The caliber of teaching at Stockton is incredible. The Serbian teacher is Bata Marčetić. Watching his feet is mesmerizing! He is like an artist who uses his feet to make brush strokes. So precise and light! Each of the teachers is remarkable. They teach a 55-minute class twice daily. They each participate in an end-of-the-day review. Each teacher takes a turn presenting an hour-long cultural assembly - there is a different one each day. They participate in the after party. Each class is physically demanding to me -- all of the dances are mentally demanding, as well.
One thing that I noticed in both Bata's class and Jitka (pronounced Yit-ka) Bonušová’s class is that each of these teachers interjects discussion about style just as prominently as they do explaining footwork. Style is not an after thought - it is just as integral to the dance as the steps.
Jitka is the teacher from the Czech Republic - her partner injured himself a few weeks ago, but she came alone and is doing a fabulous job teaching couple dances. It is her third trip to the United States teaching dances of her country. Over dinner one evening, she told me that she also teaches contra dancing at home. She said it is very popular. (So is country line dancing, but she doesn't like that style of dancing.) In a session of "Dances of all Ages", Jitka shared some beginning level dances that she teaches to children. They were so cute. Jitka is anxious that her English is not fluent, but when she is teaching there is NO misunderstanding about what it is she is instructing us to do. I've learned about having a strong presence from watching her teach.
One thing that I noticed in both Bata's class and Jitka (pronounced Yit-ka) Bonušová’s class is that each of these teachers interjects discussion about style just as prominently as they do explaining footwork. Style is not an after thought - it is just as integral to the dance as the steps.
Jitka is the teacher from the Czech Republic - her partner injured himself a few weeks ago, but she came alone and is doing a fabulous job teaching couple dances. It is her third trip to the United States teaching dances of her country. Over dinner one evening, she told me that she also teaches contra dancing at home. She said it is very popular. (So is country line dancing, but she doesn't like that style of dancing.) In a session of "Dances of all Ages", Jitka shared some beginning level dances that she teaches to children. They were so cute. Jitka is anxious that her English is not fluent, but when she is teaching there is NO misunderstanding about what it is she is instructing us to do. I've learned about having a strong presence from watching her teach.
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