I've been working this week with a new instructional dance DVD, which I'll write more about once I've made my way to the end. I do want to take the opportunity, however, to air a minor pet peeve about some of these DVDs that I've found.
When you're in dance class, the norm is that you're standing behind the instructor and looking into a mirror. This means that you can see the instructor from both the front and back, as well as yourself from the front. (Assuming you're not in a workshop with 50 other students, in which case you can't see much of anything.) What this means is, when the instructor, say, steps to the right, you see her moving to the right in the mirror (and yourself moving right as well.)
Watching a DVD, however, often means the instructor is facing you. And when she says, "Step to the right" and moves to her right, she's also moving to your left. And, being accustomed to following movements in a mirror, it can get a little confusing.
Some instructors compensate by having themselves filmed standing in front of a mirror, providing the same effect as you would get in a class - seeing her from the back as well as her mirror image facing front, so when she moves to her right, it is also your right. A few instructors will provide their own mirror effect by moving to their left (and thus, your right) while saying, "Step to the right." Many, however, don't bother with such helpful touches (except perhaps to perform the move from several angles to give you a better look).
Now, I don't know if others are particularly bothered by this; maybe I'm just more directionally challenged than most. Like I said, it's a minor pet peeve, and I can do my own compensating when necessary. If an instructor on a DVD says "Lift your right hip" and I see the hip on the left side of my TV screen lift, then I'll just lift my left hip so I'm mirroring. Moves are generally repeated on each side, so it really doesn't matter, as long as I learn the basic mechanics of the move. I just have to make sure I don't get so accustomed to this that I forget which side is my right and which is my left ...
