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. 

The Longest Rehearsal Ever

This past Saturday, the studio held a 3 part rehearsal. Part 1- Rama Lama from 12:30-1:30pm. This involves the Thursday advanced jazz class and the Wednesday jazz class (who are 1 level below the advanced class). Part 2- Opener from 1:30-3pm. This involves the top 3 levels of tap. It's the same dance every year with minor changes. Part 3- Finale from 3-5:30pm. This involves the top 4 tap classes as well as some jazz dancers.

Rama Lama- This is the first and last time I will combine these classes together to try and make a huge cool dance. The lack of effort is disgusting. Besides that, I accomplished what I needed to during that hour.

Opener- This was fine.

Finale- Coming into this rehearsal, this was the plan: my choreography partner was supposed to meet with the rest of the faculty to teach them the teacher section of the dance, while I gave all the students arm movements and transitions to do in the background. Then we'd clean, clean, clean & everything would be great. That's not what happened.

We ran the entire finale once. The director walked in at the very end, where it's the messiest and flipped out. 'Why aren't their spots written down?' Really? These are mostly high school students and you want me to waste time during the one rehearsal a month to write down where they stand at every point of this eight minute dance. You've got to be kidding me! Especially, when at every rehearsal one of the 50+ dancers drop out. Why do I sign up for this? This lady has lost her mind. She ended up wasting the rest of the rehearsal writing down spots and moving them based on height. Then she'd move them back because the color of their costume is different than the person next to them. Ughhh! Leave me alone and let me do my job! I've thought of this already & it just doesn't work. I hate you!