Along with the success of the dance shows, the ballroom dancing video has blossomed. Private lessons in your own home! But does it work? Can someone really learn to dance in his or her own living room from a video.
The Benefit
A good instructional video can be extremely beneficial.
- It can be a great place to get started – if you are a good visual learner and if you have a partner, lots of patience, and a video camera of your own (you’ll need some way of critiquing yourself)
- It’s also a great way for those that know how to dance to pick up new moves or variations (although it would be good to book time with a live instructor to work out the kinks)
- It’s the perfect way, possible the best possible tool as a reminder of moves that have already been learned.
- It’s best used in conjunction with doing private lessons or even classes with a local ballroom dance instructor.
The Bust
Unfortunately, many videos have been purchased that now sit on a shelf – the dreams of ballrooms dance long abandoned. Here are a few reasons:
- It’s tough to learn a 3 dimensional skill from a two dimensional media – especially from scratch. Excited beginners go online and get a few videos. They spend some time, get discouraged and frustrated and give up.
- There are a LOT of bad videos/instructors out there! Don’t get discouraged. They are out there. It just takes a bit of research!
- It’s easy to put moves on a media and market it. It’s tough to break down material, think of all the potential questions and issues and address them to produce a quality instructional video.
- A dancer or a celebrity does not necessarily equal quality instruction.
- Up until recently, there was no national acredation for ballroom instructors. It is not required or regulated, anyone can claim to be a ballroom teacher and put together a video.
- The context is lost
- The social asect is lost
- If you don’t have a partner, it’s mostly useless.
