Dancing lessons are not isolated units but are structured according to a gradual progression. Each lesson is based on the previous ones and serves as foundation for the next ones. What I propose is a common and engaging formula that I succesfully use in my own courses. The structure works well for a 60 or 90 minute lesson.
Lesson preparation
The preparation phase is essential for planning and organizing the lesson. Before starting, it’s a good idea to have all the appropriate materials ready and clear in your mind.
The first thing to prepare is the music. I use one track for the warm-up and then select one or two “easy” tracks so that students can focus on the movements. I always have at least one more challenging track to use if I find beneficial.
Secondly, I prepare the explanation of the new movement that the students will learn during the lesson. No matter how skilled a teacher may be, students will always encounter difficulties. Over time, I have compiled a list of the most common obstacles. This allows me to anticipate them and offer guidance to make the learning process easier. I believe it is important not only to demonstrate the movement but also to explain why it should be done in a certain way and why it won’t work if done differently. My goal is not to be imitate from my students or to correct them when they don’t dance exactly like I do. What matters to me is that they understand what to do and develop movements they feel comfortable and suit their own bodies.
Lastly, my “teaching plan” includes making students aware of and involved in the seasonal program. In other words, step by step, lesson by lesson, I explain why what we’re doing today will be useful later. This serves a dual purpose: firstly, it motivates them to improve, knowing that they will excel once they progress beyond the basics. Secondly, it enables them to recognize their own difficulties and break down complex movements into simpler ones, exactly the ones covered in previous lessons.
Proper preparation takes time, but it is a one-time effort that can be updated year after year based on experience. Very few teachers dedicate adequate resources to planning, which is unfortunate because it would benefit everyone. Make it a habit to prepare your lessons, and you will see a huge difference.
Begin with a proper Warm-Up
The warm-up is essential for preparing the musculoskeletal system for movement. It also helps develop flexibility and work on isolation1. In other words, it prepares the students for the lesson. The warm-up is not a standalone element but rather a tool for progressively building the physical condition needed to increase performance and tackle more advanced techniques.
I believe that the warm-up is fundamental and should be done properly, dedicating enough time and choosing exercises that align with short- and medium-term goals.
In my basic courses, where body movement is limited, the warm-up is light and consists of dancing to a medium-paced track. In more advanced courses – which focus on body movements, advanced techniques, and coordination – I dedicate at least 15-20 minutes to the warm-up. During this time, students practice isolation exercises and work on developing movements of the rib cage.
It’s not a single lesson that builds technique but rather a consistent effort that gradually develops the desired skills.
Repetition of previous lessons
Before introducing new material, it’s a good idea to review past lessons. The purpose of this review is twofold: it allows instructors to see which students have internalized the movements and helps students refresh their memory. However, time is limited so it’s not possible to review everything. Since dance courses follow a progression, I choose to revisit only the steps, figures, and movements that will be useful for the current lesson. This way, students can start from what they review in this phase by adding a new layer of learning.
Some colleagues use an alternative system: they teach the entire lesson from start to finish without dividing it into parts, and once in a while schedule a complete lesson that serves as general repetition (for example, every 9 lesson 1 for repetition). This method works well if students can keep up, but when lessons move toward more complex techniques, only the most talented students tend to remain. Unfortunately, this is exactly what some schools want: to keep only the most skilled dancers.
The Explanation
The explanation is the core of the lesson, where students learn something new and expand their abilities. If you’ve prepared well, students will have all the tools they need to understand and benefit from the lesson.
It’s important to understand a key concept in dance, often overlooked: the mind and body operate at different speeds. Students quickly get the point what they need to do it mentally, but it takes much longer for their bodies to master the movements.
Initially, students will try to imitate the teacher – no matter how much you encourage them not to – and their first attempts might work. This often leads them to believe they’ve already learned the movement and are ready to dance. However, these movements are likely still mechanical. They need (a lot of) supervised, deliberate practice to solidify the concepts.
Not all students learn at the same pace: some pick up movements quickly, while others need more time2 . As a teacher, you must choose whether to explain slowly and inclusively or move quickly, at the risk of catering only to the naturally talented.
Mind and Body operate at different speeds
My approach is inclusive. I explain movements step-by-step, ensuring all students learn at least the basics. I find this method effective because a well-done lesson builds a solid foundation, requiring minimal adjustments later. On the other hand a lesson packed with content is stimulating at the moment but students retain little beyond memorized choreography – a hallmark of workshops designed for commercial appeal.
Learning takes time, and this must be respected. My position is this: you can address different learning speeds by offering variations or decorations for advanced students, while focusing on the fundamentals for those who need more support.
Supervised practice
Up to this point, students have been guided by the instructor. At this stage, they learn primarily by imitation, focusing on the teacher rather than their dance partner. Psychologically, this is natural: students seek confirmation of their movements by comparing them to the instructor’s. If the movements look similar, they feel they are doing it right. However, in real-life dancing, students must gain confidence in their own movements and dance independently. While the responsibility for practice lies with the students outside of class, the teacher plays a crucial role by providing valuable feedback to ease their learning journey.
Supervised practice works this way: students dance freely but focusing exclusively on the new step, figure, or movement just learned during the lesson. The goal is to familiarize students with the lesson they have just done.
Creating an encouraging environment
For this phase to be effective, it’s important to practice in a relaxed atmosphere where students feel free to experiment without fear of judgment. Let them dance the way they understand the movements, encouraging them to explore freely. Teacher supervision is preferable to be passive, stepping in only when necessary or to answer direct questions.
Also at this stage it is important – not to say indispensable – that instructors also dance with their students. That way they can show them the correct technique and give them a concrete tactile reference. That is, in dancing, literally touching the correct leading and following.
Some teachers feel that they must correct any mistakes immediately. The problem with this method is that students get the idea that there is one right way of doing things and that the minimum standard in class is to perform the movements correctly from the first attempt. This it is unrealistic. When teachers correct right away, they generate (unknowingly) an anxious climate in class that inhibits creativity and freedom of practice. The students who lives with the anxiety of having to get things absolutely right the first time is a student who has broken wings.
Corrections, therefore, are much more useful if they are not immediate and indirect. That is, give students the time to experiment on their own and find ways to perform on their own. At the same time, however, carefully observe how many succeed and how many do not. This serves you – it is feedback on your work – which you would do well to treasure.
If you have done a good job, the lesson will reach the goal, and the students will have (roughly speaking) assimilated what you have explained without carrying major gaps. If you have not achieved the hoped goal – which is normal and can happen even to the best – take advantage of the new information and use it to plan the next lesson appropriately (see point 1). Collect the most common difficulties and fix them in the review phase of the next lesson.
Deliberate practice
One last thing. Try to plan at least 5 minutes for students to dance freely with everything they have learned up to that point. As a teacher, I expect students to attend social dance events regularly – since that is what the classes are aimed at. However, not everyone has the time or resources to attend them as I wish.
Deliberate practice is the “secret” ingredient of learning, and as a teacher I feel it is my job to keep in mind that pupils’ needs may differ from my expectations. That is why I devote the last 5-10 minutes of each of my lessons to deliberate practice: by doing so, the lesson ends on with a smile and everyone having fun!
While they are having fun dancing, I keep observing to take notes of anything that might be useful to re-explain the next lessons. Sometimes, I show them a variation that is aesthetically pleasing to look at, in order to show them how beautiful the dance is when the movements become natural and spontaneous.
Bonus: Social Dance events
Every student, no matter the skills, benefits greatly from attending social dance events. This is where they consolidates what they have learned so far, and this process occurs uniquely when they are “alone,” exposed, free to unleash their potential and creativity.
Deliberate practice that is done at school – or in private groups among friends – does not have the same value as that at social events. The golden rule in social dancing is this: the more varied the better. Ideally, you should be able to dance with people from other levels (less skilled and more skilled), from other Schools, Cities, Nations, Continents and if possible from different Planets, so that you can raise awareness of your abilities to the fullest.
Dance with people from other dance schools, other cities, other nations and if possible even from other planets
This aspect is of fundamental important for social dancing and that is why I believe that a good teacher is (reasonably) present in the lives of his/her students even outside of the just class time. It is part of the lesson to explain the importance of attending social dance events at least once a week and dancing with many different people. I regularly go to dance events and try to take my students with me: in a group they will feel more relaxed and eager to participate knowing that their classmates will be there.
Final considerations
Teaching “how to dance” is not a difficult task. Difficult is doing it well. I believe that in the class – and outside – it is very important to encourage interaction and socialization among students so that they become friends with each other and feel free to experiment while having fun. To this goal, I use the rotational methodology which involves frequent changes of partners. Each student thus dances with all the others, and this also applies to me as a teacher. My most valuable advice is this: make your school a place for gathering, socializing and having fun.
Make your school a place for gathering, socializing and having fun.
I wish you teachers all the bast and for you students I will to have as much fun as possible!
1. I would like to point out that the very isolation – a concept that has been in fashion lately – is often the lesson itself. This is especially true in style classes. I see this approach as a teaching error, since Salsa is a couple’s dance and as such the lesson should be couple-centered.
2. There can be many reasons for this. Generally, young people learn faster than older people. Those who regularly attend social dance events and who “jump in” and practice a lot will develop skills much more quickly than those who limit themselves to just the hour-long class. Those who already have a foundation in a “compatible” or similar dance will learn much more quickly than those who do not have this foundation. Finally, those who have an advanced technique in an “incompatible” dance will have enormous difficulty in adapting to the new dance since their body already moves spontaneously in the opposite direction; this is the case, for example, with those who dance with a very upright posture and must adapt to a dance with a relaxed, lowered posture.