Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

Today is one of those days where the phrase, “no one is ever satisfied,” rings incredibly true. I belong to a couple groups on various social media platforms that are comprised of other teachers and professionals. Over the recent few weeks, I have seen more and more of them openly bashing judges and what they are saying and or not saying on their scoresheets and critiques. To that I say, stop paying people to judge you if you aren’t ready to be judged. As someone who is both a teacher and a judge, I am very offended by these comments and posts that I see. I understand that dance is dance and it should be fun and carefree, but don’t present yourself as a ‘classically trained’ dancer or studio, then get upset when people are giving corrections.

Growing up, we were truly thankful for the corrections given. I would be worried when I wasn’t getting critiques, corrections, or feedback. Even to this day, I am constantly wanting feedback and critique. To be honest, I think I want it more now than ever because I don’t get to take classes on a regular basis. I look at it as a fresh set of eyes that may say something I have never seen because I see these dancers and pieces of choreography every day. I look to my colleagues who are judging my pieces for not only feedback on my dancers, but on my choreography as well. I like the objectivity in the critiques we receive at the end of the weekend.

No judge is ever coming from a malicious place. No one is ever being mean. Most of the time, we don’t even know what studio you are from because we work with studio codes to keep it fair. We start to see trend of training and style, but we never know exactly who is from what studio. So no…competitions are not rigged. They are judged SOLELY based on what you presented in that three minute piece or over the entire weekend. If you don’t like the scores or rankings you received, it is time to take a good, long, hard look at what is happening in class. Sometimes, it is based off of how a student or group of students rehearse. Other times, it’s because the teachers don’t have a finely tuned eye and are not correcting what turns into costly mistakes.

Again, people say it’s about more than just technique and dancers should feel more and think less, etc. But those same people who preach that are up in arms when these ‘dancers’ are poorly representing us in these clothing and fitness ads. It’s those same people who most likely aren’t pleased with the scores they received and take it to social media and just complain and moan about what they didn’t receive. People have complained that judges talk to much. People company that judges don’t talk enough. I understand not talking can be a bit disheartening, and I am guilty of it as well. We have a lot more going on at that table than you think. We are multitasking for hours. Days, even.

I personally give a little more critique to those dancers that are so close to great things. So yes, I will harp on you falling out of that triple. Yes, I will tell you that I think your arabesque could be higher or more behind you. Yes, I will tell you to strengthen and stretch your feet. I will also quickly tell you how to achieve these new goals. I will tell you these things because in the 2 minute and 37 second solo, I saw the amount of potential you have. In that 2 minute and 55 second group piece, I felt your passion. Over the course of the weekend, I saw that you and your fellow dancers love dance just as much as I do.

My job as a judge is to help facilitate growth. To give feedback. And yes…to JUDGE. Do I think we should move to a compulsory rubric of what is required at what age and level? No, I don’t. That takes the artistry out of what we do. We are not cheerleaders. We are not gymnasts. Their artistry is completely different. We are dancers. We are choreographers. I rarely give perfect scores. I can count on one hand, without using all five fingers, that I have ever given a perfect score to a dance or dancer.

I always tell my dancers, different day, different judges could make a completely different outcome. I constantly remind them that it is all based on someone’s opinion. I am also telling them that they need to dance for themselves first, their teachers second and judges third. If I say you did a great job, guess what…? You did a great job. If you are just out to win trophies, go for it. If you are okay with mediocrity and filling your kids with millions of little white lies that they did great, that’s on you. But remember, you are cultivating these young adults who will eventually go on into the real world. If tell a kid she has the most beautiful arabesque you’ve ever seen and she goes out on an audition and is told that her leg is not straight, nor is it behind her and she isn’t using her proper turnout, that’s your fault. And remember that us judges tried to tell you that one day.

XO,

#DanceTchrProbs

An Open Letter to New Teachers…

Hello young teachers,

First off, I would like to thank you for your passion that you feel necessary to share with our community. It’s always nice to see a new wave of choreographic voices and teaching styles come out. I’m probably not much older than you, but I have learned and witnessed a lot in my entire dance career both as a student, a teacher, a choreographer and a studio consultant. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, but first some advice.

This industry is very hard to get into much less sustain a career in it. Find your own style quickly and stick to it. If you’re teaching what is trendy and popular now, you’ll be gone by next season. Stay creative. In order to find who you are as a teacher and choreographer, you must find what makes you, you.

I understand you are trying to get your name out there, but be sure not to spread yourself too thin. If you say you’re going to work with someone, make sure you do it. Don’t go back on your word. People will remember that forever.

Make the training of your students a priority, no matter how many you have. By becoming a teacher, it’s no longer about you. You become a mentor and role model. They show up to your class prepared and ready to work and you should as well. I’m not one to have lesson plans, but I come in to every class with a clear goal in mind. Don’t fiddle on your phone, be on time and be respectful. You can learn from your dancers just as they can learn from you. If they see you aren’t invested in them, they won’t invest in you.

Only teach classes that you know you are completely capable of teaching. If you don’t have the technical capacity to teach advanced level classes, be honest and don’t teach them. You are ultimately doing a disservice to the students, the parents, the organization owners and those other teachers who have more experience and training under their belts.

Remember that while we all love to just dance and be carefree, there is a strict and proper technique on how to do things. Use technique and terminology as a teaching tool. It’ll make your students more aware of how the things we work on at the barre, translate in to choreography. It also prevents injury for both yourself and the dancers in class.

Your image goes further than just what you do in class. Students, studio owners and company directors have ready access to what appears to be your life on social media these days. Be careful what you post. If you can’t monitor your posts, make your accounts private.

Last but not least, remain a student. After years of teaching and dancing, I am constantly educating myself. Whether it be in taking classes when I can or self-educating by reading my ballet dictionary, brushing up on the basics at the barre, or learning about a person or genre that I know very little about. The more you know, the better teacher you can be.

Remember to learn from those around you. Come in to the industry with respect and you’ll gain it. There’s a place for everyone in the industry to some capacity. You just have to find yours.

XO,
#DanceTchrProbs

I’m a Dance Teacher…and So Much More.

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I decided that this is an appropriate time to let the world know exactly how much us dance teachers really take on. I am sure a huge majority of the public thinks we are all just of bunch of Abby’s shouting from our seat on a stack of mats. While the other portion thinks we are the ballet teacher from the movie, Little Rascals, sweet and seemingly spineless. There is a very small part of the world that knows just how much we work. Most of them are our husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. They see us writing this blog at 3 am, which is really happening. They see us constantly editing music. They realize the frustration of choreographer’s block or sitting in a dark auditorium on our anniversary, where they sit with me through countless hours of competition, just to be together. Many people think that the mainstream perception is reality. I am attributing that to the fact that dance educators are not in this for the glory, the ‘easy’ schedule or because it’s easy. We are in it for the kids. To teach, to motivate, to mold and to inspire.

I am a dance teacher. I am a choreographer. But above and beyond that, I am an educator and a mentor. Laterally, and equally important, I am a friend. It is my responsibility to not only teach these kids about the pliés, tendus, and dégagés, but about the importance of commitment, teamwork, and accountability. My brain never turns off. If there is music on, I am choreographing or impov-ing to it, whether I really like the song or not. If I am out shopping, I see cute dresses and think, “What kind of piece could I create and use these as a costume?” I am forever answering emails. I am constantly thinking about the next show, competition or season, even though I am barely through the current one. I am incessantly searching for music because I crave inspiration for myself to inspire my dancers. I am working even when I am not in class. Always.

Aside from those components of near insanity, I am an artist. I am a costume designer. I am a conceptual thinker. I am a creator. A sculptor of human movement. I am a music editor. I am an explorer of inspiration and music and movement. I am a self-motivated entrepreneur and business owner. I see my current worth, my full potential and I know how to market myself as a product and a commodity. Even though I am an educator, I am always and forever will be a student. I realize that the main component to growth is exposure and education. My teachers passed on these and so many important things through dance. It is now my duty to pass these invaluable life lessons on to you.

Me upholding dress code goes so much further than ‘being mean.’ It instills the necessity of preparation for the day of classes and ultimately life. Your boss won’t care when, one day, you show up unprepared for a presentation. Nor will your artistic director care when you show up to rehearsal without the appropriate items. Nor the choreographer running an audition if you look ready for a hip hop audition for a contemporary company. It may cost you a job.

Me asking you to ask questions goes much further than you understanding the combination or choreography at hand. It builds the confidence to know when you need help, take a step back and look at things objectively and subjectively. It allows you to communicate confusion or frustration, hopefully without getting too emotional or committed.

Me telling you that your pointe shoes must be able to be tied including a quick change in under two minutes goes further than just being the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. It teaches time management – forcing you to prioritize, look at the bigger picture, and ask when you need help.

Me drilling you on the importance of a technique, goes beyond me saying it over and over. It shows that with the proper training and the right coaching and mentoring, that anything is possible. And that one day with all of the hard work you have dedicated in class, that you will get to your full potential as a result.

Often times we find ourselves as dance teachers the only positive influence in a kid’s life. The only sense of consistency. And sadly, sometimes the only one who cares. But the reason we grow so close, is because deep down, you know that someone once told your teacher the same things they are telling you. Someone was such a strong influence on them, knew their potential and pushed them – often times to their personal limits. And the reason that person or people did that was because they knew, deep down, that that 9 year old, that 15 year old, or even that 24 year old dancer/student was capable of so much more than what they were giving.

We know how much you are capable of and expect nothing less than your full potential at all times. We hold you to a higher standard because we know that you are more than able to meet and surpass that standard. We are hard on you because we know that once you move on from the studio, the world will be so much harder than we ever were.

A great mentor of mine has always said that it is not about the steps and that it’s never about the steps, but what is found within those steps and the journey to achieve those steps that is what makes dance so powerful. We find ourselves in those breakdown moments in rehearsal. We find that those who might be hardest on us (ahem…me), love us the most. We realize that even though we can’t stand one of the girls we dance with, that we would ultimately do anything for them. We are a dance community. Even more, we are a dance family.

I educate my kids to not only be a technician and performer, but more so to be a highly effective adult in society, no matter which industry they end up in. Professional dance, choreography, and teaching is not for everyone. My job to you, is to help you realize your path, no matter which it may be.

So, when your teacher gets frustrated with you, or you think he or she hates you, realize that we don’t. We love you more than you may ever fully realize. We are most likely more proud of you than your own parents. And no matter what, we will always and forever have an incredibly strong and unbreakable bond that was formed within the four studio walls, at a ballet barre, with marley and sprung wood floors underneath us. Remember that nothing can change the love we have for you, the pride we feel in you and the highest hopes and dreams we dream for you. Always and forever.

XO,
#DanceTchrProbs

SO MUCH FUN! #WednesdayDanceDay #DanceTchrProbs