The Group Advantage
Aside from the beginners group classes taught at our weekly parties on Friday and Saturday evenings, all weekly group lessons taught at I've Got Rhythm are arranged according to the expressed desires of our students. We only want to offer classes that students are interested in taking and motivated to attend. Our students themselves decide a class' schedule and the dances it will cover, giving each participant maximum ownership of his or her class.
More importantly, we believe that students learn best when they learn together – a philosophy which has led us to structure our classes in a very unique manner, when compared to most modern studios. Rather than sporadically inserting people into unfamiliar groups every few weeks when they want to learn a new dance or when schedules change, we encourage our students to stay together for as long as they are able. By becoming familiar with one another and developing friendships within the group, students stand to learn significantly faster as a result of their unified effort and interpersonal accountability.
Once established a group may choose any number of options for continuing education. They can work towards an advanced level on a single dance, or they can explore several different styles to become versatile in a number of dances. They can concentrate on mastering patterns or they can pursue a greater knowledge of technique and styling. They can pace the class very quickly, or they can move at a snail's pace, depending on the needs of the group as a whole. By providing a stable corporate learning environment for our students, we help them to get the most out of every lesson and that means time and money well spent.
Our unique group class structure does impose some limitations on beginners. Because our classes are inherently progressive (each lesson builds upon the previous), we can only allow a beginner to join an established group (1) when that group has decided to start on a new dance or (2) when he or she has taken the necessary private lessons to get caught up in the dances that group has chosen to specialize in. We hold this policy in fairness to established group members, so as not to impede their progress by absorbing the instructor's time with those new to the class. Of course, beginners are always encouraged to establish a group class of their own with those of similar interests and temperment.
If you're new to dancing and would like to get into a progressive group class, try coming to one of our weekly parties and watch what other dancers are doing to give yourself a broad idea of what is available. Once you've had a preview of the dances, write down two to three that represent your primary interests. Take a few private lessons to confirm that these are the dances you want to concentrate on, and then let your instructor know what you've decided. From then on he will direct your private instruction to catch you up with a group that is focusing on those dances.
But if you have to take private lessons to get into a group class, why not just stay in privates? Certainly private lessons have many distinct advantages, but groups are unique in that they allow for interaction among the students. Consider the following advantages of being in a part of a regular group class:
- Financial Relief And Responsibility: By enrolling in a group class, students have the chance to learn to dance on a limited budget. Given the serious financial obligations that we all have, we want to help our students enjoy learning ballroom while enabling them to be good stewards of their finances towards their families and churches.
- Fellowship And Mutual Encouragement: One of the greatest strengths of our groups is that they work together to encourage and uplift one another, creating a healthy, anxiety-free atmosphere in which to learn. They also provide a vital support system which extends well beyond the walls of our studio.
- Mutual Exchange And Edification: Our group classes take advantage of the most powerful teaching tool around – our students. By emphasizing the importance of mutual investment and service, all members of a group learn to operate together and benefit from one another's experience.
- Regular Practice And Accountability: Practice is the key to proficiency, and group classes are ideally structured to provide students with a regular opportunity to dance together at least once every week and to keep each other accountable to practice outside of class.
Because our students encourage one another, help one another, practice with one another, and befriend one another, even outside studio walls, the group environment at our studio provides an ideal atmosphere for learning. So even if you do continue with privates, it's to your advantage to be involved in a group class as well. And if money is an issue and you can't take private lessons, then being a part of a progressive group class is essential to growing in your dancing over the long-term.