My partner recently stumbled upon a short reflection I shared in one of my newsletters back in 2019. The reflection was about the beat, and its title (“From metronome to meditation”) is a good description of what still comes to mind for me when I think of this topic. But there are other aspects I’ve […] Read more…
“Dancing is the world’s favorite metaphor.” – Kristy Nilsson Every day, dance is used as a metaphor. Moonlight dances on water. Life is a dance. Or, as Dr. Sue Johnson has written, “Love is a constant process of tuning in, connecting, missing and misreading cues, disconnecting, repairing, and finding deeper connection. It is a dance […] Read more…
A reader who is newer to teaching asked me the following question this past week: “I want to excite new students about this dance, but I feel like I’m boring them. In a beginner class where I’m just teaching the basics, how do I make fundamentals fun?” This is not an uncommon question for new […] Read more…
“They need to know it’s all about connection.” This sentence bubbled to the surface in a breakout group of newer and aspiring teachers at a tango teacher training several years ago. As soon as it did about a third of the group came to life, all reciting different versions of the same incantation, amping each […] Read more…
Skill as a dancer is integral to the art of teaching dance. Because dance is a physical art, played out in and between the very bodies of dancers, students must be able to see and feel what you want them to do. The ability to be an effective visual and kinesthetic model of the dance for your […] Read more…