How to have/prepare for a private lesson?

S

smiling28

Moderator
Hi,

I have decided that saving up for a private lesson is a MUST. So am doing so. A birthday treat for me. Yay :)

So, what are your hints and experiences please:

.ie:

*I am a guy

questions:
Click to expand...

1) Get a guy or girl instructor or just best available?

guy: Guess have things in common especially body movements

girl: Guess would REALLY help with leading and preferences for girls

2) How does it work? Guess you would dance with the instructor following (guy or girl) a little then they would give you feedback?

3) worth filming it?

4) How to prepare?

5) When is the best time? ASAP or wait until you have moves to improve?

6) Prepare an agenda of things to work on?


eg
- body movement
- basic step
- basic frame
- posture
- lead follow
- allowing girl to style
-

7) How much overlap is there with workshops?

Eg. better to go to a musicality workshop and shines or to do this in privates? I really feel private would be the best for individual feedback on my lead, posture and body awareness

8) * any other stories or hints?


Many many thanks. Trying to optimise the time and money invested :) :) :)


*thinking of trying to get best instructor here (guy) to give me a private then a private in Singapore with 2 left feet instructors (girl instructors who are supposed to be brilliant)

Mucho Gracias!!!!!
 
I'll put together some of my thoughts tomorrow, smiling28. For now, while you're waiting for more responses, I'd suggest you go check out Don's blogs from July. He had a couple of good articles that he wrote concerning instructors. (over at www. unlikelysalsero.com)
 
First, I have taken privates with many salsa all-stars like Edie, Al Espinoza, Joby Brava, Cristain Oviedo, etc and have literally invested over a couple thousand in privates easy.


Dont choose based on who is the best available, choose based on what you want to learn. The best available if its a woman may not be the best at teaching you masculine styling, and I have had the experience of learning shines with amazing female teachers and being let down when it comes styling. The best dancers are often times not the best teachers either.

Know what you want before you get there and tell the instructor up front "hey I want to work on ________". Say its spins. They will probably have you do whatever it is, so you would spin, and then they will start to tell you what you are doing right, wrong, ok, etc.

If the instructor allows it definately take a camera, that is huge.

Prepare by figuring out specific things you want to work on. I realized that it is actually an art at times to be able to figure what to say to the instructor to communicate what you want them to show you exactly. For instance if you want to have better shines and you know your shoulders are uncoordinated dont say hey I need to work on shines. Say hey I want to learn how to make my shoulders more coordinated and how to incorporate those movements into my shines and then how to fit it to music. Also in this case work on you shoulders before you get there. Also it is good to get there early to loosen up so they see you at your best.

The best time is ASAP, do not wait until you develop anything as you may develop it wrong or slower that needed. That is pretty big, go now!

Yes you can prepare an agenda but not as much as you listed, I spent an entire hour just working on hips a few days ago, and I still need a few more just like that for hips. The video will help if you cover to much material. Be patient though b/c it takes a while to learn and in privates you really get specific and detailed.

I think privates are the best way to learn other than just going out social dancing. Especially once your intermediate. In my opinion if you are a beginner a woman is better to take a private from if she is the better one availabe b/c you need to get down basic techniques and control before you start styling. Ask people you know who have taken privates from whom and what they thought. I also think it is good to take atleast 5 or 6 from the same instructor before hopping to another b/c many times if takes a few privates for them to uncover all you problems. Thats my 2 cents worth!


[/quote]
 
memphis salsero said:
First, I have taken privates with many salsa all-stars like Edie, Al Espinoza, Joby Brava, Cristain Oviedo, etc and have literally invested over a couple thousand in privates easy.


Dont choose based on who is the best available, choose based on what you want to learn. The best available if its a woman may not be the best at teaching you masculine styling, and I have had the experience of learning shines with amazing female teachers and being let down when it comes styling. The best dancers are often times not the best teachers either.

Know what you want before you get there and tell the instructor up front "hey I want to work on ________". Say its spins. They will probably have you do whatever it is, so you would spin, and then they will start to tell you what you are doing right, wrong, ok, etc.

If the instructor allows it definately take a camera, that is huge.

Prepare by figuring out specific things you want to work on. I realized that it is actually an art at times to be able to figure what to say to the instructor to communicate what you want them to show you exactly. For instance if you want to have better shines and you know your shoulders are uncoordinated dont say hey I need to work on shines. Say hey I want to learn how to make my shoulders more coordinated and how to incorporate those movements into my shines and then how to fit it to music. Also in this case work on you shoulders before you get there. Also it is good to get there early to loosen up so they see you at your best.

The best time is ASAP, do not wait until you develop anything as you may develop it wrong or slower that needed. That is pretty big, go now!

Yes you can prepare an agenda but not as much as you listed, I spent an entire hour just working on hips a few days ago, and I still need a few more just like that for hips. The video will help if you cover to much material. Be patient though b/c it takes a while to learn and in privates you really get specific and detailed.

I think privates are the best way to learn other than just going out social dancing. Especially once your intermediate. In my opinion if you are a beginner a woman is better to take a private from if she is the better one availabe b/c you need to get down basic techniques and control before you start styling. Ask people you know who have taken privates from whom and what they thought. I also think it is good to take atleast 5 or 6 from the same instructor before hopping to another b/c many times if takes a few privates for them to uncover all you problems. Thats my 2 cents worth!
Click to expand...
[/quote]


AWESOME AWESOME and how about some more AWESOME!!!!!!!

Many thanks, a perfect must read for anyone with my questions :)
 
tj said:
I'll put together some of my thoughts tomorrow, smiling28. For now, while you're waiting for more responses, I'd suggest you go check out Don's blogs from July. He had a couple of good articles that he wrote concerning instructors. (over at www. unlikelysalsero.com)
Click to expand...

GREAT articles. Man, spent half the day there. Thanks :)
 
If you wanted an overview on what you can improve:
have a dance with your instructor & then get feedback.

But if you're going to have more than 1 privates then it's best to concentrate on 1 topic at a time eg: brush up on basics (like posture, footwork, balance etc), spins, shines, hand shines, show moves etc...
The repetitions will help you improve on your technique & presentation.
 
hey

not much I can add here but I can share my experience

I went for my first private a few days ago and I made a little list of things I definitely knew I was doing wrong/thought I was doing wrong.

The instructor knew me (had danced several times with me) so I had my list and I said please add to it (obviously)

He said most of the time he only likes to work on maybe 3 things in a private but I picked up some stuff relatively quickly so we got maybe 5 things done in the hour. That said, I know have to go away and put it all into practice!

So it depends, if you have a few (obviously there are always hundreds) major niggling things, work on those first, things that you know are hampering your lead/dancing.

Even if you go to a guy, i would imagine that most good instructors would be able to be the follow to check your tension/lead etc if you wanted a male instructor as opposed to a female one.

I think styling/body movement is a whole other type of private so it depends on what you want to work on but personally I would divide up the two.

Be prepared to have your mind messed with the next time you go out social dancing (well mine was), i was trying to remember my list and dance and it just got really messy at times :) One thing at a time!!
 
I think everyone's said what I wanted to say. I especially think that knowing something that you want to work on ahead of time is useful. (for me, at least)
 
Now for a Prof . viewpoint. the most important thing for me to be cognisant of with a new student ?-- How, what and why are they dancing at this moment in time ?

You cannot cure the " illness " if you do not diagnose the symptom .

It is critically important to see how a male student responds to music, with a partner .

The old adage " a picture etc " is never truer .

If they are anything of a seasoned prof.-- you should put your trust in what they suggest.

Have dealt with top line pros, and baby beginners-- no matter-- the format is foolproof-- it gives me information !!
 
smiling28 said:
6) Prepare an agenda of things to work on?

eg
- body movement
- basic step
- basic frame
- posture
- lead follow
- allowing girl to style
-
Click to expand...

One hour is really not that much. I think you should really single out one or at most two areas that bother you most.

My experience is that leading skills are the hardest to learn without privates, so I definitely suggest to give them high priority.
 
MANY MANY THANKS!!!

Great feedback. My instructor (male) dances with me as a follow in the advanced class. *man, I cannot belive I am doing the advanced class after 6 months. Yes I train everyday and am very passionate but martial arts BEGINS after about 3 years apprenticeship so I see dancing the same way :)

Thus still see myself as a beginner. Hmmm, wonder if and when the titles change. I would prfer always being known for a FUN dancer regardless of level.

Anyway, have taken everything on board and will plan a private ASAP!
 
smiling28 said:
Hi,

I have decided that saving up for a private lesson is a MUST. So am doing so. A birthday treat for me. Yay :)

So, what are your hints and experiences please: <snip>
questions:
Click to expand...
1) Get a guy or girl instructor or just best available?
guy: Guess have things in common especially body movements
girl: Guess would REALLY help with leading and preferences for girls
2) How does it work? Guess you would dance with the instructor following (guy or girl) a little then they would give you feedback?
3) worth filming it?
4) How to prepare?
5) When is the best time? ASAP or wait until you have moves to improve?
6) Prepare an agenda of things to work on?
<snip>
Click to expand...

If an instructor won't allow you to film, I won't take a session with them. (Although prepare to sign something that says "This is for your personal use only and will NOT be posted to any video sharing service, public or private.")

Reviewing a lesson a year or more later and I'm finding lots of little things I missed during the original session. I also can see my improvement, where during the lesson I struggled, and now it's easy for me to make the adjustments.

I mention in an article that I think everybody should be shooting for 3 primary mentors over time, and one should be of the opposite sex.

Find someone who teaches in a manner you learn. We are all different. Some great dancers can't break it down for someone like me. You may be a visual learner (or not), meaning you can see it and then do it. While I won't go into all the styles, you should find the explanations "work" for you, and if they don't, the instructor should be able to explain the same thing from a different point of view. Great instructors can say the same thing many ways.

I have some other suggestions, but hopefully you've seen many of them in my articles. (If you have other questions, please fire away!)

I can't tell you how much I've learned from Edie, and so much of it is subtle things that I've never heard men teach. I teach those concepts, since that is my roots, but other guys often don't have a female as one of their mentors, so they don't get a world-class follows perspective on certain aspects of the dance. But she also encouraged me to study with Luis Vasquez (and others) because she knows what she doesn't know.

Hopefully your instructor can also view you in a real social setting, although typically they will dance with you or have a follow available for part of the session.

One thing you might keep in mind. A great instructor will take into account what you want, but may notice something wrong with your foundation that will prevent you from getting where you want directly.

In the first couple lessons, we often go slightly backward, fixing fundamental issues so we can grow much faster in the future. It can be maddening, now you are doing drills that don't pay off this week, but set the stage for future growth.

You need to make it clear to the instructor if you want short-term fixes or if you want foundational material that set the stage for excellence, knowing some of that material will not show up for months or more. In an ideal world, you'll take 4-10 sessions, because that is where the value grows dramatically.

The first few sessions sets the stage. Then the next set tend to be the higher growth as the instructor figures out how you learn, your strengths and weaknesses and how fast to feed you material.

I remember my first lesson with Vasquez, I asked him to teach me "Basic", from his point of view. And slowly. He told me afterward that he didn't remember anybody ever doing that... So many people say "yea... I know that... show me something cool..." But my concept is that if I don't get their foundational material, everything else they show me will be half-baked.

I still review the tape occasionally, because I don't love my basic compared to some of the better dancers (it's getting better... and I have an excellent reference point.) Having that original tape makes that session worth 10x what it was the day it was recorded. I still have material taught to me by Edie or Luis that are only now within my reach.

It's been sitting on film for a year or more, waiting as I grow enough to put it in practice. I was able to "do it" during the lesson, but it didn't feel right or have any finesse. Now, I can pick up the things they didn't even bother to tell me because I was so focused on the details at the time.

Get it on tape, find an instructor who relates to the way you learn, take a few lessons.

Let us know how it goes!
 
UnlikelySalsero said:
smiling28 said:
Hi,

I have decided that saving up for a private lesson is a MUST. So am doing so. A birthday treat for me. Yay :)

So, what are your hints and experiences please: <snip>
questions:
Click to expand...
1) Get a guy or girl instructor or just best available?
guy: Guess have things in common especially body movements
girl: Guess would REALLY help with leading and preferences for girls
2) How does it work? Guess you would dance with the instructor following (guy or girl) a little then they would give you feedback?
3) worth filming it?
4) How to prepare?
5) When is the best time? ASAP or wait until you have moves to improve?
6) Prepare an agenda of things to work on?
<snip>
Click to expand...

If an instructor won't allow you to film, I won't take a session with them. (Although prepare to sign something that says "This is for your personal use only and will NOT be posted to any video sharing service, public or private.")

Reviewing a lesson a year or more later and I'm finding lots of little things I missed during the original session. I also can see my improvement, where during the lesson I struggled, and now it's easy for me to make the adjustments.

I mention in an article that I think everybody should be shooting for 3 primary mentors over time, and one should be of the opposite sex.

Find someone who teaches in a manner you learn. We are all different. Some great dancers can't break it down for someone like me. You may be a visual learner (or not), meaning you can see it and then do it. While I won't go into all the styles, you should find the explanations "work" for you, and if they don't, the instructor should be able to explain the same thing from a different point of view. Great instructors can say the same thing many ways.

I have some other suggestions, but hopefully you've seen many of them in my articles. (If you have other questions, please fire away!)

I can't tell you how much I've learned from Edie, and so much of it is subtle things that I've never heard men teach. I teach those concepts, since that is my roots, but other guys often don't have a female as one of their mentors, so they don't get a world-class follows perspective on certain aspects of the dance. But she also encouraged me to study with Luis Vasquez (and others) because she knows what she doesn't know.

Hopefully your instructor can also view you in a real social setting, although typically they will dance with you or have a follow available for part of the session.

One thing you might keep in mind. A great instructor will take into account what you want, but may notice something wrong with your foundation that will prevent you from getting where you want directly.

In the first couple lessons, we often go slightly backward, fixing fundamental issues so we can grow much faster in the future. It can be maddening, now you are doing drills that don't pay off this week, but set the stage for future growth.

You need to make it clear to the instructor if you want short-term fixes or if you want foundational material that set the stage for excellence, knowing some of that material will not show up for months or more. In an ideal world, you'll take 4-10 sessions, because that is where the value grows dramatically.

The first few sessions sets the stage. Then the next set tend to be the higher growth as the instructor figures out how you learn, your strengths and weaknesses and how fast to feed you material.

I remember my first lesson with Vasquez, I asked him to teach me "Basic", from his point of view. And slowly. He told me afterward that he didn't remember anybody ever doing that... So many people say "yea... I know that... show me something cool..." But my concept is that if I don't get their foundational material, everything else they show me will be half-baked.

I still review the tape occasionally, because I don't love my basic compared to some of the better dancers (it's getting better... and I have an excellent reference point.) Having that original tape makes that session worth 10x what it was the day it was recorded. I still have material taught to me by Edie or Luis that are only now within my reach.

It's been sitting on film for a year or more, waiting as I grow enough to put it in practice. I was able to "do it" during the lesson, but it didn't feel right or have any finesse. Now, I can pick up the things they didn't even bother to tell me because I was so focused on the details at the time.

Get it on tape, find an instructor who relates to the way you learn, take a few lessons.

Let us know how it goes!
Click to expand...

Thanks Mate! Read a lot of your articles! Great work and please keep it up! They improve as you do.

Noted you love privates and can see why. Will keep everyone updated. Very excited!!!

* I too am about the foundation as frustrating as it may be initially it is SOOOO rewarding later!

(progressing without foundation is like going somewhere, walking down the stairs and realising you forgot your car keys. You do not want to waste 5 minutes to go back and get them but as a result you are limited to how far you can travel.)

Initially you just want to go forwards NOT backwards to get the keys. Not realising that you will make the time up and the journey much smoother later if you do.
 
Just as Smiling I'm thinking about taking a few privates. Fantastic information in this thread! One question though. If you were to do 4-10 sessions as recommended by UnlikelySalsero, about how often should you do them? Once a week/month/six months??
 
Twice a week at the most, once a week for sure.

Consistency in formulating good muscle memory, is " key " at any stage of learning .

The next adage, is as important, 6 hrs of practice, for every priv. hr taken .( if poss. )

That is my competitive students " ritual " ( and pretty much everyone )
 
I aim for one private a month but often can't achieve that, because of a lack of money or time or teacher availability.

I don't go for more than one a month -- I need to have enough time between lessons to digest all the new stuff thrown at me and practice until I have it in my muscle memory. At my age, it takes time to learn new tricks! :lol:
 
UnlikelySalsero said:
I remember my first lesson with Vasquez, I asked him to teach me "Basic", from his point of view. And slowly. He told me afterward that he didn't remember anybody ever doing that... So many people say "yea... I know that... show me something cool..." But my concept is that if I don't get their foundational material, everything else they show me will be half-baked.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you. When I take a private lesson alone, I always ask the teacher to correct those problems that would annoy my follower most. My objective is definitely not performing, but good social dancing skills, so my focus is on my lead and how that feels for the follow. Of course, one of my fundamental deficiency was a poorly executed basic step, so we immediately arrived there. My instructor knows, that I could not have learned the proper basic at that time, so she refines it from time to time. First she fixed its feel for the partner, later she started to make it look better.
 
Oh my basic is messed up, but that's all right. It is funny seeing how the ladies respond to it. I danced with one of my first danec instructors who was visiting from Florida a couple weeks ago and I noticed her noticing.... :roll:


Privates are useful and did help me a while back...couple years ago. I remember I just asked my instructor to work on what she thought I needed the most help in. That time it was my tendancy to be back weighted. The problem for me wasn't that I was doing it, but that I hadn't noticed it. That's bad. Now I do adjust my funny basic to actually do slot style for example if I see a beginner is really uncomfortable, so I don't see this as a problem.
 
sagitta said:
Oh my basic is messed up, but that's all right. It is funny seeing how the ladies respond to it. I danced with one of my first danec instructors who was visiting from Florida a couple weeks ago and I noticed her noticing.... :roll: <snip>
Click to expand...

I find I like doing a tune-up with my favorite instructors if I haven't seen them in six months or so.

I have a theory that once you get to be above average, your partners will NOT provide quality feedback in a social setting. By definition, overall you are better than others, so your partners are not going to point out what they don't like or things that are uncomfortable, even if adjusting a few things would take me from above-average to really-great.

[PLUG ALERT] I wrote an article last month on this subject titled: Better Dancer: More Partner Lying. You can read it here by adding the "www." to this address: unlikelysalsero.com/2007/07/better-dancer-more-partner-lying.html [/END PLUG]
 
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