Hi, my name is Abi, and I did my Level 2 Dance Leaders Qualification with G-Expressions in October 2019. I want to share with you my amazing experience of being a Dance Leader.
I started helping at a local dance school which I love, I had just finished my Dance Leaders Level 1 qualification with G Expressions and learned so much through that course, that as soon as I found the Level 2 course would be available for me I just knew it was an opportunity that I had to take. Initially I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone that was taking the course and was scared that I would spend the whole time by myself. But I decided to give it a go anyway,
And I could not have been more wrong!
On the first day we played icebreaker games that incorporated dance which allowed us to get to know each other and this really helped me. Throughout the week we learned about many different aspects of becoming a dance leader and we looked at the characteristics of what it means to be a good leader and how we could use this in our classes. The course was done with both written and practical work, giving us the experience in a way that all participants could understand. We all felt like this was possible for us to achieve, and we all helped each other through it if someone found something hard. All the activities were super beneficial to me. I never felt like I was underprepared for practical teaching lessons because we were always told about what we had to do in advance. This was a unique experience because I was also able to teach to an age category that I am not used to teaching, this made me prepared for lessons that I might go on to teach in the future.
At first I was nervous to teach to the group…
But I felt like the group and tutors made this easier for me as everyone was so supportive and everyone was in the same position as me. We also had to take part in a scenario class where we would each be faced with a scenario that we might have to deal with when teaching and we had to deal with the situation effectively. This was extremely fun but also educational as it allowed me to think about how I could deal with this and it made me feel prepared for when I have an actual class to teach. I was able to meet many amazing people on this course that just made it even more of a better experience.
By the end of the course we had all made a bond as a team which was really special, and we still have our group chat so that we can keep in touch with each other whenever we want. This experience taught me so much, not only just about dance but also lessons/skills needed in day to day life. It taught me how to work efficiently in a team and that in order for this to work it requires communication, selflessness, and organisation.
As part of this course we also had to plan a dance event which meant we had to work together as professionals. We had a lot to think about to create a successful event such as booking a venue, organising entertainment, buying decorations, sending invitations, and even having to run the entire event by ourselves on the night. This was such an enjoyable experience to be a part of.
I believe my confidence has improved the most during this course and learned that once you are confident in yourself then you can achieve much more than you thought you could. After taking this course I decided to volunteer more of my time to teaching classes because I have felt more confident and feel that I now have the skills to teach. I would 110% recommend this course to anyone as it is an outstanding experience and allows you to earn a great qualification while having a fun time doing so!
