One of the very first things I say to a new class is that the word CAN'T is not allowed. If I ever catch a student saying they can't do something, I have them rephrase what they just said. They usually end up saying 'I'm having difficulty with this.' which is much better than 'I can't do this.'
I saw this quote today & would love to plaster it all over the studio wall.
Success comes in cans; failure in can'ts.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Some Great Ideas
Oh technology. So much has changed since I was a dance student. It makes me feel old. I found some really great advice though for current students & studio owners.
i tunes and Amazon both have affiliate programs for their music collections (you aren't going to retire on it, but every little bit helps and it's money coming in as opposed to fines going out). If you are using music that is basically "off the rack" - maybe a cut or fade at the beginning or end, create an affiliate account for Amazon and i tunes and then send the parents the link generated by your affiliate account. The parents can then go to the site and download the music.
Save even more time by setting up a recital page on your website that just lists the class and song and then embed the links to the music right. Save time and space with costume picture displays by putting the picture of the costume online next to the link of the music.
~~ From ABC for Dance
i tunes and Amazon both have affiliate programs for their music collections (you aren't going to retire on it, but every little bit helps and it's money coming in as opposed to fines going out). If you are using music that is basically "off the rack" - maybe a cut or fade at the beginning or end, create an affiliate account for Amazon and i tunes and then send the parents the link generated by your affiliate account. The parents can then go to the site and download the music.
Save even more time by setting up a recital page on your website that just lists the class and song and then embed the links to the music right. Save time and space with costume picture displays by putting the picture of the costume online next to the link of the music.
~~ From ABC for Dance
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Big Mouth
Once in a while, a student will make a comment to the entire class about the dance being too easy or some other form of complaint about the choreography. This REALLY bugs me, mostly because I've never witnessed the rare circumstance where the dance is too easy for the complainee. They can't even do what was given to them, never mind me making it harder. Do they really want to look like complete fools on stage? Don't they know I'm trying to save them from utter embarassment? Obviously not.
I'd really like to say 'Shut the bleep up. You suck. And if you really want me to point out every mistake you make, you'll go home crying every week.' Unfortunately, I teach children and I can't say those things. I have to sugar coat everything. So usually, my response is more like this. 'Why don't you work on perfecting the choreography I gave you first. Then, if I find it's too easy for you, I'll consider making it more challenging.' This never happens. Like I said, they suck. Before the class is over, I make sure to point out a few mistakes that the complainee made before sending them on their way.
Yesterday's circumstance was a little different. Let me first explain the situation. 3 of the most advanced tap classes (plus the girls in their class that take jazz & not tap) get together for the recital finale. Each class does their own dance for about a minute & a half. Then they all dance together for the last 2 minutes. One Saturday per month from February to June, they all get together to learn the 2 minutes of choreography, plus the transitions from one dance to the next.
This year, we have a new class of tappers joining the finale. They are young and inexperienced. When it came time for the part where they all dance together, the director and I made the choreography fairly simple, with lots of arms.
Yesterday, in walks big mouth. She is the youngest in the most advanced class. In my opinion, she shouldn't be in this class as well as, about 5 others. That decision was the director's and I've had to deal with it all year.
Big Mouth pulls the too easy card & shouts it to the class. I wanted to laugh in her face, but I didn't. I gave her my usual response. Clearly, this embarassed her and she approached me at the end of class trying to defend herself. She was just digging herself deeper. I told her this time that it was very disrespectful to the teacher with the way she voiced her concerns. She didn't like that either and sulked for the rest of the day.
I'd really like to say 'Shut the bleep up. You suck. And if you really want me to point out every mistake you make, you'll go home crying every week.' Unfortunately, I teach children and I can't say those things. I have to sugar coat everything. So usually, my response is more like this. 'Why don't you work on perfecting the choreography I gave you first. Then, if I find it's too easy for you, I'll consider making it more challenging.' This never happens. Like I said, they suck. Before the class is over, I make sure to point out a few mistakes that the complainee made before sending them on their way.
Yesterday's circumstance was a little different. Let me first explain the situation. 3 of the most advanced tap classes (plus the girls in their class that take jazz & not tap) get together for the recital finale. Each class does their own dance for about a minute & a half. Then they all dance together for the last 2 minutes. One Saturday per month from February to June, they all get together to learn the 2 minutes of choreography, plus the transitions from one dance to the next.
This year, we have a new class of tappers joining the finale. They are young and inexperienced. When it came time for the part where they all dance together, the director and I made the choreography fairly simple, with lots of arms.
Yesterday, in walks big mouth. She is the youngest in the most advanced class. In my opinion, she shouldn't be in this class as well as, about 5 others. That decision was the director's and I've had to deal with it all year.
Big Mouth pulls the too easy card & shouts it to the class. I wanted to laugh in her face, but I didn't. I gave her my usual response. Clearly, this embarassed her and she approached me at the end of class trying to defend herself. She was just digging herself deeper. I told her this time that it was very disrespectful to the teacher with the way she voiced her concerns. She didn't like that either and sulked for the rest of the day.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Not the Only One
I knew I wasn't the only one with funny students. I was reading a dance magazine today and ran across a little blurb from a dance teacher in Massachusetts.
Not that kind of dance teacherOne day I was shopping at a local mall, when one of my 5-year-old students spotted me. She was with her mother, who was pushing a baby in a stroller. She yanked on her mother’s coat, saying, “Mom! Mom!” but her mother was in a hurry and didn’t respond. When the child pulled again on her coat, the mother stopped abruptly and said, “What?” The child responded, “There is Miss Jo-Anne with her clothes on!” I immediately ran into the nearest store.
Jo-Anne Galavotti
Jo-Anne’s School of Dance
Palmer, MA
If I taught little ones, imagine the stories I'd have.
Not that kind of dance teacherOne day I was shopping at a local mall, when one of my 5-year-old students spotted me. She was with her mother, who was pushing a baby in a stroller. She yanked on her mother’s coat, saying, “Mom! Mom!” but her mother was in a hurry and didn’t respond. When the child pulled again on her coat, the mother stopped abruptly and said, “What?” The child responded, “There is Miss Jo-Anne with her clothes on!” I immediately ran into the nearest store.
Jo-Anne Galavotti
Jo-Anne’s School of Dance
Palmer, MA
If I taught little ones, imagine the stories I'd have.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Lip Piercing
I have a student who's a little firecracker. She moved here last year from Wisconsin. This little girl loves dance and has such a refreshing attitude about practice and classroom etiquette. She's in 6th grade. If you weren't looking at her, you'd think you were talking to an adult.
When it's time to change shoes, she likes to go out in the hall, grab her shoes, sit down next to me and talk about what's going on in her life while she puts on her shoes. Last week, she told me that a girl in her school came to class with a double lip piercing. Fish hook was showing it off to her friends and my student informs her that she'll never be able to get a respectable job with that thing in her mouth.
Hahaha! YAY for my student for having common sense and standing up to this girl!
Next question: Who in their right mind allows their 11 year old daughter get their lip pierced?? And not a tiny little stud, a DOUBLE lip loop!
When it's time to change shoes, she likes to go out in the hall, grab her shoes, sit down next to me and talk about what's going on in her life while she puts on her shoes. Last week, she told me that a girl in her school came to class with a double lip piercing. Fish hook was showing it off to her friends and my student informs her that she'll never be able to get a respectable job with that thing in her mouth.
Hahaha! YAY for my student for having common sense and standing up to this girl!
Next question: Who in their right mind allows their 11 year old daughter get their lip pierced?? And not a tiny little stud, a DOUBLE lip loop!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Update on Student
That student of mine who was diagnosed with severe depression quit a couple of weeks ago. The director told me that the student made the dance team at school. Dance team is free. Money is tight for her family, so she would be doing that instead. Selfishly, I was a little upset that I couldn't keep an eye on this kid. But, I thought, she's still dancing & it's free.. it's a win/win situation for her & her family.
Yesterday, I got an email from the student. It said, 'You must hate me because I quit. I'm really sorry. I miss you already. I've had some issues this year & this is a change I needed to make for me'.
I wrote back 'No, I don't hate you. I understand that you wanted to try something new. Good for you. It looks like you're being proactive in sorting out whatever it is that's wrong. Hope to see you soon. Keep in touch.'
When she responds again, she opens up a bit about her depression, tells me more about the dance team, etc. She thanked me for being a great teacher & begged me again not to be mad at her. Oh boy. I wrote her back & filled the email with lots of compliments, a personal story from high school and forsight into her future. I told her to contact me anytime if she needs to talk/vent. I hope I didn't open a can of worms here.
Yesterday, I got an email from the student. It said, 'You must hate me because I quit. I'm really sorry. I miss you already. I've had some issues this year & this is a change I needed to make for me'.
I wrote back 'No, I don't hate you. I understand that you wanted to try something new. Good for you. It looks like you're being proactive in sorting out whatever it is that's wrong. Hope to see you soon. Keep in touch.'
When she responds again, she opens up a bit about her depression, tells me more about the dance team, etc. She thanked me for being a great teacher & begged me again not to be mad at her. Oh boy. I wrote her back & filled the email with lots of compliments, a personal story from high school and forsight into her future. I told her to contact me anytime if she needs to talk/vent. I hope I didn't open a can of worms here.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Life outside the classroom
I've been really bad at updating this blog lately. Shame on me! But the reality of it is that there hasn't been too much to blog about. Nothing I'd want to read about anyway.
What's on my mind is what happens to my students outside of my classroom. I'm sure for many of them, life is just peachy keen. Oh to be a kid again! But for some, life's kind of shitty. To be fair, I don't know what goes on at home. Sometimes though, I get a little snippet of their life & really feel for these kids.
I recently became aware of a student of mine who's severely depressed. So much so, that she's already tried to hurt herself. I had no clue. In class, her behavior has been the same. She's always been polite, funny & talkative and still is. She's a good kid.
A few years ago, another student's mom died of cancer. She had been battling her disease for over a year & eventually lost. That entire time, I had no idea her mom was sick. The girl never let on that anything was out of the ordinary. After her death, the girl took on the role of mother for her younger siblings. What a huge responsibility for a teenager.
Everytime I hear of a situation like this, it makes me wonder what else is going on that I don't know about? Is there anything I can do besides allowing them to let dance class be their outlet?
I'm glad the student who's depressed is now getting the help she needs. The other student (who's mom died) is in college now & is a lovely young lady. It's heartbreaking to come across these situations, but from my experience they come out stronger.
What's on my mind is what happens to my students outside of my classroom. I'm sure for many of them, life is just peachy keen. Oh to be a kid again! But for some, life's kind of shitty. To be fair, I don't know what goes on at home. Sometimes though, I get a little snippet of their life & really feel for these kids.
I recently became aware of a student of mine who's severely depressed. So much so, that she's already tried to hurt herself. I had no clue. In class, her behavior has been the same. She's always been polite, funny & talkative and still is. She's a good kid.
A few years ago, another student's mom died of cancer. She had been battling her disease for over a year & eventually lost. That entire time, I had no idea her mom was sick. The girl never let on that anything was out of the ordinary. After her death, the girl took on the role of mother for her younger siblings. What a huge responsibility for a teenager.
Everytime I hear of a situation like this, it makes me wonder what else is going on that I don't know about? Is there anything I can do besides allowing them to let dance class be their outlet?
I'm glad the student who's depressed is now getting the help she needs. The other student (who's mom died) is in college now & is a lovely young lady. It's heartbreaking to come across these situations, but from my experience they come out stronger.
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