When Fair is not Fair
Several years back we made what we thought would be a" fair and just" decision to allow non-company dancers to participate in company classes. All the "good girls" ...translation, according to my daughter, "nice recreational dancers with great potential", who were enthusiastic about the change were encouraged to enroll. Thus, the once "company only" classes, were opened to those recreational dancers who we thought could hold their own in the "Company Level Classes".
After 15 months time, one recital, one summer company intensive and 2 competition seasons, we realized that although we thought we were being more than fair to the recreational dancers, we actually were not. And, by this time, we certainly knew we were not being at all fair to our company students. The overload of routines and the demands of commitment started to show on the company dancers and the recreational students were showing signs of their inability to keep up with the overall pace and projection of the classes. It just wasn't working out as planned. To explain "why?" ... I must back track some to the core of the plan.
In our studio we stress camaraderie, teamwork and humility for one and all. We do not produce stars, we produce dancers, some of whom, with a lot of hard work, determination and stars in their eyes make it in the dance world. We want all our dancers to feel on par with one another and to understand that they are special in their own right. You notice I use the words "want" and "stress" and not the words "have" and "are". Reality and fantasy are at opposite ends of the spectrum...I live in a real world and "strive" for the above mentioned ideals. As a teacher, I am grateful for the high percentage of success that has been in my favor for many years.
I am adamant about equality amongst our students and parents and will use as many tools as I can to pursue this goal. I want to share two sections with you taken directly from our Company Contract that all members and parents must sign at the beginning of the season:
#4. A good and healthy Attitude is expected at ALL times. I, as an Ensemble student, am no better than those students who are not in the Ensemble Company. All Dance Unlimited students, Ensemble Company & Non Company are important to the Studio. NO gossiping will be tolerated...from anyone!
#30. I, as an Ensemble Parent, understand that my actions and words must always be positive and friendly towards all students and parents, both in the studio, at competitions and workshops. Please think before you act or speak. Constant disregard of this policy will be cause for your child to be dismissed from the Ensemble Company.
Now back to my original premise. Our thought, based on equality, evolved from the knowledge that we had quite a few recreational dancers who could possibly handle the technical aspects of the company class schedule. Most of them were invited to audition for the company at one time or another but for assorted personal reasons they declined the invitation. They definitely had the attributes of potential and drive, but just chose not to be a company member. They were out dancing the other students in their weekly classes, showed a passion for dance and already took most of the disciplines that we require our company students to take. We wanted them to have a chance to be able to take class with students their age who were more advanced. We wanted them to feel like they were in a class level where the demands were greater and they would feel comfortable being challenged. We wanted them to feel good about themselves and their art.
We spoke to the recreational students and their parents and if they were interested, we placed them in company classes. They knew that they had to take all the required company classes: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical and Acrobatics, they could not pick and choose. For the first dance year, everything actually went OK, not great, but OK. We faced a few minor glitches, a few of the dancers were struggling with the some routines and a few lacked in performance quality, but both teacher and student seemed to overcome the hurdle and it appeared to balance out. All the dancers seemed to blend and worked well together in recital routines, they loved their costume selections and everyone had their chance to be in the front line. All was good.
Summer came and the recreational dancers took a break from dance, which follows suit for them. They had the opportunity to participate in summer intensive required for the company students, but most did not because it was not required for them. The Fall session started with all students back in the same classes. At first they all looked somewhat rusty due to a lapse of class time, but as the weeks progressed the differences became more apparent. By November, we knew we had to make adjustments. It was obvious that the recreational dancers could not maintain the requirements of the classes. They were falling behind and could not meet the challenge. It was not their fault per say, they were trying, but did not have the "combined total hours of class, rehearsal and performances" in their corner. Once again we spoke to students and parents and explained our motives as to why we had to move the students to different classes. The dancers themselves knew they were having problems. They were totally aware of the entire situation and once the parents understood our reasoning they agreed a move would be better...it was.
OK you say, I understand that... but why were the combined classes not fair for the Company dancers? My answer in 3 words is ... Time, Energy and Expense.
The company students had to take time in class to learn additional routines for the recital. Instead of being able to perform their competition routines which they already knew, they had to learn others so the non company dancers could be included in a routine for the annual performance. Double work for them and time away from their opportunity to work on technique in class which is so important. They also spent more time in classes, rehearsals, workshops and competitions perfecting their craft. We all know the more time you work on something the better you will be at it. Time was against them in classes but in their favor in all other circumstances.
It took too much energy for them to go thru the learning and rehearsal process. Lack of concentration, especially in the younger ones, became evident. They had their regular 5 to 7 hours of weekly classes which included an end of the year routine and also their company rehearsals to learn and perfect their competitive routines. In some cases they had 2 of everything to learn, remember and not confuse...2 Jazz dances, 2 Lyrical dances, 2 Tap dances etc. etc. It was 2 much. Routines and rehearsals were taking over their minds, they were becoming robots and their energy was fading fast.
Expense took its toll in 2 different ways...money and sacrifice. It was costly for the company parents to have to buy 2 sets of costumes...one for competition and the other for recital. With everything being so pricey these days, this became a real financial burden for them. The other expense factor became clear when we realized that in trying to be fair to our recreational dancers we were asking our company dancers to sacrifice even more, thus certainly not being at all fair to them. The situation was not a good one...we had to make changes...we did.
This is not the first time I have made a judgmental error concerning a studio matter. But I have successfully walked away from every one of them knowing more than I did before. I am convinced that I have been fortunate to learn something new in my life every single day. It can be something simply and easy or something more complex and difficult to understand. For example, I realized just this morning that it has taken me all these years to realize that I prefer eating my cold crispy morning cereal from a wider shallower soup bowl than from a smaller deeper cereal bowl because the cereal does not get soggy so fast! How simple was that? Then 3 days ago I realized that I have to get more in tuned with earth sciences as I did not know nearly enough to answer questions while helping my 7 year old granddaughter with her 3rd grade science homework. But, by the end of 30 complex minutes in time, I had learned more about energy than I had in years. I have serious doubts that I will be able to meet the 4th grade science challenge. This bit of knowledge is becoming quite complex. Overall in the end, it is how we all accept and apply all that was learned. It is not necessarily the information itself that is important, it is how we apply it ... that is what really matters.
This year we are back to having our weekly level classes for company members only. They are free to progress in their technique throughout the year without having to break the pattern to learn routines. Their dances are learned in company rehearsals and performed by them at competitions and in the recital as well. They only have 5-7 routines to give their attention to instead of the overload of 10 or 12. Their concentration, energy and focus are highly energized and they seem to be back in the ole routine!
Several classes for our recreational dancers have been re-formatted to accommodate and challenge the more advanced students in those levels as well. Many of the dancers that we had to split from the company levels are once again on top of their mark in the classrooms. They are the ones who are now setting the benchmark for others to emulate and follow. They are leaders again instead of lagging behind. Their self esteem has returned and that is most important for us to see.
Even today when we gather to discuss possible changes to consider for the studio, we still reflect and ponder on our "equality decision" as we refer to it. We were so sure it would be a great choice for all students involved ...it was not. Fortunately, in the end, it all worked out well and has had no long lasting ill effects on any student. It is still a mystery to us as to why the problems that became so obvious so quickly at the beginning of the second year, did not surface during the first year? Perhaps the time to adjust and reorganize the classes camouflaged some of the beginning problems...we are just not sure.
As a summary of my thoughts and a conclusion to this topic I have the following suggestions...learned first hand thru years of teaching decisions:
#1 - Do mix and match your recreational and company dancers in master classes and guest teacher
workshops presented at the studio. It will work out fine for all.
#2 - Do not combine recreational and company dancers in the same weekly class levels. Some will be bored, some will be frustrated. Some will loose confidence in themselves and you as the teacher.
#3 - Do place all dancers in the proper level where they can learn at a steady pace and eventually be able to conquer the highest challenge presented to them.
#4 - Do not blend students whose mental outlook for their present dance goal does not gel with others in the class. If they want to compete and aspire to do more than the norm, encourage them to audition for your company. If they love to dance but have no interest in competing or the commitment of a company, steer them into the proper class that will address their desires and still fulfill their passion.
#5 - Do invite all students to work together on a studio performance or fund raising event for the community. Many organizations will jump at the chance to have entertainment provided for a function.
#6 - Do not get discouraged if your initial plan does not work. Make some changes and do some thought searching to come up with a better arrangement. Re-analyze, re-think, re-present and you will be re-vitalized with the re-sults!
What is your criterion for enrollment in your studio company classes? Is it working ok? Are your company dancers required to take specific weekly classes? If so...what? If not...why not? Does your Company perform all disciplines of dance or do you have a separate Company for each discipline? What is your reasoning behind that? What are you age limits to be a candidate for audition? Do you have Summer requirements? What are they? When do you schedule them and how long do they last?
I would love for you to share all this data with me so I can formulate an article and pass your suggestions on to your fellow teachers! It is so great to share with each other. Send your thoughts to danceun@aol.com. Stay well... until next time ... Thanx for chatting!