Last week’s blog post about class size explored external reasons for low class counts. If you are struggling to grow your class, and none of those reasons applied to you, it may be time to ask “is it because of how I teach?” In this blogpost, I’d like to discuss what steps instructors can take to improve their teaching in order to rock their classes and increase participation.

There are three important qualities that a dance fitness instructor must have in order to appeal to a wide range of people: 1) they have to be energetic and engaging, 2) relatively easy to follow, and 3) dance with technique that inspires a class. The first two are generally easier to work on to subsequently see results. But the third is a little trickier because we all interpret dance differently and have our own unique styles. Class members may identify with one instructor more than another even if they are both teaching the same choreography. Keep in mind that you can never please everyone – your goal should be to appeal to the vast majority of people who walk into your class. We all want to be able to teach at any facility to any crowd, but sometimes, you may not jive with the clientele at a particular location. Every membership base has its own quirks; what works for some people at one place may not work for another. This is why getting feedback from members, the manager, and a fitness mentor is crucial. They will each offer feedback from a different perspective that will help you cater to that specific class.

However, generally speaking, if you can teach with high energy in a clear way that makes it easy for your participants to follow along and feel successful – you should see your class numbers grow over time.

What are some tips to help me improve?

Whether you are new to teaching or a seasoned instructor, here are a few pointers to give you a solid base for leading successful classes that participants will want to return to:

1. Health first – If you want to consistently “bring it” in class so your students identify you as someone with a lot of energy, make sure you get enough sleep, eat nutritiously, and cross-train. You can’t be at your best and teach with all the energy you can muster if you aren’t taking care of your health first.
2. Practice – When you practice, learn the visual pre-cues for a routine as if they are part of the choreography so you consistently deliver them on time in a big and clear way. You generally want to make all your movements as big and strong as possible because it projects confidence and inspires your participants to work harder. This is the key to making your students feel successful! If they don’t feel lost or confused in class, they will get a better workout and will return for more!
3. Connect – Get to class a few minutes early and take the time to chat with your participants while they wait to begin. Learn their names and try to engage them all in conversation. Don’t force it – some people prefer to come to class and leave with no fuss but generally speaking, people are much more likely to return to a class if they feel a connection with the instructor and other participants.
4. Confidence – Make sure that when you walk in to teach your class that you are confident you know your music and routines inside out. There is really no substitute for hard work. When you know your stuff, it gives you the freedom to think less while teaching so you can focus on bringing the energy to connect with your students and hype them up. People are generally forgiving of a missed pre-cue or mistake but they are not forgiving of low energy and personality. If you’re unsure of your choreography, you’ll dance in a more hesitant, less energetic, and less confident manner. The class will notice! So make sure you eat your wheaties, put in the rehearsal time, and go to class ready to rock!
5. Shake it off – Laugh at yourself and have fun! Mistakes are going to happen – sometimes no one will know but when you can’t hide it, just yell out “REMIX!” and keep going. No matter how well we memorize our routines, choreo mistakes are as certain as death and taxes. More often than not, your students will laugh along with you, which I’ve found helps you bond with them even more. They look to you for inspiration, but they love to know that you’re human too!
6. Film yourself teaching – The camera doesn’t lie. We may think our energy is off the charts or that we consistently pre-cue on time but then see on camera that we aren’t putting as much oomph into our dance moves as we thought or that our arm signals are unclear. You may find that you yell out the same thing over and over again and sound repetitive, or perhaps you will notice your technique needs work (for example, you think your arms are straight and strong during a particular move, but find out that they were bent instead, and looked more flowy than sharp). There is a ton you can learn about yourself through this method so I highly recommend everyone film themselves now and then to assess how they are teaching on an ongoing basis. Being honest with yourself and watching your technique with a critical eye can do wonders for your instructing. Send your video to a mentor to ask for tips on areas of improvement. Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know…things you thought you were doing well may actually need some tweaking. We are all in this fitness journey together to help each other grow and learn as professionals. The first step is to ask!

Tune in next week for a follow-up post on why seeking and embracing feedback is so important!

About the Author: Dalia always dreamed that dance would play a major role in her life but as a “good middle eastern girl,” she never pursued her passion seriously and grew up spending hours learning dance moves from music videos and choreographing to Salt ‘n’ Pepa songs in her bedroom. After 10 years of working in Finance, she found herself succumbing to an unhealthy lifestyle and decided to get fit again by doing what she loved most. She is so thankful to BollyX for making her dream come true and is truly happy to be a part of the Regional Trainer Team.