“Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.” H. Jackson Brown

Not only is dancing a way of expressing ourselves, it helps us push our creative envelopes. It disciplines us, yet releases us from the chaos of limitations. It evokes fervent emotions and takes us to new heights.

From the passion of salsa, to the romance of the waltz, different dance styles have different requirements.

Teaching aspiring dancers the art of various styles is rewarding but challenging. Each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses.

If you want to bring out the best in your students and hone their skills, here are a few tips to take into consideration:

  • Start Off Small

The basics will always be the basics. Start off small, with baby steps. It can be difficult working with a client that has no prior experience. But remember that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step!

If you’re teaching waltz, then go with Byerly’s Waltz by Spare Parts. The song has a nice tempo, with a clear beat.

You can also go with Valser Dans L’ombre  by Lucienne Delyle. It’s a very beautiful, moderate tempo that is extremely easy to dance to!

If you’re teaching Hip-Hop, start with Push It by Salt-N-Pepa or Very Nice by Seventeen. These easy dances will help clients get into the groove, and teach them about coordination and synchronization.

Ballet can be a little tricky, requiring the perfect balance, flexibility and coordination. It can be challenging working with a client that doesn’t have experience. Start them off with Swan Lake’s Four Little Swans.

It’s perfect for warm-ups and will teach them the footwork they need to know. With ballet, the way the dancer uses their feet is what makes them great. They have to be graceful and precise.

Ballet requires using your feet in an expressive way. In fact, there’s an entire anatomy of ballet dancing.

With the right amount of practice, your clients will be able to master the basics. Then you can move onto advanced moves.

If you’re teaching Salsa, start with Fragilidad by Milagros Pineda. It’s the perfect amount of upbeat, yet unapologetically passionate. It’s great for getting used the twists, turns and footwork.

  • Create a Narrative

One of the best ways to learn dancing is to create a narrative. When your clients have a story to work with, they’ll automatically become engaged!

This is exactly why musicals are so popular. When there’s a narrative, the audience automatically becomes drawn to the characters, the stories they have to tell, and the way they convey their emotions.

That’s exactly why musicals like Singin’ in the Rain took the world by storm. It’s the absence of proper dialogue that makes musicals a classic. The characters use music to convey their message and verbalize their thoughts.

  • Create Tutorials

With recreation of choreographies of dance hits becoming popular (especially with classics), it’s easy to reach out to potential clients from around the world.

You can go with a dance cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” or Sugababe’s “Get Sexy.”

Get creative with your tutorials. You don’t need to follow the choreography. Dancing is all about freedom of movement. You can also create your own choreography of popular songs.

Remember to include mirror versions or “slo-mo” dance steps so that your viewers can follow the tutorial easily.

Create an entire playlist. Start with easy songs so that beginners can get used to dancing.

  • The Jigsaw Method

The jigsaw method has been used by dance studios for years to teach dancing. The jigsaw method includes dividing students into two teams and having one team A learn a few dance moves.

Then team A teaches team B the dance moves they’ve learnt. This empowers the students and helps engage them as well.

  • Zumba!

Offering zumba classes can also help your clients in the long run. Zumba isn’t just for fitness purposes, it’s also a great way to shape your clients’ bodies and get them used to dancing.

Zumba incorporates different styles of South American dances and is a great way to become more flexible and disciplined.

  • Conclusion

As mentioned previously, focus on the strengths of your students. You can also conduct one-on-one training sessions for clients who need more time.

Remember that at the end of the day, in order to become great, your clients should be comfortable and enjoying themselves. Make everything easier for them by creating goals and weekly targets.

For more information on setting up a dance studio, expanding your streams of revenue as a dancer or building and maintaining a solid clientele, visit Dance Pro Income Booster—your ultimate source of forging a successful career in the dance industry.