Thread: "Inherited" students

Hey guys.
I have a bit of an issue on my hands. It's not overwhelming right now but I could see it getting out of hand in the future.
I just "inherited" a class from a friend of mine who just had a baby. She will presumably be back in the future and take over teaching the class again once she feels ready.
I teach other classes and I feel like I am proud of how well I relate to each of my students and get to know what their individual needs are. I really try to pay attention to my students. Some of them come to my classes with previous experience, some are beginners, but I really think I manage to reach most of them.
So far I do not feel this way about this new class. I am trying to reach out to my friend's loyal continuing students but I feel like I can't get a handle on many of them. I'd like to get a sense of what they want to get out of class so that I can work on trying to tailor my curriculum to their goals, but so far I haven't been able to drag much of anything out of them.
Moreover, some of them have some- how can I put this politely- quirks about their dancing that I am concerned about. (like strange posture, not being able to stay on the beat with group improv, etc) I am normally pretty direct (in a respectful and polite way if at all possible) with feedback, but I get the feeling this is not what they are used to. I'm worried about being too critical and driving my friend's students away from the class, but I'm also too anal to just let these bad habits go unnoticed.
Does anyone have any advice? I know this is a weird situation and perhaps not one that comes up very often.

It might take a while for your friend's student to get used to you. Students (particularly beginners) get very attached to their teacher and their teacher's approach, so having someone new is likely a little daunting to them. Don't take this personally--they'll likely warm up as they get to know you.

In the meantime, you might need to soften your approach. You can be more direct with them as they start to feel more comfortable. Keep the classes light and fun, make general corrections instead of singling any one student out (but give lots of personal attention), and SMILE A LOT!!! ..g.:..g.:..g.:

I'm sure you'll win them over with time!

Well I don't know when baby is due or if it was born but the teacherwho left us a year ago December, still isn't back. Mind you she didn't get a sub, but abandonned the class and then couldn't get the hall back - but it can take longer than the (particularly first time mum) thinks to get her life back, so you should think of them as your students

I'm trying to imagine taking over a whole new class all at once -- it must be overwhelming trying to get to know them all. We're used to having students come to us a few at a time!

Here's a thought, though -- if you were to take over one of my classes, you'd notice a LOT of quirks. This one can't keep the beat. That one drops her pelvis a lot. The other one does her snake arms more like shoulder rolls. And another lifts her heels during mayas.

But you wouldn't have been there over the years to know that the shoulder roll adaptation of snake arms is something we worked out after a shoulder surgery to allow her to continue doing them at all. You wouldn't know that the one who can't keep the beat is actually 1000 times better than she was a year ago and is hugely proud of her progress because she's had to work VERY hard at it. Or the one who drops her pelvis is a little lordotic. Or the one who lifts her heels was in a terrible car accident and couldn't do mayas at all for years.... Oh, and there's one who's a little stiff because of her fibromyalgia, one who can't spin because -- well, we don't know why, but she gets horribly dizzy. And one who has to rest often because of her sickle cell, and one who has seizures so we let her take care of herself any way she can.

In other words, it would look like a horrible mess to you. But believe it or not, we've worked around all these things so they can dance together and look pretty good doing it! They wouldn't tell you any of this because they don't talk about their issues often - it took years for me to encounter their quirks and find out what's going on with them.

So, I guess my approach would be to take time to get to know them a little better before trying to correct them beyond safety. Maybe stick to one correction per student per week, whatever seems like the biggest issue to you. (maybe ask questions like 'can you tuck your pelvis a little more?' 'what if you bring your ribcage forward?' rather than giving direction, so they feel invited to tell you if they can't!) Because the thing that looks like an issue to you could be the very thing they've worked hardest to overcome for a year and they might be very proud of their progress in that area!!

As far as the personalities and interaction in the classroom -- I'm thinking if you're patient and consistent it'll break loose OR become obvious what the problem is.

Meanwhile, you can't take it personally. Whatever it is, odds are it's not about you at all!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

So, I guess my approach would be to take time to get to know them a little better before trying to correct them beyond safety. Maybe stick to one correction per student per week, whatever seems like the biggest issue to you. (maybe ask questions like 'can you tuck your pelvis a little more?' 'what if you bring your ribcage forward?' rather than giving direction, so they feel invited to tell you if they can't!) Because the thing that looks like an issue to you could be the very thing they've worked hardest to overcome for a year and they might be very proud of their progress in that area!!

I like this approach. I'm in a very similar situation, I took over two of Jenna's classes during her last two months of pregnancy and it looks like I'll be having them for quite a bit longer while she recovers from Big Baby Izzy. It took me a while to get used to some of those students too, and I dance/teach in a very different style, and some of them did leave (perhaps the could smell my fear when I realized I had to fill Jenna's shoes?? eep!) but then more and more new faces starting coming. So, if you can help them (without picking on them) to become better dancers, sooner or later they will see the value in coming to your classes and warm right up to you. :)

OK! this happened to me last fall.my night renter retired.i was renting, so it was not my place to say anything.
just this last week, i got everyone on the same page!
the lady who retired had very advanced R A . so, they got no zills, isadora on acid veil, no floor, no music theory, just new age crap by the dolphin chick
WHAT I FOUND OUT? that these students wanted everything all along, but did not know the options.i found out many had seen me dance, and were trying to figure out how to get the same instruction.
now i know it is a bit diff cause i own the studio, but IF the other teacher comes back, i bet you will have many who want to stay with you.
i also am correcting!she just let them float along with no guidlines.i sincerely think she was so far gone on pain meds for her R A , most just went past her.
your own dance will be the mark of your high standards. those who just want play time, can leave or you open a hobbist class.

possible typo !!!!
crap, SHE was renting! not me ....or i was renting to her.ok, ...tired.

[QUOTE=Lauren_;370935]So, I guess my approach would be to take time to get to know them a little better before trying to correct them beyond safety. QUOTE]

I'm not interested in getting everyone to look the same- I'm much more concerned about people doing things that could potentially be harmful in the long term. ("Quirks" was really the wrong word. Everyone has quirks and sometimes they are helpful rather than harmful.)
The problems with rhythm are actually what get me the most flabbergasted, so if anyone has any suggestions for how to handle that, that would be awesome. My usual approaches (clapping the rhythm with the students, getting everyone to chant the rhythm or the elements of the moves to the music, saying "RIGHT left RIGHT left", etc.) are not working.

I suppose I do need to wait for these ladies to open up to me! It's just interesting how different this entire experience has been. I feel much more comfortable with total newbies in my normal classes than I do with these experienced students. ..c::

Coming from a newish student here, and I take classes from a couple of teachers: periodic 'posture checks' when you have everyone stop what they're doing and correct everybody, even the ones that are using correct posture (you can adjust an arm, hand position, head position), that way everyone has something to learn and work on. My second teacher always asks before she puts her hands on my body to correct my posture---I'm a member of the 'sticking the booty out' club. Basic zill drills are good for getting students on the same rhythm, as is a drum class. With drums, it is waaay obvious when someone is off-beat! We started with really basic stuff, like 'Dum-tek, dum-tek, dum-tek'; we of course practiced more complicated rhythms and I tell you it helped ALOT. Good luck and congratulations on the new gig, albeit a temporary one.

[quote=SaraKat;371466]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

My usual approaches (clapping the rhythm with the students, getting everyone to chant the rhythm or the elements of the moves to the music, saying "RIGHT left RIGHT left", etc.) are not working.

hooooo boy. I've had a few students who found it that difficult -- but never a whole class full! I feel for you, I really really do. In a case like that, you can't even use partner work.

Can you identify some reason why they're having such a hard time as a group? My only thought is that maybe the sound system is off, and the melody is overshadowing the rhythm? Like if you adjust the bass/treble balance or equalizer on the stereo maybe they would hear it better? I know that's a long shot....

Clapping and chanting and stepping usually work, but maybe it's just going to take time.

Could it be a case of having rhythm, but not being able to apply it when they dance?

I'm not a teacher, but some of my fellow classmates seem to focus so much on catching the beat that they are actually off...one friend was showing me a choreo we both know, and she had a brain fart that made her forget the choreo for a second; I told her to keep going, and she said she was off the beat...and at that point she was actually right on it (because I distracted her from thinking, I believe).

So, maybe find a way to distract them from thinking so their bodies can take over?

(group improv tribal or is this everyone does their own thing one at a time improv or what? If tribal - we like the leader is always right, even when she's off the beat method, as then everyone is still in sync and hopefully leader will throw the lead to someone else to catch it back! If do your own thing...well that's harder because a lot of people have brain spasms and don't know what to do next, so they get off the beat trying to come up with something)

Good luck!

I really appreciate everyone's feedback so far. If anyone has anything else to add, please keep it coming.

I'm not sure what is going on with everyone's rhythm. It's not the entire class, but it's a sizeable minority (i.e. the people that can't find the downbeat a la Steve Martin in The Jerk).
What is happening with improv is actually that people are not following the leader. I teach an improv style that is heavily based in ATS and I try to stick to most of the ATS rules, and one of them is "always follow the leader, even if that means following her into a mistake".
I watch the students and a bunch of the *experienced* dancers (not the newbies, curiously!) are frequently off doing something very different than the leader, even when the leader has correctly identified the downbeat and is dancing with the rhythm.
I have seen this happen with other people, my students included, when they do group improv because they get nervous and start speeding up out of sheer anxiety. But these students also do this while I am having them follow me for drills.

It looks like I am going to be teaching this class for a while, so I am thinking about handing out a survey today and asking people what they want to work on and whether they have any health concerns or anatomical problems I should know about. I am also going to ask the studio if I can switch to a session format rather than a free-for-all drop in thing.

Originally Posted by SaraKat

I'm not sure what is going on with everyone's rhythm. It's not the entire class, but it's a sizeable minority (i.e. the people that can't find the downbeat a la Steve Martin in The Jerk).

..l;, Sorry, that's a funny image to have in my head. I love that movie.

Originally Posted by SaraKat

What is happening with improv is actually that people are not following the leader. I teach an improv style that is heavily based in ATS and I try to stick to most of the ATS rules, and one of them is "always follow the leader, even if that means following her into a mistake".
I watch the students and a bunch of the *experienced* dancers (not the newbies, curiously!) are frequently off doing something very different than the leader, even when the leader has correctly identified the downbeat and is dancing with the rhythm...

It's probably a good thing I'm not a teacher, because I'd probably say "Hey, this is FOLLOW THE LEADER. What part of that are you not getting?"

Since it's coming from the experienced dancers, it might be a case of the "better-than-yous", with a dash of "Dontcareitis". Perhaps they are also short on "Should Know Better" as well. Are they facing a mirror when they do this? (Not that that helps, many people who *should* be looking in the mirror during practice are the ones who aren't)

There's also a good chance they're just zoning out on the music (happens in our group too, especially if the music is kinda droney - things get off-kilter until someone brings it back).

Originally Posted by SaraKat

It looks like I am going to be teaching this class for a while, so I am thinking about handing out a survey today and asking people what they want to work on and whether they have any health concerns or anatomical problems I should know about. I am also going to ask the studio if I can switch to a session format rather than a free-for-all drop in thing.

I think this is really wise. A survey sounds like a great idea, and I personally would go nuts teaching drop-in classes (though I know lots of people manage it).

Originally Posted by yaalini

It's probably a good thing I'm not a teacher, because I'd probably say "Hey, this is FOLLOW THE LEADER. What part of that are you not getting?"

ooooh, I have an idea about this! What if you hold the remote in your hand and do follow-the-leader 'red light - green light'

Dance dance dance dance dance dance FREEZE .....and let's look and see if everyone's holding the same pose.

If you had time/inclination, you could even practice the red light-green light game for 20 minutes or so, then have an elimination round with Fabulous Prizes (bindi, dollar store earrings) for the winner(s).