Getting the most out of your private lessons.
Getting the most out of your private lessons.
You’ve decided to take the leap from classes to taking private lessons. There is no doubt about it - it is a time and financial commitment. Whatever you want to achieve from your lessons, you want to make sure that you get the very best return from that commitment.
1. Make a plan
Before your lesson, have a think (and discuss with your partner if it’s not a solo lesson) about what you would like to work on with your teacher. That could be a particular dance you are struggling with, a step that keeps going wrong in practice, or a specific topic that you would like more information on.
That way, you get exactly what YOU want from YOUR lesson.
P.S This sort of planning is music to a teacher’s ears.
2. Take videos
If your teacher is ok with it, ask to take videos during the lesson. It might be that you’d like to see your teacher dancing so you can get an idea of what you’re aiming for, or it could be that the teacher is demonstrating a particular step and reiterating the teaching points for you.
You’ve now got yourself a quick and easy way to access information time and time again.
3. Take notes
It’s been proven in multiple studies that taking notes after a lesson (not just dancing) reinforces the information you have just learnt. It shows what you have taken in and understood – and sometimes the bits you haven’t fully understood (save that question for your next lesson!).
It also gives you a reference for future practices.
4. Teach it back
You know you have really got to grips with something if you are able to “teach it back”.
Once you have listened to the teacher, had a go yourself a few times, can you put it into your own words to explain what you did to achieve the desired outcome?
5. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Whilst private lessons are excellent for really honing your skills and getting some serious improvements, it’s vital that you practice what you have learned in between lessons.
Not only does this reinforce what you have learned, the repetition of practice will allow this to create muscle memory which means you can move onto other dances, steps, or subjects and progress faster.