Online dance courses vs in person tuition

Ahhhh the age of internet and online courses in everything from how to make scrambled eggs to learning your first dance. You know how Doctors strongly dislike it when you self diagnose from the web? Well I am not a doctor but I relate to the feeling when I see couples attempting to learn to dance online. I'm going to put down some pros and cons of learning dancing online for you to decide for yourself.

You can learn in the comfort of your own home. Wow fantastic, this is great! Your home is also where your TV, computer, dishes, dirty clothes the pet, comfy couch and a hundred other distractions are waiting to temp you to do other things!

Your home is most likely not conducive of a dancing environment. If you happen to have a dance floor and mirrors and high ceilings then awesome, go for it! Otherwise you may struggle to have a useable space, the floor surface or surroundings may even cause you injury, and you're much more likely to be distracted at home.

You can learn when ever it suits you. Cool ok, you could also go to the gym whenever it suits you, but do you actually go? Statistics show that you are more likely to attend an event if you have pre-committed to it. As humans we tend to not like letting people down, and so when you are accountable to someone you will more than likely show up! Oh look, the footy is on, I'll just watch this first and then we can dance. Oh, now I'm tired, let's do it tomorrow. Unless you are a super self motivated person I do not recommend paying for online lessons that may very well go to waste.

Access to unlimited questions and support from instructors. Excellent! How would you even know what questions to ask in the first place? You may go along learning a routine that you think you're doing correctly but you'll never know without an instructor by your side.

I make sure my couples don't get into bad habits from day one, they learn correctly and I am able to guide them from basic to more advanced details when I know they are ready to handle it. If I give all the detail at once, it's too overwhelming! A lot of being able to dance with a partner has to do with connection. I spend a good amount of time demonstrating on my students, together and individually and even reverse roles to get the feeling and connection across, this is something that you just can't feel through the computer screen. This element is so important and will allow you to actually feel like you're dancing!

The steps we teach you will fit any song!

Awesome, so you will look like a cookie cutout of hundreds of other couples and the routine will have no flavour and no musicality. There are hundreds of songs you could choose from and they Do Not all suit the same style of dance! This concept of 'one dance fits all' blows my mind! Each couple is unique, their taste in music vastly differs, as do their personalities. Not to mention their abilities. I make sure my couples get a routine that reflects their character wether it be cheeky, fun, reserved, cheesy or straight and serious; is suitable for their ability and emphasises the highs and lows in the music.

This topic really has my blood pumping. for a moment that is so special and personal on your wedding day that will be remembered for ever, I can't think of a less personal way to go about doing it.

The couples I work with have always been ready and well prepared, confident and relaxed on their wedding day. I make sure they get the right amount of lessons in preparation, I only push them to do what they can handle, with the right amount of detail that looks good, and we still have fun doing it. As for anything you learn, you know if your teacher or coach is inspiring, positive and creating a supportive fun environment, the students will thrive!

While it may seem practical at first thought, don't get caught up and spend your money when you may not follow through on your good intentions. Please consider how serious you are about your marriage and your commitment to each other, and treat learning your first dance with the same regard.