Thread: Teaching guys

I think I'm getting student for private lessons and also one of my classes.

Anyone have any hints/tips/dos and don'ts that you can share?

Thanks in advance!..g.:
Kathy x

PS sorry if there's been a thread on this recently, if that's the case just point me at it!

I've had a male student for the last 6 months (he just "graduated" from Beginning to Level 2), and to be honest, I just treat him exactly like the female students.

Oh right - that's encouraging!!

I posted the same request on od.net and someone posted a link thru to Zorba's site, so I'm going to have a look at that too.

How were your female students about him joining the class?

I've had several male students. I treat them just like everyone else. Generally the other students find it a novelty at first but soon enough they're just another dancer.

And good to see you again, Freddie!

Thanks Brea - it's good to be back!

As a male dancer I look back at the beginning of my education and found it great that my teachers always held me responsible to an even higher standard than other students. A male dancer is more visible due to the mere fact that he's a male in a female dominated enviroment. Thus, it is even more important that he is able to represent the dance and his education and himself in an appropriate manner.

You dont have to TELL him this, you just teach him very detailed and make him work hard. In the long run he will establish a strong identity as a dancer - which is necessary if a male student wants to end up being anything else than "oooh fun, a guy dancer".

I commend anyone that teaches male students the same or even stricter than they do their female students. Why? Because you as a teacher are responsible for not doing the dance, the student or yourself the disservice of allowing a male student to get away with "half-*ssing" things.

As far as him joining regular classes: None of my instructors ever allowed my gender to be an obsticle neither for themselves, me or fellow students at any time except when religiously motivated restrictions applied (Muslim women will not come to classes attended by men). I mostly took private lessons in the beginning due to scheduling conflicts and because I wanted to "get it", but I have never had anyone act "weird" because I was in a class once I started attending regular classes. I think this merely was because the teacher, I and the other students *chose* not to make a big deal out of it.

As far as female students and male students - I have heard of others having "issues" about this, but seriously - if ballerinas that basically wear a second skin only in class are ok with male dancers in class, so should we be.

We go to class to learn to dance - not to inflict our social restrictions upon the dance. There is enough of that happening outside the class room already...

Just my thoughts.

DaVid

Originally Posted by Freddie

How were your female students about him joining the class?

He's married to one of my Level 2 students and troupe members, so having him in Level 2 was no biggie because a lot of the others already knew him or had at least seen him around.

He got a couple of odd looks when he started in the Beginning class, but honestly everyone's so worried about what they're doing in class that after the first week he didn't really even get that. Especially when they saw that he was picking stuff up faster than most of them!

The only time his gender really ever comes up is if I use an an analogy that is more female specific. I remember once I used the "hooks in your bra pulling your ribcage towards the ceiling" description for a vertical chest circle, and I caught his eye in the mirror and said, "Well, except for G, he'll have to use his imaginary bra." We all laughed, including G who then pointed out the he had more experience with wearing a bra than I might think - the year before he had dressed up in drag for Halloween and worn one for an entire evening! ..l;,

I think many times the students will follow they teacher's lead - if you don't make a big deal out of it, neither will they.

Thanks for that info david - really useful. And having been the female in a predominantly male work arena in the past, I understand about the spotlight and having to be "even better" or work harder than the others.

I agree that we are there to dance and not inflict our social restrictions upon the dance and I'm hoping that none of my female students object, but to be honest if they do it's their problem.

Thanks for the input.

Originally Posted by laura 2

The only time his gender really ever comes up is if I use an an analogy that is more female specific. I remember once I used the "hooks in your bra pulling your ribcage towards the ceiling" description for a vertical chest circle, and I caught his eye in the mirror and said, "Well, except for G, he'll have to use his imaginary bra." We all laughed, including G who then pointed out the he had more experience with wearing a bra than I might think - the year before he had dressed up in drag for Halloween and worn one for an entire evening! ..l;,

Actually funny you should say that because when I teach hip drops I always tell them to put an imaginary stiletto shoe on one of their feet (to keep it en pointe or whatever you call it). You never know, maybe this guy has experience with stilletoes already, who knows?

Anyway I for one am very pleased my class is about to become a mixed gender class!

Originally Posted by laura 2

The only time his gender really ever comes up is if I use an an analogy that is more female specific. I remember once I used the "hooks in your bra pulling your ribcage towards the ceiling" description for a vertical chest circle, and I caught his eye in the mirror and said, "Well, except for G, he'll have to use his imaginary bra." We all laughed, including G who then pointed out the he had more experience with wearing a bra than I might think - the year before he had dressed up in drag for Halloween and worn one for an entire evening! ..l;,

I think many times the students will follow they teacher's lead - if you don't make a big deal out of it, neither will they.

Yeah, you know, I'm at fault for doing this too...making differentiating commentary between genders, when I teach. I try to restrict it - I even try to verbalize my instruction with "alternate" wording such as "where the bra strap would be" or from so and so muscle, but it slips out once in a while. However, in a perfect world - there would be no need to differenticate as the muscular anatomy of a man and a woman is the same except for a FEW details. :) I do think however, that we as instructors have to be aware of the fact that extensive commentary of this kind does create a segregation in the students' minds and thus can prepetuate behavior such as "oh, I dont need to do this and that because it's not for me".

Originally Posted by laura 2

I think many times the students will follow they teacher's lead - if you don't make a big deal out of it, neither will they.

Yes to this! I've had a male student in my beginner's class since January. I didn't make an issue of it, and (I believe as a result) I didn't notice any reaction from my female students.

On the other hand, though, I always contextualize the dance as rooted in Middle Eastern social dancing done by both men and women. It might be more challenging to integrate a male student into a class where there had been discussion of the dance as a safe space for women, etc.

Originally Posted by david

...allowing a male student to get away with "half-*ssing" things.

Totally agree with everything DaVid has said here, but wanted to underline this particular thought.

We have enough males getting away with half-*ssed dancing, and even worse - what I call "Stupid male tricks" - some of them are even quite well known (NOT DaVid!). Its a pet peeve of mine - not that I'm the Goddess's gift to Belly Dance, but I don't resort to falling back on my being male to cover it!

As for the reaction of the rest of the class - what often happens is more confusion than anything else. They've probably never even THOUGHT about males Belly Dancing. Teachers, and students in advanced classes know all about it, but the baby bellies in a beginner's class are likely to think "What's HE doing here?". I've had several gals tell me this (much later), and even once right in class where one gal asked "I'm confused as to the role a male dancer plays!". I was happy for her honesty, but the answer was, of course, "A dancer, same as you!".

Originally Posted by zorba

Totally agree with everything DaVid has said here, but wanted to underline this particular thought.

We have enough males getting away with half-*ssed dancing, and even worse - what I call "Stupid male tricks" - some of them are even quite well known (NOT DaVid!). Its a pet peeve of mine - not that I'm the Goddess's gift to Belly Dance, but I don't resort to falling back on my being male to cover it!

As for the reaction of the rest of the class - what often happens is more confusion than anything else. They've probably never even THOUGHT about males Belly Dancing. Teachers, and students in advanced classes know all about it, but the baby bellies in a beginner's class are likely to think "What's HE doing here?". I've had several gals tell me this (much later), and even once right in class where one gal asked "I'm confused as to the role a male dancer plays!". I was happy for her honesty, but the answer was, of course, "A dancer, same as you!".

Ameeen to what Zorba says.

Freddie, I'm happy to be of assistance :)

Hey, I better start sticking some body building poses in there? I dont want people to think I *dont* have any "male dancer tricks" in my bag o'tricks, right? lol

*off to call his trainer* lol

Originally Posted by david

Hey, I better start sticking some body building poses in there?

FUN-NY GUY! I see you do that, I'll jump right up on stage and throttle you with my veil - or yours if mine isn't handy! ..l;,