If Your Teacher Is Doing the Class… Then Who’s Teaching the Class?

It’s a question worth asking—especially if you’ve ever found yourself mimicking your teacher’s every move, trying to follow along while secretly wondering if you’re doing it right.

Let’s be clear: demonstration is a powerful teaching tool. It shows clarity of movement, inspires artistry, and often helps students understand the physicality of what’s being asked. Especially in disciplines like ballet or fitness, where technique and form matter deeply, seeing it done correctly can bridge gaps words simply can’t.

But here’s the catch…

If your teacher is constantly doing the class alongside you—sweating through every repetition, dancing every combination—who’s watching you?

Teaching vs. Performing: Why Observation Matters

A great teacher knows when to step back. Because while showing is helpful, seeing is essential.

• Are your hips aligned?
• Is your weight in the right place?
• Are you compensating in ways that could cause injury?
• Do you need a correction that could unlock a breakthrough?

These things can’t be spotted if your teacher is too busy performing.

Correcting, cueing, modifying, and keeping an eye on how your body responds—that’s the real magic of quality instruction. Especially in movement-based disciplines, your safety and long-term progress depend on it.

What Makes a Good Demonstration?

The best teachers demonstrate when:

• A movement is new or abstract and needs visual clarification
• The class needs inspiration or energy
• They’re offering a visual rhythm, dynamic, or artistic tone

But then? They step away.

They turn their attention to you. Because that’s when the real coaching begins.

Your Progress Deserves Presence

A teacher who observes you, corrects you, and tailors cues to your body is giving you what a mirror or video can’t: an expert eye, live feedback, and care.

So next time you’re in class, ask yourself:

• Are you being seen?
• Are you receiving corrections or just watching a show?
• Is your teacher prioritizing your progress—or just their own performance?

Your body deserves a teacher who does both: shows with clarity, and teaches with presence.

Because in the end, it’s not about how beautifully your teacher moves.

It’s about how beautifully you will.

Treat yourself to a 1:1 class — and give your training what it truly deserves: full focus, real corrections, and expert eyes just on you.