Email

Over the summer, I've been teaching a beginner lyric class. These girls are about 10. One of the students is new to the school & hasn't danced in a couple of years. The director of the school just forwarded me an email from the new girls mom. (Names have been changed)

Dear Director,

I'm not sure if Mary should continue the Lyric Class because at Thursday's class she injured her neck slightly from one of the fast moves the teacher (Me) taught that requires a fast circular motion of the head. -- (We were just standing in 2nd, doing a 1/2 head circle)

Her neck hurt quite a bit that night and so much the next day that I ended up taking her to a chiropractor who diagnosed a muscle spasm which was affecting one of the vertabrae in the neck. -- Oh, brother

Thankfully, it seems to have resolved after that treatment. I'm not used to Mary having injuries from dance class - she was in a ballet school for 6 years with not a single injury...... (the girl is 9 maybe 10. She hasn't danced in 2 years. What could they possibly do in creative movement where she might get injured.)

I know she has been away from dance for two years and that may have something to do with it, but I was not aware that the Lyric Class involved quite a few fast and somewhat "jerky" movements. She also finds the stretching exercises involving trying to do a "split" straining - to the point where she thought she might "pull" one of those groin muscles, too...(She is not very flexible right now.) --- hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Stretching isn't supposed to be straining?

I don't know what to do - I don't want to worry about her getting injured anymore. She does like the class, but maybe it's just not right for her. I don't know how you ( & the teacher) can safeguard her against getting injured, and I don't need that worry.


Oh boy! That's all I have to say.

Summer Classes

Tuesday was my first class since the recital. I'm only teaching one summer class & it's a beginner lyric class. God, am I sore though. It's been about a month since I last danced, you might think it'd been a year.

The kids were great though. There's six girls in the class, but only five were there. One of them is new to the school and the other four were students of Miss C (teacher of the younger ones). I would say they're around age 10 (give or take... mostly take). They were all well behaved, eager to learn and willing to try anything. I love that. It's so nice to have students that want to learn rather than ones that want to complain.

Their next class is tonight. I hope it's more of the same.