Here is the 4th installment of Evan's series on preparing for private lessons...thanks Evan!

Preparing For Your Private Lesson

By: Evan Carmichael

In order to get the most from your private lesson it is important to prepare in advance what you are need help with.

Most students take a private lesson for one of two reasons – either to catch up on a lesson that they missed or clean up and work on a particular part of their dancing.

In either case, before coming to your instructor you should analyze your dancing and think about the areas you want to improve in. Here are some of the factors you might want to consider:

• Was there a move in class that you had a particularly hard time learning?
• Would you like to improve your styling skills?
• Do you need help with leading / following the different moves?
• Would you like to learn a new, more advanced turn pattern?
• Can you pick up the beats in the music and dance on time?

You should go in to your private lesson with at least one thing that you would like to improve on. You can also have your instructor dance with you at the beginning of the lesson and ask for his / her opinion about what you need to improve on. Getting this objective advice from an expert will only serve to make you a better dancer.

The more you prepare for your lesson the more likely you will get the specific help you need to take your dancing to the next level!

Good luck!