It seems that every month I read another bio for a new dance couple that reads something like:
“We first started dancing [dance style] a year ago. We formed a connection instantly and picked up the style in record time. We now teach at [dance venue] every [week day]. To book tickets for [new couple] click here…”
On the one hand, I find these stories aspirational. It’s fantastic that within a year you can meet a fantastic dance partner, venue and paying students!
On the other, I see why people roll their eyes. How could you really learn anything within a year, good enough to teach?
What I really want to learn from these people is not the basics of [dance style] but how they managed to learn both the art of teaching and a new dance style within a year.
It’s the sort of scenario Tim Ferris would write about. He’d learn a dance style, raise the money to build a dance studio and promote it on a radio station he founded in Cuba.
Personally, as a random dude on the Internet, I believe people should be free to do what they want. As long as they’re humble and bringing in something fresh, maybe there is a lot to be learned from them.
I reserve a certain amount of cynicism, however. Teaching is hard. I’ve moonlighted in different disciplines, from time to time, and I’ve always felt it’s like herding cats.
But maybe with enough hard work, and sticking to one aspect of a style. Creating a slick, short class is achievable.
A lot of dancers may comment “well I’ve been dancing [number of years] and I wouldn’t feel comfortable teaching it”. There is a difference, however, of social dancing once a week and practicing every night for [amount of hours].
Maybe an amateur who commits to a goal, and strives for it every day is no longer an amateur? Maybe a professional without experience, isn’t a professional?
What do you think, I’d love to hear opinions from greenhorns and old salts alike.
Whether your a fresh faced salsa couple, established king ping of the Salsa community or just scouting for women at socials…
Always shimmy responsibly!