I've written here before about the DVIDA teacher-training course I took in 2008. This past Saturday I did my first certification examination, with Teresa Shiry down at the Regency Ballroom.
Since finishing the course, I've been studying with one of my classmates, the lovely and talented Maria Torres. We got together about every ten days and practiced reciting the theory, performing the figures, and generally discussing how best to respond to various teaching questions. During our practices we worked out problems we were having with leading or following, and worked on making our theory answers concise and specific.
The exam was very much as described in the DVIDA "Getting Certified" manual and DVD. We had one theory question for each of the figures in each of the dances (seven figures in each of Rumba, Cha-cha, and East Coast Swing, and five figures in Bolero) included in the Junior Associate exam. Then we had nine teaching questions, and we each danced a combination of all the figures in each dance as both leader and follower. Teresa made the whole process very painless. It was great for me to be able to do the examination with Teresa, who has actually judged me in amateur competition before.
It's a relief to have crossed this first hurdle. There are eight more dances for me to be examined in before I receive my full Junior Associate certification, so I have plenty more studying to do. But having done the exam now, and received Teresa's feedback, I'm confident that my preparation method is working, and I'm looking forward to completing the process.
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