Blog #6 - How to Excel as a Dance Fitness Instructor: Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes

Are you venturing into teaching dance fitness from a primarily fitness-based background?

Or perhaps you're a seasoned dancer who's transitioning into leading dance fitness classes?

Regardless of your journey, one thing is certain: avoiding common mistakes is crucial to delivering the best possible experience to your dance fitness class participants.

In this blog post, we'll explore five common mistakes that dance fitness instructors often make and how to avoid them. Let's ensure that you're equipped to teach the most engaging and effective dance fitness classes possible.

1. Not owning your dance fitness instructor status! 

I hear so many instructors from a fitness-based background say things like;

'I don't normally teach classes like this so I'm not as good as '

I hear them saying this to the class before they start the class!

I get it! You're in new territory but if you weren't qualified to teach dance fitness then you wouldn't be teaching dance fitness AND if you don't feel confident, then practice, practice, practice until you do.

You are the expert and leader of the class, OWN IT! You participants are following you! Start the class by giving participants (and yourself) confidence that you can teach an amazing class!

2. Comparing yourself to other instructors

The first dance fitness class was I taught was Zumba and there were 100s of Zumba instructors out there. I came from a dance background so I knew all about comparison and my other fitness background was group fitness classes. It was really easy to look at others and either try and be like them or feel as though I wasn't as good as them!

With anything in life you will be so much more successful when you are 100% authentically you and you do things your way with your personality!

It doesn't matter how much, or how little, experience you have or if you come from a dance background or not. You can bring your own unique personality to your class. Some people will like your class, some people will prefer someone else's. It doesn't matter! You do you and your tribe will find you!

3. Not knowing your playlist or changing it at the last minute

I've done this many times. Mainly when the weeks roll round so quickly and I remember I'd promised a new routine to my class the week before. I quickly change my playlist and even though I think I know the song and routine well, it always ends up as not my best work!

When you know your playlist and your routines well, everything else is effortless! 

It's also not only about knowing your playlist but about liking it. I've added songs into my playlist because they've been requested by participants but because I didn't like the song, it didn't work for me and it showed.

Know your playlist, love your playlist & enjoy the class!

4. Making it all about YOU!

I'm all for really enjoying the class I'm teaching and performing it like I mean it so participants can feed off that energy but I'm also always checking in and keeping an eye on my participants and acting accordingly.

Sometimes we can get carried away with the music. I've taught classes that required less energy and impact and I've taught classes where a 'big show' is loved and needed. 

As dance fitness instructors, having a balance of the two is required. We are there to guide our participants, to help them feel great and enjoy the class but also to inspire them too.

Take time to look around the class and see if you need to bring it down or ramp it up. Verbally check in with your participants between each track!

5. Thinking it needs to be more complicated or harder

When it comes to dance fitness routines simple is always better! You don't need to make complicated routines or add loads of jumps and high impact moves to make it 'effective'. If you're finding it difficult then your participants definitely will too!

A great dance fitness class is when your class participants feel like winners! They leave feeling like they could go dance on a stage in front of millions because they nailed all the routines, they could put loads of energy into them and they feel like a success!

This only comes when the routines are easy to follow!

Let me know in the comments if you've made any of these mistakes or if you have any more of your own!