Pay attention, Students !!

And I am back to blogging. Though I wanted to blog first about how teachers manage and maintain their dance establishments, I just thought it might be better if I focus first on the students. I have often come across various kind of students for different dance styles, just like any other teacher, and have tried to vary my teaching pattern according to students. It is essential to understand that each student is different. While at personal training it is very easy to build a rapport with a student, it gets kinda tricky in a general batch. Yet the teaching part comes much later, and there are certain things that need to be followed when it comes to discipline. And no one is excused in this case, neither a student nor a teacher. Following are the points that are mostly for adults, and well, for minors too.

Rules and regulations again may vary from an institution to other. But every teacher expects her disciple to be disciplined in certain manner, for instance, being alert ; in the class (at least). You are making your teacher angry if you constantly text during the class or take unnecessary breaks or just yawn because you cant control it. It aint a lecture where you are just a listener and the teacher is a speaker. Its DANCE. It requires equal involvement from a teacher and his students. You ain't reading something; sitting in a bean bag; at your home, you are at a dance class- A place where You are paying big amount to learn something new and exciting. It was Your choice to learn it and no one is forcing you. On the other hand an alert student makes teachers happy. They ask questions regarding a particular move or music variation in the track and that brings excitement in the class as well as to the teacher.

Another thing a student needs to follow is being punctual. While accidents and emergencies can occur at any point of time, and one is always excused for the same, an irregular or unpunctual student may really get a teacher angry. 'Sorry I was partying last night' , 'I cant wake up that early', 'Oh I forgot', 'It was my anniversary', 'Its my kids birthday', 'We are going for a movie' !! These are very few excuses from the long list which I have heard. Tell me that if you are taking an off from your office too. I am not saying I have never missed a class. Once a year may be. I have attended the classes even when I had fever, but that's because of my super interest in dance. But the silly excuses now a days i hear are hilarious, from not so young adults !! One of my teachers used to say to the late comers, "Don't give excuses and don't say sorry. You are the one who's missing out on everything. I feel sorry for YOU (with a sarcastic look)" A punctual student is always naturally one of the favorites of the teachers. He/She enters the class rather early, practices the previously taught step or a routine, helps or seeks help from other students.


The term that a students must never say in the class is "I cant do it", specially when you are still learning the technique. While some of the moves are actually difficult or sometimes a particular technique is difficult for a student to grasp quickly, one must believe that nothing is impossible. Almost all of us are blessed with one same body. No one has bone less back/spine to do a body wave or 4 hands to do a handstand. If your teacher can do it so can you. He/She has been doing it for more than a decade or two and you have just started it. A confident student would rather try the step / move, until its somewhere closer to that of his teacher. If your teacher doesn't see you trying, he wouldn't even bother to pay attention to you. There is a big NO NO in teacher's guidebook for spoon feeding.

The (over) smarty pants : Someone who displays intelligence in an (over) annoying way. These are the kind of students who come with a lot of baggage and try to act smart every now and then. While you must have learnt a particular dance style from another teacher, it is not necessary that you have known everything about it and its your chance to show it off to your new teacher. Every person teaches you something new. We believe, even every student teaches us something new. Hence it is your chance to be a good example of a down to earth or a normal student. Be a blank slate when you are a student and you will be able to learn everything. I know everything attitude will just boost up your ego, not knowledge. And all the teachers love interactive sessions. There is also a better way to show your knowledge to your teacher in discussing or asking genuine questions about a particular technique. "No, but i was taught like this before" or "Oh how nicely you showed, my previous teacher was so bad" are equally wrong ways.

These are some basic etiquette and rules that a student should follow to not only be in good books of ones teacher, but most importantly to be a better student, a better person altogether.

But then why am I sharing all this to you. Dancing is not just to talk about. Dancing is to dance. So get up and dance and you'll know the reason behind my smile: D (haha...) Trust me, dancing will surely make you happier.