Teaching Solo

Teaching solo is never ideal. It is always best to have two teachers – one who can speak for follows and one who can speak for leads. However, in reality, sometimes teachers must teach alone. If you are teaching a balboa class without a partner, please be prepared to teach both roles. In the past, leads had sometimes been hired to teach a class without a follow and no content was directed towards follows who also paid for the class. You will need to spend extra time preparing to teach your non-dominant role. Seek out resources or reach out to your dance teacher network for assistance. Consider content that is best taught without a co-teacher. Often pure balboa classes or footwork variation courses are easier without a partner. You may choose a strong dancer from the class to help you demo, but make sure to add advice for both roles. You are the teacher of both roles in the class. The demo assistant is just a visual aid.

Check out the recap for this solo class taught by Lainey Silver. Notice how she makes sure to cover content for leads and follows in the recap.