technique vs. physically demanding

[Guest alliecat93]

I am currently in a situation where I'm trying to decide if I should keep going to two schools or switch to one. The on school has less classes a week but they are VERY strenuous. We are all in very good shape in that class and everyone is SO exhausted and we have sweat pouring down our bodies. The other school has more classes a week, but I don't find myself sweating and exhausted after class. Sometimes in the "hard" classes I get so fatigued that I just try to get through the combination and I lose my tecnique. I find myself always striving to have perfect technique at the other school and I feel I improve more there.

 

My question is: do you need to have VERY, VERY intensive classes in order to be a professional? Just to give you some comparison as to how hard the classes are; People who went to Boston Baller, SAB, and ABT (all in the highest levels) said that the classes were no where near how physically demanding our classes at the studio are. The studio with the less strenuous classes has turned out numerous professional dancers. I'm just wanting some opinions on this. Thanks so much to everyone who responds!!

[Victoria Leigh]

Alliecat, I think you answered your own question in the end of your first paragraph. Overworking and sweating a lot is not the criteria for learning.

[Mel Johnson]

Remember the Aesop's Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare - slow and steady wins the race! It sounds to me as though you'd be best served by taking all your classes at the school where you find the better technique. Hard work is great, but there's nothing to say that you can't work just as hard at the "technical" school as at the "hard" school. I used to be that way - I gave beastly hard classes, until I realized that my students weren't getting anywhere near the technical training they needed, so I cut back on the complexity and repetitions, and increased the kinds and numbers of corrections I would give. Harder work for me, but I feel it's the right way for me to teach.

[Guest alliecat93]

Thanks you to both of you. I was thinking that the "technique" school is where I should go, but I just wanted to make sure I didn't absolutley need those hard classes. Once again thanks for confirming my decision!