Most Important Belief
My formative years at the junior and senior Royal Ballet schools in London, England were characterized by a teaching style that was rigid and traditional. Intimidation and dismissive criticism were common teaching practices in the dance studio; shame, humiliation and fear were common student experiences. This approach to dance training in the name of excellence and perfection has taken much re-thinking on my part.
Students are inhibited from learning when they feel intimidated, humiliated, bullied, threatened, embarrassed, stupid, and foolish. I believe: teachers of dance can optimize the potential of their students, without resorting to the draconian methods of subjecting their class to a constant tirade of emotional and verbal abuse.
Most Important Endeavor
Dance is the art of nonverbal communication, but language is the primary mode of communication in our society. A dancer who does not develop facility with language will always be at a disadvantage. Dancers need to be able to think clearly, make logical arguments, express opinions, develop facility, perhaps even eloquence with the written and spoken word. I constantly endeavor: to help students improve their skill with expressing their ideas through the written word, and thinking with language.
Most Important Question
So much of dance class is spent waiting for extrinsic recognition: the words of praise, the look of encouragement, the correction of faulty technique, or just plain being noticed. When the student is not externally validated, so often a feeling of low-self esteem and a sense of failure ensues. Question: How can we teach students to become self validating? To dance for the intrinsic pleasure and love of dance and not for the crumbs of praise scattered judiciously by the teacher. Is this the definition of dancing from the heart?
