Presence Matters: Line Dance Instructors' Development

My "Glove Analogy" - read the full blog below!

🧤 The Glove Analogy: Understanding Tags and Restarts 🧤

"I often tell my students to think of a line dance like putting your hand into a glove.

When each of your five fingers slides neatly into its own finger of the glove, everything feels natural, comfortable and just right. That’s what choreographers are aiming for when they create a dance that fits the music perfectly."

Read the full blog here: https://gerardmurphy.weebly.com/blog/the-glove-analogy-understanding-tags-and-restarts

Confidence isn’t about filling every moment with word. It’s about being comfortable enough to let silence do some of the teaching. 💙✨

Speak more slowly than you think you should.
Fast speech often signals nervousness.
Calm, deliberate speech signals confidence!

Have you ever had a dancer interrupt you or heckle you while you’re teaching?

Did you respond? Or did you react?
There’s a powerful difference!

I’m designing a NEW instructor workshop to help you learn my #1 TOP technique. It will help you manage these challenging behaviours during your class - with intention.

Coming to events I’ll be attending this fall.
Watch for more details!

Effective instruction doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from being intentional about how you show up in the learning space - while also focusing on your message!

My PAGE Framework uses a pneumonic as a memory cue to help you focus on your posture, authority, gestures and eye contact. Not in the context of dance, rather in the context of stage presence.

With purposeful attention to your body language you will experience a boost in engagement, confidence — and dancers’ retention! 💙✨

Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian friends! 🇨🇦❤️

As I think back to the “Made in Canada”session I hosted at Restart 2026 this past weekend, I’m struck by just how much incredible talent we have from coast to coast to coast!

Our Canadian choreographers, instructors, DJs, event directors, volunteers, and dancers continue to inspire and generously share their gifts with our community. It was a privilege to shine a light on a few of them this past weekend. 😊

Today, let’s celebrate everything that makes Canada special. And let’s continue to support, encourage and champion the amazing Canadian talent that surrounds us all year long.

Happy Canada Day! 🍁

Aaaah, shucks! I forgot to take a photo - however, huge gratitude to all the instructors who joined me for my instructors workshop at Restart 2026 this past weekend in Nova Scotia, Canada!

We talked about building connection with your students using your voice and body language! 

🎤 Presence Matters More Than Your May Think!
When I look at this photo, I don’t just see a person speaking. I see the result of 35 years of practice learning how to connect with an audience!

Whether you're speaking on a large stage or teaching a dance class of 10 people, your audience starts reading you long before you say your first word. Your stance, posture, movement, eye contact and facial expressions all send powerful messages about your confidence, credibility and energy.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that presence isn't about being the loudest person in the room.

It's about being intentional.

Stand tall. Plant your feet. Open your posture. Use purposeful movement. When your body language says, "I'm comfortable being here," your dancers become more comfortable listening.

After over three decades of speaking, facilitating and teaching, I'm still refining these skills. Presence is a practice, not a destination!

✨What aspect of body language or stage presence have you worked hardest to improve over the years?

✨What are you curious to learn more about?

One of the easiest ways to increase in your classes is to make sure every dancer feels seen.

Instead of focusing only on the people standing directly in front of you, turn your head and let your eyes sweep across the room like a lighthouse beam.

This intentional behaviour helps to boost engagement and inclusion. Your eye contact connects you! 💙

Strike a Pose! Before you step in front of your dancers, take two minutes to stand like you belong there.

Your posture doesn’t just influence how others see you, it can influence how you feel, helping you show up with greater confidence, energy, and when class begins. 💙 👇👇👇