Corrections

[Jaana Heino]

Inspired by the thread on the teachers forum I'd like to ask the opinion of Ballet Alert adult students on whether they prefer personal or general corrections in class. I realize we are a selected group, so this can be of practically no help to the teachers seeing it in choosing what to do, but I'm interested in any case.

 

My first poll under the new system. I hope it works.

[koshka]

I have 5 or 6 different teachers. 2 of them do lots of personal

corrections; 2 of them do occasional personal corrections, and 2 of them

rarely do personal corrections.

 

I learn a lot from all of them. If nothing else, the "no personal

corrections"-type classes allow me time (if I have the mental discipline)

to work on something that's been corrected in another class.

 

The teachers who do give direct corrections seem to figure out over

time who wants them and responds to them and who doesn't.

[Guest grace]

The teachers who do give direct corrections seem to figure out over

time who wants them and responds to them and who doesn't.

i agree with this.

 

jaana, i 'll be interested to view your 'results'.

[Guest Hilarie]

I get the idea that my teacher doesn't like to single people out in class, so most of her corrections are general (even if they're only aimed at one or two students). I find that's not really a problem for me since I can usually recognize if it was something I was doing wrong. Even if it wasn't directed at me, it helps me figure out what I should be paying attention to, which is always good for beginners.

 

If someone's really really struggling, she'll talk to them individually or do the combination with them. Let's face it, we all have those days.

 

I do kind of wish that my teacher "singled out" people more for corrections. I understand, though, that it makes a lot of adults uncomfortable. And in my class it'd probably waste a lot of time, as several students bear a strong resemblance to drunk geese when they dance.

[Guest mic31]

I always double check myself whenever there is a class correction or I hear a correction being given to anyone. I have at least one private class per week so I'm used to alot of personal corrections. They are all very helpful as long as the student is open to them.

[Guest grace]

several students bear a strong resemblance to drunk geese when they dance.

[Mel Johnson]

I still take class, as well as give them, but I'm a dancer who is a still-dancing continuing student from childhood on. I'm used to the full range of choices about corrections given to adult classes, which are usually the only ones open to me, because of time constraints from my "day job" or teaching other classes. I really, truly prefer a regime of both general and personal corrections, but adult students who entered later in life might feel self-conscious with the specifics of a personal correction; I can understand that, too. When I teach adults, I try to keep this in mind, and provide instruction appropriate to the group's comfort level.

[Jaana Heino]

Interesting. I seem to be the only one disagreeing so far, so maybe I'll explain what I meant. What I like best is when teachers, when giving general corrections, use some particular student to show what he/she did wrong, and then say "and most of you others did this same thing". I counted this as personal corrections. I don't mind being singled out like this (ok, most of the time I don't, there are bad days), as long as the teacher gives some positive feedback occasionally too (and most of them do, saying at least "That's better!" if you get the correction).

 

I would like my teachers do this more. Most of them do what most of you voted for , some give too little personal correction (but I tend not to take those classes if I have a choice). I am very bad at figuring out whether a general correction is something I should use too, and am constantly afraid of over-correcting (e.g. if teacher says "turn out the back leg more" I'm afraid that if I do I will try too much and twist my hips, and if I don't get personal corrections how will I know this? I'm so much a beginner that it's really difficult to always see or feel what is right).

 

I do of course listen to the general corrections and find them useful a lot of the time, and when I have advanced and have some idea about how things should feel they have become more and more useful, too.

 

As a one thing more: when I started ballet, I didn't know it was ok to try and execute the correction when corrected. I thought you were supposed to listen politely, and then try it when it appeared in a combination next time. I only later figured (from this board, actually) that not trying it there and then signals "not interested" to many ballet teachers! I wish I would have been told about this before.

[psavola]

I agree with Jaana's opinion about giving general corrections by showing things on one student. (But personally I do count them as general corrections, which is why I voted the way I did.)

 

I would like to add that I also really, really like teachers who do lots of "physical correction", showing you how excactly they want something done. One can learn so much more about correct placing and quality of movement if somebody actually shows how a thing should be done in your own body.

 

The most magical correction experience I have ever had was this one teacher who thought my port de bras were unexpressive and mechanical, and spent a third of a combination behind me guiding my arms, neck and gaze, showing me the quality he wanted. I would never have believed how much feeling and grace a teacher can communicate that way. (I mean, he was dancing with my body, not his own! How much skill does THAT take? ) While my port de bras are still very far from perfect, that experience really made me aware how much nuance and depth I had been missing, and what I should strive for.

 

Päivi

[Garyecht]

Personally, I find the topic of corrections most interesting because I see a definite contradiction, at least for the people who go to classes where I go to classes.

 

In talking with individuals, everyone with whom I have spoken has said that she (all have been she’s) wanted corrections and that she valued specific corrections over general corrections. But what I have observed is that in the most well attended classes, which presumably are the most well liked classes, teachers tend to give general corrections, even at times when their classes are relatively small.

 

Perhaps this is due to just talking with females, or characteristic of where I dance, or that people with whom I speak tend to be over the age of about 30, but there seems to be a definite contradiction between what people say and how they behave. On second thought, contradictions between words and deeds are not so uncommon.

[koshka]

It is the reverse where I go: one of the most popular teachers is also one

who gives very detailed, and often very physical corrections. In fact, this

teacher has on a couple of occasions done something similar to what psavola

describes--showing exactly where my head / arms should be for pretty much a full

exercise.

 

Of course there is some sorting: some people really favor classes with

a particular teacher and will choose classes based on that rather than

the level, time, etc. And even this correction-intensive teacher seems to

know who is more or less interested in corrections.