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On Saturday, December 6, 1983, it was an unusually cold morning when I walked into and empty dance studio and began taking my first certification exam.  Success would give me a professional teacher certification and qualifications to continue toward my goal at that time of becoming and adjudicator.  I was taking the Bronze Associate Exam for Fred Astaire Dance Studios.  This was their hardest teacher certification exam  for the Bronze Level.  After five hours of written, oral, and dancing tests, I emerged with my first certfication and the right to teach in any Fred Astaire dance studio in the country.  In order to pass the test, I had to memorize the Bronze Dance Manual as well as the Teacher's Manual. After thirty years of teaching, there are certain lessons I have been learning.

 

Lesson 1:

The first lesson I have been learning is that the social form of dance is the highest expression of the dancing art.  All innovation in the field comes from social dancing.  Nearly all couple dances danced today started as social dances.  Social dancing is the most difficult form to master.  The key word here is "master".  Some may think that compettion is the highest expression of the dancing art.  I use to believe that as well,  but if a student has a lot of discipline, dancing in competitions is relatively easy.  You need to find out what the judges want and then perform it.  Some may think that exhibiton dancing is the most diificult but if you develop a sense of styling and have a modicum of charisma then you can suceed as a performer.  The reason social dancing is the most difficult form to master is because you have to develop the ability to improvise.  Expert social dancers are like jazz musicians.  Jazz musicians must know the songs and work around the framework of the songs in order to improvise.  Social dancers must know the framework of every dance they perform and also learn how to work around the framework in order to improvise.

 

Improvisational skill is vital since nothing on the social dance floor is in control to fhe social dancer except his or her own body.  Because of some success as a professional writer in the field of dancing, I have been in contact with teachers from all over the country who think the same about social dancing.  There seems to be a trend in this country away from the rigid inflexible thinking found in competition and exhibition dancing.

 

Lesson 2:

The second lesson I have been learning is this:  There is no "absolutely" correct way to perform any dance.  There are only "relatively" correct ways.  Now early in my career, I would have argued the point.  I viewed dancing as an artistic science.  The Fred Astaire way was the only correct way to dance.  Currently, I beleive that dancing is a scientific art.  The art of dancing is the most important, and as an art, individuals must find their own path.  This is the nature of art.  You can learn the guidelines for the art but ultimately, you must delevop your own style.  This is true in painting and it is equally true in dancing.  Forcing students to dance in a certain way, results in dancers that look like mannequins or dancing clones.  Some call them "studio dancers".  There are three basic questions that need to be asked in order to determine the relatively correct way to perform any move in dance.  The first question is: "Is it efficient?"  Does the technique conform to the Laws of Physics and the Principles of Kinesiology? (kinesiology is the mechanics of the human body.)  Every person is different.  There are differences in age, weight, height, arm, or leg length, physical condition, and emotional outlook.  These differences should be taken into consideration when teaching.  Imposing dance technique for one type of person on someone who is totally different will look plastic.  The second question is: "Is it effective?"  Does it accomplish what every dance should accomplish?  The purpose of every dance is duplicate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual ebb and flow of the music with the body.  The final question is: "Is it appealing?"  Does it look and feel good when you perform it?  Appeal is a subjective concept.  What is appealing to one may not be appealing to another.  Often, people ask me what they should do with their hands in a particular move.  I used to give them a set of rules for personal character traits such as hand gestures, but no I tell them to do only what expresses their personality.  If they feel the urge to place their fingers in their ears, then they should do it.  If it matches their personality, then it will look good for them.  Likewise, any gestures I perform might fit my personality but they would look dumb on someone else.  Dance technique is like a window.  There are two purposes for a window: To show clearly what is on the outside and to show clearly what is on the inside.  Good technique is like a clean window while poor technique is like a dirty window.  The purpose of efficient technique is to demonstrate the music and to show what is in the heart of the dancer.

 

Lesson 3:

The third thing I have been learning is that dancing is holistic and carries over into every area of life.  The postural principles learned in good dance training will help in everyday life.  Your breathing will be easier with better posture resulting in a healthier life.  Your constitutional or base fitness level will be increased.  It helps as an excercise regimen for diabetics.  Finally, your brain will be active.  An active brain has been shown to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

 

Lesson 4:

Fourthly, I have been learning that dancing is transcultural.  It transcends all cultures and nationalities.  every culture has some form of dance.  Dancing is instinctual and natural.  You only need to watch toddlers move their bodies in time to music to realize this.  Because I know how to dance socially, I can go anywhere in the world and quickly make new friends.  This truth was hammered home when I received a videotape from a teacher in Lubbock, Texas, after one of my articles was published in Dancign USA magazine.  It was a tape of his last vacation to Vienna Austria.  When I played it, one of the first images was a group of Austrians dancing East Coast Swing to the strains of "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce.

 

Lesson 5:

Fifthly, learning to dance is a process.  It takes time.  You cannot jump from beginner to advanced in two easy lessons.  You must first retrain your body to move efficiently and effectively.  I not only need to tell students this truth, but I must learn it myself.  My reach should always exceed my grasp.  The things I "can" perform should be less then the things I "want" to perform.  As long as you are learning, you are growing, but when you cease to learn, you begin to decay.  Dancers who feel they know all they need to know about dancing have started to decay as dancers and artists.  Learning the differences in your body and how to control them, learning the differences in the music, and finding a good teacher to draw out your inner dancer are the kwys to success.

 

Lesson 6:

Finally,  I have been learning that good dancing involves a hierarchy of leadership.  The lady is led by the man.  The man is led by the music.  THe music is led by bandleader.  The bandleader is led by the compose and finally the composer is led by God.  The dancing lady is the highest possible expression of a piece of music.

 

 

© 1998 by Kenneth Howard- All Rights Reserved

Lessons Learned from Thirty Years of Teaching Dance

 

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