The roles of the dance instructor are many and diverse. The instructor must be a teacher, trainer, parent, friend, and a psychologist. This is a lot of responsibility for one person, and it takes considerable experience before an instructor is capable of fulfilling all of these roles effectively.
Much time and energy has been spent on educating dance teachers on the physical and technical aspects of the performing arts. However, only in recent years have individuals in the dance world begun to examine the role that psychology plays in dance. Specifically, the dance community has begun to appreciate the contributions that the field of psychology can make to dance instruction in addition to the effect that instructors have on the psychological and emotional development of dancers.
This influence is profound because the beliefs that dancers develop about themselves through dance can have a powerful effect on other aspects of their lives. As a result, how teachers affect this process should not be considered haphazardly. Instructors should give careful thought to how they can teach their students a healthy, positive approach to preparation and performance at all levels of ability. More importantly, instructors should consider not only how they can only help their students to become better dancers, but also better people.
Perhaps the best piece of advice that can be given to dance teachers is to treat their students as individuals with unique personalities, abilities, and interests. Often a good dance instructor is thought to be the one who has excellent technical skills, or who knows every nuance of performing, or who communicates well. But a more precise definition of a good instructor may be one who is able to discern and understand the individual needs of each student and then fulfill those needs in any way that is required. Instructors should study each of their students and determine what their needs are. Does one need more encouragement to build his self-confidence? Does another need to be calmed down because she gets too nervous? In order for teachers to maximize their students’ ability, it is essential to put in the time and energy to understand them. It may be useful to keep written profiles of each dancer indicating their needs, how they can best be met, and any changes that occur over time.
Another point worth noting is that as intuitive psychologists, dance instructors should rely on their experience and insight in determining how to satisfy students’ needs. For example, babying sensitive dancers may make them happy, but it may not be the best thing for them artistically or personally. Many noted instructors have helped dancers prepare for performance (and life) by being a little tough on them.
The most obvious approach is not always the most appropriate. It can be worthwhile for teachers to experiment with different methods to enhance performance, effort, and satisfaction, and find the one that work best for each dancer.
Several studies indicate that persons of similar ability exhibit similar needs. Elite individuals desired an instructor who showed a willingness to get to know them as people and to offer them emotional and motivational support. Though not using dancers, these findings make sense. Our observations at the advanced level, where technical proficiency has already been established, indicate that instructors’ primary responsibility and concern is to provide an atmosphere that is conducive to optimal performance. In contrast, less skilled dancers have a need for more concrete characteristics in their teachers such as technical knowledge and understanding because at this level the learning of the requisite skills is the central focus. It may be concluded that dancers of varying abilities appear to have different instructional needs that must be fulfilled. Further, this information may be useful to school directors in selecting and assigning teachers with particular skills to appropriate ability groups.
It is likely that the goal of all dance instructors is to assist their students to fulfill their dance potential and to ensure that they perceive their dance experience as satisfying and enjoyable. By taking the time to learn about and understand their students and to meet their needs to the best of their ability, dance instructors can be sure that they have achieved their goal.
