Taking corrections

Face it, you can't always take corrections when they're given. Sometimes you're not experienced enough or in touch with your body enough to understand how to apply them. A good teacher will realize this and not attempt to force a correction on you that you aren't prepared to accept. When you attend class consistently with a teacher, she will get to know you and watch how you grow. She will know when you are ready to take a correction and apply it properly.

As teachers we all want that "aha!" moment in our students' lives. We want to see their eyes light up in understanding. And more importantly, we want to see our corrections used so our students will grow as dancers. As frustrating as it is for you to not "get" the correction, it's frustrating for us as well when we try very hard to give a student information he or she isn't ready to input.

Emotionally, too, some students are not prepared to accept corrections. They need to arrive at a point where they trust that the teacher is helping them, not merely throwing things at them and expecting miracles. Again, a good teacher wants YOU to do better for your growth as a dancer. Giving you a complex correction or one that is so esoteric as to be un-applyable (is that a word?) is merely self-serving for a teacher, an ego boost that makes her appear more "professional" or "expert" than she may be. As a student, I don't care about my teacher's experience - only as it applies to me. Can she give me corrections that enhance my skills as a dancer?

A good teacher wants you to trust her. She wants you to believe she is there to help you, not glorify herself. Consistency of attendance in her class will give you an idea if she has your best interests in mind.