Several months ago, I thought my life was going to hit a dark place. I was fortunate enough to realize that it wasn’t a time to go to a dark place, but rather a place of light and happiness. However, I sought friendship from people that I hadn’t talked to in a long time, and surrounded myself in a group of people that I knew would help in that journey. In this time, I conversed with a friend that I hadn’t had a significant chat with in ages. In the process of catching up, he suggested to me that I read a book to help me with my dancing and teaching. It was only recently that attained this book and started reading.
I’m only halfway through and it has changed my perspective on everything as a teacher.
I don’t know about any other teacher out there, but I know that there are days when using the week be fore’s lesson plan is easier than making up a new one. Whether it’s the fact that you’re tired from that second or third job, or you had an opportunity to have lunch with a friend instead of create the lesson plan that you’ve put off doing all week, or your creativity for the week has seemed to run dry, there are situations that prevent us all from getting done what needs to be done. These “situations”, however, are just excuses.
The book that I am reading talks about personal resistance. It’s not being able to get over that hump. It’s about saying “I can totally do this later” or “I can definitely use last week’s lesson plan instead of creating one that will further enrich my students.” These are situations that we create within ourselves. These are situations that are easily moved past. These are situations that require a self-discipline.
One thing that I have always loved about dance is that it is a necessity to acquire self-discipline. You can’t be a student and expect to grow and develop without taking the initiative, and feeling the drive and motivation to better yourself. As a dancer, you need to stretch before you come into class. You need to know that if your ankle is feeling tight you need to go home and rest it instead of going out with your friends. If you’re a competitive dancer, you sacrifice a lot of your social life to be able to go to classes and competitions on the weekends. If you’re a ballerina in a performing arts school, or a ballet school, you sacrifice having any sort of life outside of ballet. Many dancers learn at a young age that they have to become independent and self-driven to achieve their dreams of becoming something great.
From a teaching perspective, there is a required amount of discipline as well. Not only are you in charge of a group of children, but you are in charge of their development. That is a heavy weight to carry. On top of students’ development, a teacher is in charge of their own development as well. Whether it’s taking the time to go take a class, or reading up on choreographers, or taking more courses in school that help you better understand a dance class, it’s about broadening your own horizons so you can pass the knowledge on to your own students.
Being a dancer and being a dance teacher is a wonderful journey. You are constantly learning- there is no point where you will know it all. The industry itself is in constant state of evolution. Legs are kicking higher, revolutions in turns are becoming more, the dances are becoming faster, and there is an overall desire to create stronger and more flexible dancers. As the industry demands more, we as teachers must demand more. That includes not only from our students, but from ourselves. This is our self-discipline.
Take the time each day to enrich your dance life. Take the time to finish that biography on Twyla Tharp. Got no one to go with to see that ballet you were interested in? Go by yourself! Take that class from that teacher that you’re terrified of being judged by. Overcome that demon inside that is telling you to slack, or the one that is telling you that you can’t do as much as you’d want to. Not only will it better you and your students, but the sense of accomplishment you will feel afterwards will be worth it all.
I’ve overcome my first personal resistance of the day now. How about you?
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