Thread: Teachers, do you use DVD content, and how?

Just curious (and procrastinating all afternoon on Bhuz, hence all my recent posts!)...do you utilise DVD content in your teaching? What and how do you use it? Do you feel guilty or that you don't want to let your students know that your content is not your own original work? Or do you think DVDs are a legitimate resource?

Please discuss, so I have more reason to procrastinate on Bhuz.

Jewel - I use youtube sometimes to show them examples of dance styles. I think it's beneficial because a lot of them haven't seen a lot of bellydancers. I'm not sure if that counts.

My weakness is combos and choreo...so I am blatantly using Jillina's stuff in my Thursday combo class. I have 2 teachers who have moved on, so I now teach 5 times a week. I needed to differentiate my classes so I did not die of burn out..and I needed work on this myself. Wanna learn? Teach. In art school you copy the masters. So I give her full credit, and use the heck out of em... right down to her format and music. I love it, they love it, and everybody wins.

I'll sometimes introduce a drill or use a combination from a choreography that I learned from a DVD. I'm always honest with my students and tell them where the material came from.

I've also showed brief snippets of videos in class. I'll often show a performance between two levels. Tonight I brought in Aisha Ali's Tunisian DVD and showed a bit of the costuming section.

I don't show more than a few minutes any one DVD in class. I think if I were a student, I'd feel rather cheated to pay for class and discover I could have stayed home and ordered from blockbuster.com.

I wouldn't teach a choreography from a DVD for the same reason. Why pay for a session of classes when I could have just rented a DVD?

Twice a year, I have a video session. It's usually at the end of term, so there's a "party" atmosphere, but it's still a learning process. I'll maybe have a History of the dance theme, or a Different Styles theme, or the Personalities You Need To Know About theme, or a Geography of the Dance theme...

I do this because I feel very strongly that they need to see more dancers than just me. They need to see different shapes of dancer, different styles of dance, because I know that not everyone is going to relate to me and my shape and my style of dance, and they may relate better to a different dancer who is more like them.

I find it interesting to gauge how far students have developed a sense of "taste", and how well they recognise and relate to moves we have covered in class.

Why pay for a session of classes when I could have just rented a DVD?

I think the value is there because I can break the technique down for them in much more detail than they get on the DVD. For now...those combos that I "lift" from her are much more creative than I could come up with at my skill level when it comes to non improv. I am hoping that it will lead to my becoming a better teacher when it comes to stringing together and repeating combos and that my transitions will become smoother as I really evaluate not only what she is doing...but why.

I dont show the DVD...I study it and teach the content.

Anala, I wans't referencing your post -- we were typing at the same time.

Oh, I know...but you brought up a good point.

Originally Posted by anala

Why pay for a session of classes when I could have just rented a DVD?

That's a legitimate and interesting question. Some people (take me for example) don't like to watch a DVD and learn from it. I find I have to go to a live class to bother following something through. For some reason, I just find excuses not to turn the DVD on or practice right the way through. So for students like this, plus for those who might not know what DVD resources are out there, the teacher is introducing interesting content, and bringing it to life in a useful way.

As a teacher, I think it's good to recognise the gaps in your own knowledge or abilities and use a resource, like a DVD, to fill it. My advanced students keep me on my toes - I am constantly on youtube, Bhuz, watching DVDs and attending workshops to add to my knowledge and provide inspiration, in order to teach new and different things. I see DVDs as just one resource out of many that we can access to make us better (or more diverse) teachers.

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

Jewel - I use youtube sometimes to show them examples of dance styles. I think it's beneficial because a lot of them haven't seen a lot of bellydancers. I'm not sure if that counts.

Yes, indeed. I find it really beneficial for me, too. For eg, I've recently been studying up on Hagalla style, and it helps me to see a cross-section of clips rather than just one person's representation (mind you, most of them are very similar with this style - a la Mahmoud Reda!).

Ethically I just try to follow the golden rule. If I had invested my money in producing a DVD, how much of my content would I want one buyer to share with XX students?

If it's just a little, and it's credited along with a glowing review of my DVD as the place to get more of this kind of material - great!

If it's half the material on the video and there's really no reason to buy it now because the teacher has culled the cream.. then I wouldn't be happy.

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Yes, indeed. I find it really beneficial for me, too. For eg, I've recently been studying up on Hagalla style, and it helps me to see a cross-section of clips rather than just one person's representation (mind you, most of them are very similar with this style - a la Mahmoud Reda!).

Agreed! I mostly use videos and clips to educate myself. When I feel like I know the material, I'm ready to produce my own lesson plan, choreography, etc.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Ethically I just try to follow the golden rule. If I had invested my money in producing a DVD, how much of my content would I want one buyer to share with XX students?

If it's just a little, and it's credited along with a glowing review of my DVD as the place to get more of this kind of material - great!

If it's half the material on the video and there's really no reason to buy it now because the teacher has culled the cream.. then I wouldn't be happy.

Yes, despite what I said above I don't personally like to use whole DVD content, both in terms of my personal views on what's ethical, and also just for my own teaching style. I'm like that with any resource - I like to take a bit of content from here and there, absorb it, rearrange it, work out how to re-explain it, and teach the result. I just find it too hard to teach whole choreographies or content that comes from someone else. I wouldn't teach whole Suhaila or Keti's A-Z syllabi, either. But DVDs do provide me with lots of ideas on moves, combos, plus how to explain certain things.

I went to a workshop, and thought this choreo is familiar and it is to the music from my Jenna dvd. The teacher was using her laptop to play music and then she hit the buttons wrong and I heard Jenna's voice.

When I spoke to her, she said that she hadn't been able to get hold of cd (which I had tracked down on internet and bought) although this scarcely seems relevant as she used the entire choreo without credit.

Originally Posted by jencUK

I went to a workshop, and thought this choreo is familiar and it is to the music from my Jenna dvd. The teacher was using her laptop to play music and then she hit the buttons wrong and I heard Jenna's voice.

When I spoke to her, she said that she hadn't been able to get hold of cd (which I had tracked down on internet and bought) although this scarcely seems relevant as she used the entire choreo without credit.

I think that's a prime example of what not to do!

When I find a particularly good drill or combo I really really like on a DVD and incorporate it into class, I just make sure to let everyone know where it came from so they can get the DVD too if they wish. DVDs can never replace good live instruction, and the students that do take the extra step to practice at home with the DVD often come in with questions about technique or movements and end up with a better understanding of whatever topic/movement anyway.

Yes, if I hear a particularly good explanation, or come across a fun combo or drill, I will include it in my class with the proper credit. I would never teach a full choreography, but I do pick and choose information that I think would be helpful to my students and then add my own take on it.

i have recieved feed back, that many buy my dvd's to learn how to teach.i like it when a student buys a dvd, because they will practice with it and be better in class!
z

Originally Posted by anala

Why pay for a session of classes when I could have just rented a DVD?

I think the value is there because I can break the technique down for them in much more detail than they get on the DVD.

Yes -- I've had students bring in Jillina's drum solo choreography and Nourhan's Cane dvd, asking for help figuring out what was being taught. We used class time to go over some specific combinations, but I made sure they understood where the material came from.

(Personally I hate dvds that teach a choreography in that slow-motion, voice-over way, and it takes me forever to get anything out of them, so I can see why a less experienced student would have trouble.)

***

The only dvd I've ever considered directly teaching from is Keti's A-Z. I'm enamoured of that A-Z concept for dancers in the "improver" stage. Although we've talked about all the usual ways to choreograph, many of them still feel very uncomfortable with their OWN combinations -- even if they are lovely -- simply because they lack confidence in their own ability, or they need me to tell them "oh yes, this is a valid and correct combination." I've considered doing the teacher training for A-Z, so I can actually teach it in class without feeling like I'm stealing it, but then I recently decided just to make my own A-Z combinations (maybe using the Arabic alphabet!) and let them play with that. I think that will actually be quicker and better for me as a teacher.

Is stealing the CONCEPT unethical? I mean, surely Keti can't have been the very first teacher to do this A-Z thing?

Originally Posted by jencUK

I went to a workshop, and thought this choreo is familiar and it is to the music from my Jenna dvd. The teacher was using her laptop to play music and then she hit the buttons wrong and I heard Jenna's voice.

When I spoke to her, she said that she hadn't been able to get hold of cd (which I had tracked down on internet and bought) although this scarcely seems relevant as she used the entire choreo without credit.

I usually try to see both sides of every story, but...

I'd have a VERY hard time not asking for my money back. This is straight-out criminal behavior.

Unless the workshop presenter had Jenna's permission to do it, of course...in which case I would assume some licensing fees changed hands. Though if that were the case, wouldn't you say so?

I get annoyed enough when I go to a workshop and the instructor teaches material straight off their OWN DVD without making clear ahead of time that I'm paying $80 for material I already paid $25 for and worked through a year ago.

Can I make it crystal clear that the overwhelming majority of teachers in the UK would *not* behave in such a way. I hate it when accusations of poor teaching practice are made without naming the culprit- it tars us all with the same brush...

I dont plan to make a career of teaching Jillinas stuff, and when asked, she has always said to take her material, give her due credit, and make it your own. The class I am teaching will evolve as I do. I have done this for 7 weeks now and teach a new combo every week and drill it for 10 minutes. One combo builds on another. After the 3rd week it is interesting to watch how it evolves from a static excersize to a thing of individual grace as the students begin to dance it rather than just move thru it. It is much more satisfying than my drill class that is designed for strength and indurance.

I really do think this will be helpful to me in the long run, especially since I lack a teacher myself.

As far as a workshop..oh, no. I would also be asking for my money back. For some reason, on a gut level, that is a whole nother kettle of fish.

If I've just found something new, either in a workshop or DVD, I'll tell them where I got it. I feel that I've paid for the instruction, so I can use it in my own dancing. This only works for me when it's freshly learned, though. At that point it's still identifiable. After a while it's just something I do, and I don't remember where it came from. New stuff gets jumbled with old stuff, and I have a hard enough time remembering what I ate for dinner yesterday much less who I learned a particular combo from eight years ago. ,f::

Where is my car?

The only time I use DVDs in class is to illustrate a style or topic that we're working on, like Melaya Leff or Raks Assaya. I usually only use one or two short performances from the DVD, max. I've also used my Umm Kalthoum: The Voice of Egypt DVD to show footage of a live Om K performance, and used a little of the commentary where the everyday Egyptians were talking about her importance to them.

I have not taught material from an instructional DVD, but I actually don't work with them much on my own anyway. I have taught combinations and concepts from workshops, but always with credit to the instructor.

Originally Posted by laura 2

The only time I use DVDs in class is to illustrate a style or topic that we're working on, like Melaya Leff or Raks Assaya. I usually only use one or two short performances from the DVD, max. I've also used my Umm Kalthoum: The Voice of Egypt DVD to show footage of a live Om K performance, and used a little of the commentary where the everyday Egyptians were talking about her importance to them.

I have not taught material from an instructional DVD, but I actually don't work with them much on my own anyway. I have taught combinations and concepts from workshops, but always with credit to the instructor.

GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!!!!!! All of this is pretty much what I do too. Lately, though, I more frequently refer students to YouTube as I get more adept at using it myself.

One concern I've always had with using DVDs in class is the copyright issue. I've never shown a video in entirety in class for that reason (aside from the fact that I think students wouldn't appreciate their whole class being taken up by a video). I think (but somebody with more knowledge than me please enlighten me) that public showings of DVDs, even if it's for an educational purpose, are illegal without buying licensing rights for such showings.

ETA: hence informal "video nights" with students, eh?

DVDs are invaluable for showing a style or dancer or about a famous singer as an audio visual aid. You can talk about what tathib is for eample but to show two guys dancing it is so much better. Or if you talk about Abdel Halim Hafez how much better to show the guy singing his songs so people can see him and get to know him. Same if you talk about Dina,Fifi or Randa etc so much better to show people their dancing than just talk about them in some kind of abstract way.
Stealing other peoples choreos to pass off as your own is not so great. Mind you, why put out a choreo DVD if you don't expect people to do your choreography. I'm not defending people who do this or teach it to others because personally there is no way I would ever do it. I like complete personal imput to what I dance and teach.I'm just asking the question. It is a bit like putting out a CD of dance music and saying nobody can dance to it.

Since I have a structured format for my lesson plans. I do not use DVD's. I think my entire DVD collection consists of 8 DVD's. I had a set goal for purchasing 12 a year and a list but can't afford to follow through.

Originally Posted by AngelaDiCaprio

Since I have a structured format for my lesson plans. I do not use DVD's. I think my entire DVD collection consists of 8 DVD's. I had a set goal for purchasing 12 a year and a list but can't afford to follow through.

Sorry I don't understand this. My lessons are very structured and planned. and someimes I know I'm going to talk about something or cover something in my class and a Dvd segment may illustrate this.
I get the feeling that people in this thread are talking about DVDs and their use in two entirely different ways. I am not just putting a DvD on to show people becuse i don't know what else to to so lets watch something. I'm showing a small segment because it illustrates what I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Can I make it crystal clear that the overwhelming majority of teachers in the UK would *not* behave in such a way. I hate it when accusations of poor teaching practice are made without naming the culprit- it tars us all with the same brush...

and this thread is not alone in that!