Dance Advantage

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What Makes A Teacher Great?

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If you’re dancing today, chances are, it’s because you’ve had a great teacher somewhere along the way.

Great dance teachers love dance, honor their art, respect you enough to expect of you, don't sacrifice quality for anything, encourage you, inspire you...
This is what Nichelle thinks great teachers do.

Here’s what some of our blogging friends and DA readers have to say about the Qualities of a Great Dance Teacher:

What Makes You Great?

Maria gives four of her best qualities she thinks shines through when teaching her young students; the qualities her littles love her for! And, she asks what qualities make you great.

See her post at mariasmovers.com.

What Makes A Ballet Teacher Good?

Bead109’s quick post about the two most important things necessary in a good ballet teacher. Dash off a laundry list of descriptives, but it all comes down to two simple qualities!

Check it out and see if you agree at bead109.com.

A Great Teacher

A list of important qualities for teachers from Sheena Jeffers, author of Ballet Shoes & Bobby Pins, and currently pursuing her Masters in Dance Education from Old Dominion University.

Accept the responsibility of being a great teacher… and change lives at every level of dance education.

See Sheena’s post at www.sheenajeffers.com.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Dance Instructors

Joy In Motion’s article outlines the seven habits that bring life and spirit to the words and actions of every effective dance teacher, with a special bonus link to the author’s favorite quotes about teaching!

Read it at joy-in-motion.com.

We want to know what you think!

What are the qualities of a great dance teacher?

What makes your dance teacher great?

ADD your thoughts in the comments below.

Then, SHARE these four awesome posts and the Great Teachers graphic from our Circle today.

And, JOIN us next month! Upcoming Circle topics are listed here.

We welcome your submissions!

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Nichelle (owner/editor)

Nichelle (owner/editor)

Founder/Editor at Dance Advantage
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world.
Nichelle (owner/editor)

@danceadvantage

Nichelle (owner/editor)
Nichelle (owner/editor)
Nichelle (owner/editor)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. These are so great! I read them all and now I want to revamp the way I teach and (oddly enough) create a new syllabus to outline my expectations more clearly. All teachers have weaknesses and I love that these posts encouraged us to look at our teaching abilities with a more discerning eye.

  2. for me a great teacher is everything. my current teacher (at college recreational class!) is the reason why i will start dancing professionally next monday. without her, i would not have refound my joy in dancing, i wouldn’t even closely be as good as i am right now and i wouldn’t even have gone to the auditions.
    she’s the one pushing, encouraging, but still having so much fun with us! and all this although she’s a great teacher and formerly dancer only teaching at college recreational classes who doesn’t get payed for half of what she does us and even that money is poor.
    i think that this is a great teacher must-have:

    1. do more than what they’re payed for and
    2. don’t care if they’re actually overqualified for what they do

    great article reminding me how much i love my teacher 😉

  3. A good ballet teacher…
    Wants their students to succeed, not only in dance but also in life.
    Expects nothing but the very best from his or her students.
    Will give honest opinions, even if it could mean getting paid less.
    Fosters not only a student’s dancing, but also their spirit.
    Help students learn, and is willing to learn from students
    Uses his or her past experiences to teach well or recognize an issue.
    Will not put the student on pointe too early, but when the time is right, the teacher will say so.
    Helps students to overcome their weaknesses and emphasize their strengths.
    Is dedicated to dancing and teaching ballet.
    Can recognize talent and determination.

    Sometimes teachers are forced to face the issue of a student being forced to dance; what should they do? I think for students 10 or above, is when it starts to get tricky.

    How much should teachers demand in this situation? As much as the student is capable of, even more – this is especially important in a professional school, unless the student is very much against dancing. If so, I think it would be for the best to suggest withdrawal.