| It is often said that failing to plan is, more or less, | | | | from the structure of a dancing lesson that would be |
| deliberately planning to fail. And indeed, in most | | | | ideal teens or adults. Give the typically highly structured |
| situations where we have been successful in life, it | | | | adult's dancing lesson to kids, and you are sure to bore |
| tends to turn out that we planned well - that being in a | | | | them to death. On the other hand, give the typically |
| situation where planning is simply making decisions in | | | | ultra-simple dance class meant for kids to adults, and |
| advance on what to do, on various eventualities. It is | | | | you are also certain to bore them badly. |
| based on those premises then, that as a dancing tutor, | | | | Besides taking into consideration the profile of your |
| you could find yourself inclined to make a lesson plan | | | | intended lesson takers, it may also be a good idea to |
| beforehand, so that during the fluid moments of the | | | | take into consideration the intended lesson time and |
| lesson (where you are with the learners in the actual | | | | day, and come up with something suitable. While the |
| 'classroom' situation), you role becomes one of simply | | | | emphasis on a morning-time dancing lesson may be on |
| implementing the dance class plan, and perhaps | | | | rigorous warm up, an evening dance lesson (when |
| fine-tuning it in line with emerging realities in the course | | | | people are tired) would ideally be more relaxing in |
| of the lesson. | | | | nature. The idea is to ensure that you don't |
| So, the question you are faced with, at this point, is as | | | | psychologically de-motivate your lesson from taking |
| to how to go about planning for a successful dancing | | | | further lessons from you. You also need to take into |
| lesson. And as it turns out, there are two | | | | consideration the wider objectives of the lesson: |
| answer-elements to this question: one with regard to | | | | whether the people are taking it in a bid to master the |
| things you need to do, in planning for such a successful | | | | fine art of dancing, or whether they are only keen on |
| dancing lesson, and the second with regard to the | | | | getting the physical exercise that is dancing. Either |
| 'things' to include in the dance lesson plan, in order to | | | | case will call for a different line of focus. |
| make it a success. | | | | Turning to the things you need to include in your dance |
| Let's start with the things you need to do, when | | | | class, first is a warm up session (because when all is |
| planning for a successful dancing lesson. As it turns | | | | said and down, dancing is a form of exercise). There |
| out, one of the things you need to do is take into | | | | should also be an eventual cooling down of tempo |
| consideration the profiles of the people who will be | | | | towards the end of the lesson. The lesson needs to |
| taking the lesson, and structure it accordingly. This is | | | | be reasonably long, yet not so long as to over-exert |
| about customizing your lesson. It is to counteract the | | | | the takers, because doing so would subconsciously |
| situation where some dancing instructors, probably | | | | turn them off the lessons. The music to be danced to |
| motivated by laziness, have been known to create | | | | should be music that communicates something to the |
| dance classs based on the 'one size fits all' philosophy, | | | | audience. It must not be bland. The lesson has to be |
| so that you find the structure of their lesson being the | | | | fun, with instructions being communicated by practical |
| same, whether the takers be kids, teens, adults or | | | | demonstration, rather than being barked, military-like |
| senior citizens! Needless to say, the structure of a | | | | instructions. |
| dancing lesson that would be ideal for kids is different | | | | |
