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Absolute Beginner Dance Lessons in New York City
Maybe you've wanted to dip your toe into dance for a while but weren't sure where to start. Maybe you were nervous you didn't have enough dance training to even walk into a regular dance school. Or you may have had the unfortunate experience of going to a "beginner" dance class in New York City and quickly realizing that this was not a super accurate description of what was taking place. This experience is common enough that some schools even create specific classes or programs aimed at the absolute beginner.
For one thing, students in a regular beginner class often have at least a few years of dance under their belts. Some are intermediate or advanced students just getting extra time in with whatever class is available in their favorite dance style. Some students are inevitably the teacher's regulars and are very familiar with the teacher's warmup, drills, and even the choreography. A dance school really has to work to carve out time, studio space, and teaching talent that is reserved specifically for the new dancer aka absolute beginner. You might eventually be able to eek out a dance education at these schools, but it will be a long, inefficient process. What's worse is you are likely to learn bad habits and sloppy technique because you'll be rushing to keep up with the class and you will never have the individual pieces of a routine or across-the-floor exercise broken down for you. Adult group classes often suffer from this problem because of the class size. |
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At a certain size it becomes difficult for the teacher of a group class to maintain a high standard unless they are very conscious about whether or not the class is keeping up. A very talented teacher in a group class will be able to discern the most common problems among the class and stop to issue corrections (or slow things down if necessary), but that is a rare ability. In any case, it makes things difficult for you, the brand new dance student looking for solid training delivered at a pace you can actually absorb.
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Fortunately there are teachers like Jacquie who have a gift for private instruction and teaching total beginners. Jacquie takes your dance education seriously and wants to give you the tools to succeed with your dance goals even if you are starting from scratch. Clients who have started out completely unfamiliar with how their arms and legs should move in unison have gradually developed into competent beginner dancers as a result of their hard work and her mentorship and methodical instruction.
In many cases someone who is completely new to dance will need to start with the basic positions of ballet (or their jazz counterparts) and the common movements that link these positions. In ballet, there are five fundamental positions where your hips are turned out and your feet are positioned very specifically relative to one another. Your body is upright, spine is in alignment and your arms are also precisely positioned. If you have never taken dance - and even if you have done other athletic activities - this level of precision in where your body should be and how it should move from one place to another will be very unfamiliar. It's one of the things that all dance styles have in common, whether you are doing ballet or hip-hop.
You'll learn how to stay balanced on one feet and two feet, how to plié (the dancer's squat), relevé (press up on the balls of your feet), and point your toes as you bring your leg off the floor. You may also begin learning fundamental steps like pas de bourrée and pirhouette turns. You'll begin breaking the conventions of ballet with the movement of your hips and spine as you go further into jazz territory. You'll do isolations that help you learn to move your body in ways you might not have thought were possible. The exploration of these ranges of motion is one of the things that can make dance training so unique and physically beneficial.
In many cases someone who is completely new to dance will need to start with the basic positions of ballet (or their jazz counterparts) and the common movements that link these positions. In ballet, there are five fundamental positions where your hips are turned out and your feet are positioned very specifically relative to one another. Your body is upright, spine is in alignment and your arms are also precisely positioned. If you have never taken dance - and even if you have done other athletic activities - this level of precision in where your body should be and how it should move from one place to another will be very unfamiliar. It's one of the things that all dance styles have in common, whether you are doing ballet or hip-hop.
You'll learn how to stay balanced on one feet and two feet, how to plié (the dancer's squat), relevé (press up on the balls of your feet), and point your toes as you bring your leg off the floor. You may also begin learning fundamental steps like pas de bourrée and pirhouette turns. You'll begin breaking the conventions of ballet with the movement of your hips and spine as you go further into jazz territory. You'll do isolations that help you learn to move your body in ways you might not have thought were possible. The exploration of these ranges of motion is one of the things that can make dance training so unique and physically beneficial.
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When you have enough of an initial foundation under you, you'll be able to tackle simple routines where you begin stringing movements together. Routines are where the rubber meets the road and they're one of the real end-goals of your training. They also allow you to keep learning new dance movements while keeping things interesting.
There are definitely some things you'll want to learn as an absolute beginner regardless of your goals. But the beauty of working with a high-level professional like Jacquie is that she can chart a course with you based on your personality, preferences, and goals - and then improvise as your training progresses. In fact, she will probably start things off by chatting with you and getting to know you a little bit: where are you right now and where do you want to go? Here are a number of scenarios that you might find yourself identifying with as a prospective dancer:
You might even be curious about a professional dance career but need to start with the basics and see if dance is really for you. Regardless of your reason for seeking fundamental dance training, you will be in good hands. Take the first step on a path that will pay dividends for you and get in touch with Jacquie.
There are definitely some things you'll want to learn as an absolute beginner regardless of your goals. But the beauty of working with a high-level professional like Jacquie is that she can chart a course with you based on your personality, preferences, and goals - and then improvise as your training progresses. In fact, she will probably start things off by chatting with you and getting to know you a little bit: where are you right now and where do you want to go? Here are a number of scenarios that you might find yourself identifying with as a prospective dancer:
- You're sick of the gym and want a different way to stay active (and you want something that's a step above a Zumba class)
- You're an athlete and want to use the physical variety of dance to enhance yourself for your chosen sport aka cross-training
- You've always wanted to dance but never felt comfortable learning at a regular school
- You want to gain skills that will make you more confident and comfortable in social dance situations, for whenever you run across a dancefloor
- You're interested in a particular dance style and want one-on-one guidance. Jacquie can help you with ballet, contemporary, modern, theater dance, jazz, hip-hop, social dance styles, and more.
- You're an actor and want to bolster your resume with a relevant skill
- You're a singer or an actor interested in musical theater and need to get up to speed with the dance side of things
You might even be curious about a professional dance career but need to start with the basics and see if dance is really for you. Regardless of your reason for seeking fundamental dance training, you will be in good hands. Take the first step on a path that will pay dividends for you and get in touch with Jacquie.