Let's Talk Dance
Dear Readers:
I hope you are experiencing a wonderful start to the New Year. May your blessings be many in 2006! Due to the stress of life, I took a brief hiatus from my articles here to pull myself together. I frequently find pieces of myself scattered about the house and studio, but I believe I am reconstructed enough to move on. Thank you to all my readers and dance family who are so lovingly supporting me through this very difficult time. Here are two reader letters I wanted to share with you. Perhaps I just want a pat on the back. Either way, Let's Talk Dance is a "write-in" column and I love to hear from dancers, dance parents and teachers whenever you have comments or questions.
Dear Kathryn:
I have been an avid reader of your column for years. Until Dancer expanded I would open it to your column, read your column and then toss the paper in the recycling. I appreciate your honesty, integrity and good interesting writing. In your last column your personal pain was very evident. I've never written before but felt I should send some encouragement. An old HS biology teacher recently sent me the saying "It's a good thing the world sucks or we would all fall off." It made me laugh. I am a very positive person and would not normally say life is tough, blah, blah, blah, but change is. May you dance out a butterfly in the end.
Sincerely,
Gretchen from NY
Dear Gretchen:
Thank you for your sense of humor and your encouragement. More change has occurred since the writing of that article and I was finally able to embrace the fact that it was truly going to work out best. It is a topic in and of itself that dance studio ownership is a business situation directly affected by your personal life on all fronts. Now as I begin 2006, I do so with significant changes in my business plan and staffing arrangements. These changes were necessitated by the results of my husband's indiscretions, not my own choosing. I would have never imagined myself in this place, under these circumstances, facing these hurdles and heartaches in life. "Letting go" has taken on several different meanings for me, none of which have come easily.
Instead of operating in 6,000 sq ft with over 56 classes on the schedule, I operate in less than 3000 sq ft with 40 classes on the schedule, have returned to teaching full time (not a bad thing except for my children's needs), lost students due to schedule changes and had to let teachers go for the first time in 16 years.
"Letting go" of staff has been a particularly trying challenge. As you know, the environment of a studio is much like family and the comings and goings of students and staff are emotional. Under my new circumstances, it became necessary for the health of the business for me to relieve 3 teachers, 2 student teachers and several assistant teachers of their commitment to CDPA, which is a kind of "goodbye" I never wanted to say. In so doing, I had to choose to keep one teacher (and three adjunct) and therefore had to choose one full time teacher over the others. This is also a choice I never wanted to face, but in the end I had to choose the teacher who best fit the philosophy of the studio and had the broadest range of teaching skills to fulfill the needs at the school during this difficult time for me. I was quickly reminded that I could never function in "corporate America" because these types of
decisions and actions are
heart-wrenching and uncomfortable for me. No one told me at that when I turned 41 I would really have to grow up!
It is been a difficult transition for me and the challenges I have faced have been extremely disheartening. I am still looking for the butterfly, but I did catch a glimpse of a lonely caterpillar starting to build a cocoon.
Thanks for your encouragement!
Kathryn
Kathryn,
Holiday performances prevented my reading your column in Dancer magazine until this morning. Thank you for your sane, honest and communicative voice. "Those Who Can DO AND Teach" is a remarkable example of diplomacy. Without stepping on anyone's toes you forward the cause for teaching for the process rather than the end result.
Thank you for your efforts to forward good dance education. You are indeed a treasure. Would it be possible to reproduce the article on the NRDE website? Of course we would credit Dancer magazine. Would you get permission for us to do so?
Thanks.
Elsa
Dear Elsa:
I will check with Owen, but I do not think it will be a problem. I am honored that you think highly enough of my writing to include it on the Registry's website. I admire you and your commitment to dance so much. It is a thrill to receive such compliments from you, a great dance educator and one of the most dedicated advocates for quality dance education in the private sector that I have ever known. You, Elsa, are the treasure.
Sincerely,
Kathryn
Kathryn Austin, R.D.E. can be reached at kaustin2@cfl.rr.com or by snail mail at PO BOX 771518, Winter Garden, FL 34777.