On-line Video Fact and Fiction
So many dancers have views regarding on-line videos that are available on the internet. With so many discussing this new form of class, I feel it is essential to discuss this topic head on since my husband and I are pioneering video broadcast solutions.
For most dancers who are teachers there are two views that take precedent over this issue. One is excitement over the fact that there is another way to teach. The other is how abhorrent they are to the very idea. As a teacher myself I can understand both viewpoints but what I want to do with this article is to give those who don’t understand the benefits of on-line videos a different perspective.
First of all remember that with any new idea there will always be pro and con opinions. Knowing this the first thing that we did was to send out a survey that asked dancers a lot of questions regarding what they were getting out of class and what some of the problems were that they were experiencing in class. We than asked what they wanted more of in the classroom. Both of us were amazed at the information that came in from dancers here and abroad. The one thing that all the women who wrote in had in common was their passion about belly dance and how excited they were to voice their opinions in the survey.
We than sent out another survey asking what they would like to see in an on-line video. Because of the information that we received I was able to look at my curriculum and format it to fit the camera better.
Addressing a specific problem on video as we all know is different so you have to work out the solution to the problem in a way dancers and students can understand.
Information is a key element in creating any dance video for students/ dancers, so the idea that videos are created without knowledge is fiction.
I know what many of you are thinking, that nothing can beat a live class with a dance teacher there to help you. I totally agree with you but let’s focus on the emails I received from dancers who had no teacher in their area or lived too far away from anyone who taught or they worked late and were busy raising their families. It was so apparent in the emails I received that these women wanted to learn belly dance but because of the reasons I mentioned they found they couldn’t. The on-line classes than became the solution to their various problems with their schedules, locations and families.
I also received emails from dancers who wanted to learn from other teachers but they wanted to do it in the privacy of their own home.
Others wanted to have classes created for them outside of their studios adding to what they were already learning. This all brings to mind the conversations regarding a very specific question, “How do you know the student is dancing correctly and how can you teach them without seeing their posture?” It is called feedback and it is the one thing that keeps the communication going between student and teacher. They get phone calls from me and emails. Any problem the student may have is addressed in the beginning and I have questions that I ask so that I can get a better idea of what they want. The video I make for them is created in my mind as if they were right there in the same room with me.
The idea that there is no feedback between the student and teacher is fiction.
Many people have commented that the economy is in such a state that maybe on-line classes are more in the range of dancers pocket books.
This is definitely one reason why on-line videos may be the new way to teach but there is also many other reasons. First of all dancers can get their curriculum out to the masses before they travel and teach their workshops. If people don’t know you, how will they find you? There are so many good teachers in our community and abroad who are not as well known as they should be. This is also a good way for dancers to see teachers they might have never known about otherwise.
Another advantage to on-line videos is that they are a less expensive way to get your curriculum, choreography out to dancers without having to fork out a lot of money to produce a dance video. Marketing your videos after you have spent a small fortune can hike up your investment to the point you may not make back your money. Believe me, I learned this the hard way myself. Once I put up my instructional video on-line I started to see a return on my money…..thank God!
The idea that on-line videos save money and are economical for the viewer/student is fact.
The format is very important in presenting your product so that the viewer can see the class from every angle along with the lighting, sound and curriculum. Most people who think about putting classes up on the internet might think that all they have to do is get a video camera and shoot a class. It really does take a lot more thought than that and you have to understand your own ability to teach first before you can than go and resolve problems or teach a class requested by a student. Once you start teaching on-line, you than need to have a type of tech support that doesn’t get in the way of your teaching. There are problems that can come up with the videos and you have to act fast to take care of whatever comes up. You have to guarantee your product and back it up, period. Adding to this is learning how to market your on-line classes. This means getting your newsletter/ blog out to your students and keeping up a rapport with them. Before you decide to teach on-line classes I would suggest you figure out first what exactly it is you want to achieve than go in that direction.
The idea that you can get a video camera and start shooting and creating classes is fiction. If you want to help women dance you must first know how to dance.
The bottom line is that creating on-line classes isn’t always easy because you have to understand the technical side to what you are doing which includes editing your work and than making sure that you have a quality video all the way around. I work very hard at each class that I do for dancers and students. What I offer is what I wish I would have had in the early days when I was working cattle in old Mexico. I was in the middle of nowhere practicing in pastures, ranches or around my horses. If I would have had an on-line class believe me I would of went for it. With that being said I will say again that on-line classes do not take the place of a live teacher but when you have no other options, on-line classes can be a life saver. I had a dancer write me and tell me that she would get home from work, cook dinner and get the kids to bed. Than she would take time for herself at around 11:00pm at night and take my on-line classes.
She said it was her “alone” time and she couldn’t wait to start dancing. There are many ways for us to learn what ever it is we are passionate about and it is for women like this dancer that I do on- line classes.
The idea that on-line classes will never take the place of a live teacher in a studio is a fact.
For women like the one I mentioned the on-line classes helped her enjoy her solitude and for her and many other women on-line classes have their place adding to the widespread education of belly dance and its history.
On
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line classes were never meant to take the place of live classes, they are a needed option in todays world and with emails like the one I mentioned it’s obvious to me women need this ancient art form now more than ever.
Leyla Najma
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