Reader Roundup Forum Comments, Thoughts and Suggestions from our Fellow Teachers
With the next issue of Dancer, I will be celebrating my one year anniversary as a contributing writer for this great magazine. It is a special time for me as it marks a milestone in my career. I always have enjoyed writing, and through out these many years in the business, I have been fortunate to experience numerous events which provided me with magnanimous info to jot down.
Over the past several years, Owen Goldman, the publisher of Dancer had asked me several times to write one or two articles for the magazine relating to my studio experiences. Although I wanted to do it when he first asked me to, the lack of quality time in my life just did not allow me to do so. I had to put it off. The timing was just not right. But like everything else in this crazy world...you make time for something you really want to do. So even though it took me over a year to sit myself down and write the first article...I actually did it ...and I am so glad I did. Thanx for the invite and the push Owen! And Thanx to you Jo for all your guidance and encouraging words to meet the monthly deadline! By the way, they sure seem to be coming around faster with each month that passes. Have you shortened the calendar?
My writings have opened new doors to new places and new friends and I am very excited about the new-fangled journey I have started. The icing on the cake comes when at least once a month I hear from one or more old cronies of mine and even some old students who had moved away. Thru my articles in Dancer, we have found each other again and have had the chance to rekindle our relationship and now we communicate with each on a regular basis sharing our happenings...and that is fantastic!
Since September 05' I have received numerous e-mails from studio owners, company directors and teachers around the country in response to the articles I have written. Some of them were very nice compliments ...Thank You very much... but many of them had thoughts, questions and suggestions relating to the topics I wrote about. As I have promised all year, I am now going to share many of these innovating ideas with you our reader.
It's quite amazing to me how many of us think and act the same in some matters and then we are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum on others. Does this mean one is wrong and one in right? NO...it simply means there are two trains of thought on the subject and they can each work in any diverse surrounding if implemented properly.
As you realize by now, I love to share all that I know and have experienced. That however does not mean all my encounters have been positive or for that matter will work for you. You know what your business will and can handle, so that is for you to decide. I have enjoyed many great moments in my time and certainly my share of down right rotten times over these past 50 years too. But the good far outweighs the bad and that is why I am still very passionate about what I do on a daily basis.
We all can learn something from every event we experience. Once you stop participating and experimenting your learning days are over. I think that is sad. The best way we can learn to grow in a positive manner is by sharing our thoughts and methods with each other. If growing means perhaps readjusting and making a decision to change...then so be it...let it happen...go with the flow. Remember, "He who hesitates is last"... or is it lost?
Change does not come easy. It takes a lot of pre-thinking and planning and definitely a positive mindset to make it work. Be confident and convincing when implementing a change. If you have or show doubts about it, that indecisive feeling will pass on to your students, parents and clientele. Make it appear that is going to be the best thing since apple pie and everyone is just going to be thrilled with the positive results that is will bring. Even IF you have doubts...don't let them show. If you approach it in a positive manner... the results will be positive too.
I had many varied responses regarding my article about Selecting Company Dancers that caught my attention because they were quite different than anything I have done or heard being done by other teachers. Some Directors have no selection process and membership in the company is open to any and all their dancers. A few even post ads in the local papers announcing the company will be starting to rehearse and any dancer in the area is welcome to come and join. One teacher does not even charge for her company classes, which are separate from their weekly classes. Her reason being, that if the parents don't pay for the class or rehearsal time, they cannot complain about what goes on in there artistically. She then has full reign over the entire set up also giving her directorial freedom when making rules and placing dancers in routines. She feels that when parents pay for time, they have a tendency to want to control and definitely complain more if things do not go their way. Because they do not pay, they have nothing to hold over her head.
It was not mentioned what size her company was at the time, and if it is small enough and if it is only she that is giving of her time....this seems that it might work out. But always think of the future and what can and might happen. If the company gets larger, you need more Staff to help out and they need to get paid, I think her procedures would have to be updated. I know of no Staff that will work for nothing, I know mine won't. They expect and should be compensated. We as Owners and Directors work for "smiles" all the time, but that is different. We opt in most cases to do that...for the good of the Company.
I would like to hear back from these teachers and see how things are going now. I am also most interested in the companies that are formed with dancers from different studios. That is intriguing to me to see how all the company skeds work out with so much going on in each studio itself.
Along the same lines above I got a query from one teacher who said she too wanted to advertise in the community paper to have an "open audition" for all dancers. Her twist on the subject was that the company she was looking to form would be a "new universal dance team to benefit the community". I wrote her asking if she had a good rapport with the local studios and perhaps to call the teachers in the area first to explain what she had in mind. Certainly you never want fellow area teachers thinking you are looking to step on their toes or worse yet, take their students. That would not make happy campers for sure! Do I think something like this can work? Yes, I do...again if the right plans are implemented in the right order and you have teachers that are comfortable with their studio and not feel threatened with something like this. I would love to hear back from you Kimberly and let me know how it all worked out.
Many many teachers from all over were most pleased with my Company Contract For Competitive Dancers. I got nice feedback on how that article really helped them to start and in some cases finalize a contract for their company as well. They said that the contract really motivated them to go on and proceed full steam ahead to get theirs done at the start of the competition season. I even had numerous requests to send them the actual contract I use for my dancers...which I did. They were most appreciative to get it and stated that it really made them feel good that "they were not the only ones" with certain rules and regulations. Guess we all feel there is safety in numbers. Hope everyone especially Jeanne & Trish had success with these. It has worked well for us for many years now. Let me know the feedback from parents and students too. I also want to hear if you were able to add more items to the contract that you might be willing to share with all of us. Did it help to set and emphasize rules and regulations in a more orderly fashion? Did it work for you if you had an incident and you could answer with ..."but in the company contract you signed, it specifically said in item # such and such would not be allowed etc ...."Hope so.
Several of you remarked how my article on Competition Fees, Forms and Finances brought out more points and factors than you even had in your own hand outs regarding the same information. That is why sharing is so good. We all can learn from it. Cathie said the article made her feel good and she planned to pass it out to all the new parents so then they would know that it was just "not her take" on what it cost in finances and time to be a company member. Again that safety is numbers really does help each and every one of us. How good to know that we do not stand alone on many topics.
Several teachers had comments to share which I thought were nice accompaniments to my article Is Your Curriculum Complete? All of them were grateful for my invitation to share their thoughts thus creating a forum which gives them, as well as any others, the opportunity to share ideas. Several in particular had similar ideals so I've compiled the thoughts of Sue, Laura & Jenny into a group of comments I know will be of interest you.
Sticker Books are used for younger dancers. Teachers write in them weekly asking what their favorite part of their class was for the day. They reinforce the language of the dance style they are learning. The sticker received as a reward helps the dancers to pay attention.
Respect for each others dance space in the classroom was instilled in dancers of all ages. They reminded their students that others in the class are working just as hard as they are to accomplish their goal and should be able to have the space to show their accomplishments when it is time. After just a few short months, one can always hear many "excuse me" and several "sorry about that" when one's personal space is intruded upon with some missteps and inevitable bumps that are bound to occur. Most of the time now, this is all done without these teachers having to remind their students of their dance class manners.
Students are reminded that they are never to laugh at or ridicule another dancer if a mistake is made when they are trying or working on a step or combination. They're told to respect each others efforts and realize that not everything will be successful the first time tried by someone. It is not important that you accomplish the technique on the first try, but what is important is that you keep trying to master the skill and do not give up until you do. Determination is to be praised, not made fun of.
Students learn counting and spatial dynamics. If center floor work becomes too repetitious it is demonstrated by a student who volunteers that week. The other students also take turns in counting the combination as it is being demonstrated. One of these teachers also asks her dancers to try and relate the dance movement to their everyday experiences in school and in the "outside" world and strongly feels that this helps them put it all together.
All of the teachers responding to this article end their classes...in all ages...with some sort of a cool down or reverence. With younger ones they might perhaps have a circle to cool down and tell one special thing that that happened to them today. With older dancers they have cool down movements that allow them to relax and rest their minds and recall all the moves and techniques they had in the prior strenuous class. In some instances one dancer is chosen each week to lead a 3 minute cool down in any phase or type of movement that compliments the class. Bringing class to an end is very important...they all believe it should finish with some sort of a structured or lead movement.
Last but not least...all those who responded agreed that rules in the classroom are very important. Make sure the dancers know the requirements from day one and you should keep reminding them on a regular basis. Keep it light, and simple. Not complicated and never contradictory. Learning is the prime concern, but enjoyment and having fun follow in a close second.
I want to personally Thank all the teachers who sent me e-mails over the past months. I love hearing from you and want to hear from many more. I am here to try and help you and your business succeed. Let me know if there is something special that you would like me to address. I am an open book waiting for you to fill the pages with your special and unique requests. I love a challenge. Write me with your thoughts, questions, comments, suggestions or ideas to danceun@aol.com. Until next time...Thanx for chatting!