not enough. Many world famous teachers, even when they teach choreos they start with drilling the most important or difficult parts of it, to make sure people get the technique first and then combine everything into a choreo.

Of course, this depends on the level of students or the aim of the class, f.ex. workshop, preparation for a show, technique improvement, learning a specific dance style.

Other times a dance style deoes not permit choreo-focus, f.ex. baladi or folk types of bellydance. THen the choreo might be simple or inexistent or you learn combinations to be used freely with a more or less non-choreographed song.