For me a great dance teacher is someone who studies teaching like a science… do things that work to assist your students get through and find solutions. The art of teaching becomes very complex when you think about all the different kinds of personalities out there and all the kinds of ways of learning. Teaching is a mind set, a vocation. You have to do it with passion. I always said that for me Salsa is just the vehicle. I could be teaching pottery classes with the same passion and energy.
I always try to find for my students the shortest path to their learning challenges without giving them the solution all cooked up ready to go. I try to understand how their brain works. Also one main aspect in our school is that we approach teaching as a feel good science.
Our goal is to make you feel good while you learn a couple of salsa dance moves. No need to be an olympic athlete 😉 I always attend to students learning frustrations with care, compassion and jokes. To make sure the brain is well aligned I make certain that the person feels good first then I transfer the knowledge… working like that is way more demanding but way more effective because people have fun while learning and therefore continue to love Latin dances longer. Ultimately, I believe that a brain learns faster when there’s fun and smiles rather than whips and frowns.
And on that note, I salute every teacher from every field for their passion and dedication in making people move forward.
Ilias Benz
Baila Productions Director
West-Island – Laval – Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
(Photo Jerry Joseph)
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