First of all, there's no "I" in "group class", but there is in "private lesson".
Did I write this whole post just to use that line?
Yes.
BUT SERIOUSLY...
It is a group. You are part of a group. You are one of 3-100 other unique individuals who are comprising a party of participants.
You are in a class. You are in a class with preplanned material for a particular level of dancer. The class is an organized educational experience with a teacher who has been hired for their skills and knowledge in communicating a certain thing.
You are there to soak up the instruction, encourage your fellow classmates (by smiling, nodding, and deferring questions to the teacher), follow the directions given, and internalize the patterns and techniques being introduced (or reviewed) by DOING THEM.
Group classes are for skill building. Have you learned about heel leads before? Maybe. Are you doing them 100% percent (yes, I meant what I typed) of all the time always when you are supposed to be? I will answer for you: NO. Do you practice heel leads? Maybe. Could you practice them while taking [what one hopes to be] a fun, sociable event geared towards other people like you, or people who would like to do what you do? I'll answer again: YES. Heck, you could even practice your current technique of choice in a class without disturbing the other unique individuals in class!
Here's some things to keep in mind while attending a group class:
- DO NOT GIVE FEEDBACK TO YOUR CLASSMATES. DO NOT. No, I know you're going to say, "What about..." STOP IT. Whatever you're going to say doesn't matter. Do not "teach" while during class.
- Arrive on time and stay for the whole class.
- Stay off your phone.
- Switch partners. Unless you're in a community education class, most studios and teachers have participants rotate partners. I PROMISE YOU IT IS WORTH IT.
- Let the teacher teach. This person has a plan, a method, and might have written more blog posts than the number of group classes you have attended [OR A SIMILAR AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE]. Come along for the ride. It'll be fun. (And if you hate it, try a different teacher.)
If you have a very particular question, I urge you to re-read the first sentence.
See you in class!
