Is your PRO instructor pushing you too hard on your dance lesson? Are they demanding too much? Do you feel that you aren’t getting the attention and accolades you deserve? Or maybe your PRO is getting too comfortable and needs his/her world shaken up a bit? Well, here is the answer for you: A five-step process to creating a stressful, discouraging and depressing lesson time experience for both you and your PRO / Coach!
1. Create Drama
The moment you enter the studio be sure to give your instructor long, meaningful looks. Keep an attitude of either distinct annoyance or disgust on your face. Try to demand immediate attention from your instructor, especially if they are working or talking with another student. Ignore other students by any means necessary.
2. Compare your Dancing with Anyone but Yourself
Try spending a significant portion of your lesson time (especially at the beginning) detailing to your instructor why you deserve to be doing moves other students are doing, showing YouTube videos of students at other studios doing routines/moves you think you should be doing, and discussing the merits of your costume choice over pictures of those you gathered online from numerous NDCA competitions.
3. Craft Carefully Chosen Comebacks
Be sure to practice those zingers that are sure to make your instructor stand in awe of your well-thought-out logic and nuanced understanding of the mechanics of dance. (For example, be sure your response is not relevant, ambiguous and full of presumptions.)
4. Cancel Rehearsals for Any Reason
Follow this rule — are you tired, worn out, stressed, annoyed, happy, jealous, hungry, chill, relaxed, bored, lazy, thirsty or if it’s raining, snowing, hot, balmy, humid, freezing, or tepid, go ahead and cancel. These are all signs that you should turn on Netflix and binge watch a series. (For extra points, be sure and cancel less than two hours before your scheduled time and demand a full refund.)
5. Cultivate Your Expectations
Be sure to place ALL personal growth, skill development, competition placements and happiness and fulfillment in dancing on the shoulders of your instructor. Removing this responsibility from yourself will definitely keep your expectations reasonable and make you happy.
That’s it … if you follow these five simple steps, you too can create the worst possible environment for dance lessons! (However, if you do the exact opposite above, be prepared to see your lesson time flourish!)
From one AM to student to another,
Author: Ballroom Chick
Photography: Stephen Marino Photography
Exclusively for Dance Comp Review