Make suggestions to you pro about Choreography

[elisedance]

If you don't like the choreo, how are you going to dance it well?

[dlgodud]

Correct. So we need to negotiate with our teachers I think. I don't think one person's opinion is correct on every occasion.

[tendancegirl]

 I would have to say it depends on several things. First, on the level of the students making the suggestions. Second,How secure is the pro about accepting them? Third, What backgrounds do both individuals bring to the table? Though I have never taught,I have done a number of open showcases where it has given me a chance to grow as a dancer. If the student is new,they may need to sit back & see what the pro is offering up before making any suggestions. In Europe & other places,a pro would be terribly insulted if a student made ANY kind of suggestion. Especially true if you have a teacher of teachers. In the US, it is a little more open, but again depends on the level of the student or teacher. Some teachers are just moments ahead of their students, or so I have been told by my very experienced dance coach. With him, I don't make suggestions b/c of his credentials. (He has taken ppl to World Championships,I have not)
 In the case of my competitive pro, he is younger & completely open to different suggestions & we openly debate them. My only issue is when his (inexperienced) partner gets involved in my choreography or wardrobe choices, then it is an issue. She has only been a pro for 2 years & he has much more experience. If she thinks my costume is "too revealing", then I am not happy b/c we are built differently. He worries about "wardrobe malfunctions" where I know what flash tape is & how to use it. I am not busty (she is),so that will never be a problem. If I showed too much shoulder she would say it is revealing  .. anyway, in terms of choreography, seems that if his pro partner can't do it, then I can't. Really?? Again we are built differently with different levels of flexibility. That should not be an issue. Making suggestions to my competitive pro about choreography is not really a problem, having a third party who was not invited (by me) is.   

[elisedance]

Thanks for bringing this up again.  I have always discussed everything with my pro, whether in pro-am or am - but perhaps none of them were quite as accomplished and also experienced as the individual you are referring to.  Still, I think the dialogue should be open because we surely have some rights to personalize our dancing. 

OTOH with my very new coach I don't really care at all what he is dancing, most of the time I don't even know - its not my business.  Mine is to respond, which is none of his!!

[Dora-Satya Veda]

In Europe & other places,a pro would be terribly insulted if a student made ANY kind of suggestion. Especially true if you have a teacher of teachers. In the US, it is a little more open, but again depends on the level of the student or teacher.

Welcome tendancegirl!

Sorry,  I have to disagree with your post…

My sister and I were both trained in England.  I must say that I never heard of any teacher in England being upset about a student giving input about the choreography.  I would guess it is more teachers that either have a fragile ego or are not educated enough to hear an input and work something out from the input.   My teacher would always give us some options and tell us that anything and everything could be changed if we didn’t like it.  He told us to just let him know and he would come up with something else. He also encouraged us to come up with our own stuff and then he would look at it and see if it would work for either a show or in a competition setting.

DSV

[QPO]

Well on my limited experience with different coaches mine have always valued our input, but I am sure there are some coaches out there that don't like to have feedback from students.

[tendancegirl]

 Hi DSV,
  So glad you gave me some insight on that. I have had one pro-who trained in England and he felt the girls "knew nothing" & was extremely resistant to any suggestions on the most minute of Choreography changes.Though I have danced for years, I have not done ballroom for years. At the time,I grinned & bore it until I could move up levels. I have had some experience in show dances & choreography,so saw nothing wrong in making suggestions.After three years he is now my ex-pro partner as of three months ago. He called the other day for me to compete with him in spite of the fact that I had accepted other dancing opportunities and told him so. (apparently his new pro partner wasn't working out for him)  I cannot bring myself to work with him ever again.. there are reasons other than that,don't really need to elaborate.   
  Working with the current pro now,he is aware I want to go pro in the future and (was my former pro) actually encourages me to make suggestions & input to the choreography.What a breath of fresh air! Learning new choreography is great as long as both parties are enjoying the creative process. Especially since I am getting ready for Open level and we have all 10 dances to prepare. We have 3 done so far & can tweak two more of them by adding some elements since I like the basic routines.  I am more of a hard-core Latin girl & he is a Standard guy so we defer to each other's strengths in the process.. My only issue is like QPO, don't want my routine to be the same as his pro partner since she & I do different styles. I find Latin really goes back to the elements even in Open routines & they do Rhythm dancing together.Nothing wrong, just different styles. If I do choreography with bent legs like Rhythm, I won't get callbacks since Latin calls for more of a straight leg. Sooo, got to watchdog that with him. Fortunately, he is a fast learner and a joy to work with.  I have to ask for something unique & different so we get callbacks.. this is significant for both of us since I am his only 10-dance & Open girl. He has wanted work with me for over a year, but I had been working with the other pro at the time. We are hoping by competing on this level that I find a prospective pro guy who wants to do pro-pro competition with me at some point in the future.  Keeping finger crossed...

[Rugby]

Good luck. 

Nice to have another ten dancer around. 

[elisedance]

Good luck. 

Nice to have another ten dancer around. 

Hey, I'ma ten dancer - its just that 5 are at championship and the other 5 at bronze

[Dora-Satya Veda]

Good luck tendancegirl

DSV