Clay from Portland, famous for organizing the single largest tango festival in the US, has some informative surveys on his site.

Survey #1 deals specifically with teaching to beginners, and the most improtant qualities (in order of importance) identified for beginners teachers are:

1. Understood mechanics of tango.
2. Good communication skills.
3. Encouraging.
4. Patience.
5. Good dancer.
6. Empathetic.
7. Methodical and organized.
8. Non-judgemental.
9. Flexible and creative in classroom.
10. Danced with you during the class.
11. Explained the “culture” of tango.
12. Funny and entertaining.
13. Knew your name.

Are there different qualities that are important for teachers working with intermediate or advanced dancers?  What other skills become relevant at higher levels?  Can an excellent teacher for beginners be a mediocre teacher for other levels?  If so, are there any teachers that are good for any and every level, and always have something to offer?

If there exists a teacher or teaching couple that always has something constructive to offer at every level for every type of learner, then I would venture forth that they are truly excellent.  Then again, do these types of teachers even exist …?

What makes dancing fun?  What makes dancing tango fun?

A good community will have, at least in part, good dancers taught by good teachers.

We start our excellence series by asking a very simple question: what makes a teacher excellent?  Put another way, what distinguishes excellent teachers from mediocre or even good teachers?  Here is a distillation of some early responses:

• Passion & enthusiasm
• Knowledge of tango music, Argentine culture, and Spanish
• Vast experience, careful preparation, and good communication
• Humility, sense of humor, and respect for your students

From my personal perspective (disclaimer: distinct from that of the company), good teachers know a lot about the music and the dance, have a wealth of experience, and an undying passion that they convey to their students.  But building on the last point, truly excellent teachers connect with and inspire their students by capturing their imagination.

So how to connect and inspire?  That’s for your comments and maybe the subject of another Excellence Series post …

What do you think?  What is missing from this list or if nothing’s missing, what’s the most important?  Think back to your favorite two or three teachers — what made them so incredible and so unique?  What qualities makes a teacher excellent?

Happy dancing,
-Henry