A
amanda12485
Guest
How did you get started instructing? I really want to become an instructor and am not sure where to start.
Cathe Friedrich
Administrator
Hi Amanda! I started teaching before there were formal certifications established. I taught at Elaine Powers Figure Salon at 16 going on 17. Then around 1986-ish I believe AFAA and ACE established fitness certifications. In any case, if you want to start teaching you will need to obtain a basic primary group fitness association from a credible certifying organization like the two mentioned above. Here is a helpful link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8524_earn-group-fitness.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_8524_earn-group-fitness.html
A
amanda12485
Guest
Where did you learn (or come up with) choreography? Or if anyone else is an instructor with info that would be great too.
Cathe Friedrich
Administrator
This will be reviewed in your primary certification a little bit but you will need to attend fitness workshops and conventions along with watching other DVD's such as my own to get your ideas to inspire your own creative style.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Hi Amanda!
I'm not an instructor but I had heard of a site called turnstep.com and you can find out about different fitness events there as well as choreography for classes.
Marcy
Aquajock
Cathlete
I used to be a group fitness instructor (aqua aerobics), and I second the recommendation on the Turnstep.com site. It has all kinds of choreography for all kinds of formats, as well as several bulletin-board-style forums for all things fitness.
Regarding choreography - a lot of times instructors learn from others AND cook up their own moves and sets. It's quite a labor of love, and a great exercise (pardon the pun) of the imagination. You'll find, as you get certified and go to workshops and teach your classes, you'll come up with your own ideas. In fact, a seasoned instructor's main dilemma (I'm sure Cathe is nodding here if she's reading this) is what to leave out, not not having enough to put into a routine; I'll bet Cathe's cache of moves and movement combinations fills up a garage!
A-Jock