Thread: Do you walk around during class?

So, I have had instructors do both. I just wanted to see what the general opinion is here.

Do you dance toward the mirror and look at student's reflections to see who they are doing while teaching?

OR

Do you walk around correcting individual technique for each student?

I do both :) In the studio where I have mirrors, I start the movements and exercises towards the mirror (turning to face them on occasion - especially when explaining something from all angles) and when I think the students are comfortable with the idea - then I walk around to each dancer and offer corrections and suggestions. After that, I watch in the mirror again and watch them apply what we talked about. It seems like a good compromise because some students are very nervous with a teacher walking around and correcting.

In my classes without mirrors, I tend to face the students most of the time - only turning around to demonstrate to allow them to translate the movement that way. Other than facing them, I do basically the same thing. (1) explain & demonstrate in front, (2) walk around to correct & suggest, and (3) back to front to watch everyone, demonstrate, and complete the section.

I use the mirrors but also walk around. I often can pick things up from behind a student that isn't obvios from in front - and they are less self conscious than when I stand in front of them.

I wish we had mirrors....

Both.

Both, depending on the subject. Usually when we do a move the students can do reasonably well on their own I go around and correct where needed. Sometimes we dance in a circle or move around the room for traveling steps, depends on the exercise.

Another "both" here.

I teach facing the mirror, so the student can see the movement from both front and back. I also give minor corrections/reminders/"attaboys" from the mirror. I walk around "just because" sometimes, but usually I have a purpose (several people struggling/completely incorrect movement, etc).

Deborah

Both. I should probably walk around more than I do, actually. Kashmir's right, there are things I don't see in the mirror.

Those who do both - do you find that you walk around more or less when you work with more advanced students? Or about the same?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Both. I should probably walk around more than I do, actually. Kashmir's right, there are things I don't see in the mirror.

Those who do both - do you find that you walk around more or less when you work with more advanced students? Or about the same?

Good question! It depends on what we are working on. I will walk around less for example when I am first teaching a choreography, but much more once they have it and I am working to get everyone's stylization in synch. With advanced students I generally walk around a lot more for technique, because I really need to be close to catch everything (like when students do traveling undulations with layers shimmies and upper body 8s - I will actually walk alongside and correct/suggest so I can see from all angles). If we are working on review stuff like basics, I will walk around a lot less and do more "follow the bouncing butt" with them to keep them on their toes with transtitions.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Those who do both - do you find that you walk around more or less when you work with more advanced students? Or about the same?

Hmm, I possibly walk around less for advanced students...because there are less of them in the room so I can see them all from the front, and because I feel more comfortable calling out corrections from the front of the class! I prefer to correct beginners standing near them so they don't feel embarrassed, but the advanced girls can take it (I hope!).

Actually, sometimes with my advanced students I stand very close and stare at them really, really hard to see exactly what they're doing. Hmmm. Perhaps I am intimidating! With beginners, I often come at them from an angle, to avoid the way the embarrassed ones often futz the move as soon as you're nearby!

This is really helpful. I think I need then to walk around more. I generally don't because I worried about making the students feel uncomfortable..p:: It sounds though like your students appreciate it.

I pledge to walk around and give more personal attention to each student.

Thx!

I do both. It's scary for them at first to be corrected but they get used to it. I do think it's important to be consistent though.
Students really appreciate personal feedback, at least that's my experience.

My teacher does both. When I try to hide behind her reflection in class she always turns around to catch me.

Are you in my class?

Originally Posted by Vahana

So, I have had instructors do both. I just wanted to see what the general opinion is here.

Do you dance toward the mirror and look at student's reflections to see who they are doing while teaching?

OR

Do you walk around correcting individual technique for each student?

I do both. I tend to demonstrate at the front of the class, then drill, and as the drill goes on and most of the students feel better about what they are doing, I tell them to continue to drill and then walk about gently correcting and praising. I do try not to single people out too much.

I do both plus I will help them with a movement with my hands and also let them feel the hips for shimmy, mayas, fish, etc.

I do both.

Originally Posted by Linnyg

My teacher does both. When I try to hide behind her reflection in class she always turns around to catch me.

LOL! I've always got one student trying to sneak into my blind spot -- you can't fool us like that.

My current class doesn't have a mirrored studio so we do a lot of out warm ups/drills in a big circle facing my teacher in the centre. With stationary moves, she moves around the circle checking us; for traveling moves, we move in a specified direction slowly and she stands still to check us.

For specific technique/posture checks and instruction she always walks around each of us individually 360 degrees before giving feedback.

She was explaining to those of us in her intermediate/performers class last week that she believes it is essential for her to move around and check. She teaches a large number of high profile workshops all over the country and says she often meets students who have been dancing a while and think that they have 'got moves down' because they are used to facing their teacher and that they are never checked on from behind or the side - she believes that many beginner dancers don't realise how moves have a big spatial dimension to them. She gave the example of camels and said it was her experience that many students were used to observing and replicating the forward part of the undulation but because they saw the back part less, it can sometimes be a case of 'out of sight, out of mind'.

She said that this factor, combined with health and safety issues are why its important to move around doing full checks amongst students.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

LOL! I've always got one student trying to sneak into my blind spot -- you can't fool us like that.

I do, too! We've made it our little private joke.

Deborah

Both. I also do alot of switching from rows facing the mirror to one big circle. I don't want my students getting to used to always seeing their reflection while dancing.

Both, but I also like to go to the back of the room sometimes and view them from the back. I can catch a lot from a "rear view" and it eliminates some of that "omg my teacher's looking at me!" anxiety.

Maybe I'm weird, but especially when running choreographies, I like to watch from both a high and low vantage point, sometimes standing on a chair and sometimes kneeling on the ground. I swear you can see different things when watching from different angles.

Both--mostly gentle corrections/encouragement in the mirror, some walking around--especially on moves that, for whatever reason, often make students fall into bad/dangerous posture. The maya is one--I frequently see people wanting to stick out their tail, which could be injurious to the lower back, so I demo that one from the front AND side, and then walk around. When you walk around, be sure to throw out a word of praise here and there too! Those students who are doign well will appreciate hearing "nice arms" or "lovely" as much as the ones who need correction will appreciate the individual attention that they get.

I do both as well. My mirrors have a lovely "fun house" effect to them so depending on where gals are standing it can distort their movements from my point of veiw, plus there are the ever fun blind spots that I can't see at all. So I face the student at times, have them in a big circle around me and I walk the room making corrections and what not. Some days I feel like I do more laps of the room than dancing...lol

Both...especially during the technique part of class...I like to give leeway for expression during the combo du jour...unless I see bad alignment or something very much in need of correction...but I walk and correct often...

Use the mirrors now and again, but mostly walk around.