Yesterday was the last day of classes for the studio that I teach at. What that last day also brought was the last day with my graduating seniors. Throughout the course of my teaching career at the studio, I have had plenty of classes with seniors that have graduated. From teaching assistants whom I’ve known since I was in high school, to students I’ve only had for a year before they went off to college, none of them get easier, and all of them I am proud of.
It’s always difficult for teachers watch their students “leave the nest” so to speak. You watch these kids grow and learn, and then suddenly they are off to spread their wings elsewhere. It’s a humbling experience to think that you as a teacher are just a blip on the radar of their big lives.
The best part of it, though, is knowing that dance has enriched their lives. Even if you weren’t their favorite teacher, or the class wasn’t the most exciting, it is the art form itself that has taught them so much. Dance teaches discipline, organization, and structure, while at the same time fostering creativity and artistry. It gives the students a form of exercise that takes more than just physical stamina, but also a keen mind. If you’ve done your job, you’ve also given them a sense of confidence and well-being that will last with them. Dance gives so much.
I often see past seniors when they come home for breaks, or when they’re home for the summer. I teach in an area where I will actually see a lot of my students. We go to the same malls, same restaurants, same general public places. When I see each one, no matter where they are in life, I am always proud of the people that they’ve become. Each one comes into their own. It’s wonderful to see the students that were so worried about college applications and decisions on where to go, knowing that they’ve made the right decisions, or if they haven’t, knowing that they’ve made a decision that didn’t quite fit, and are in the process of rectifying that. I love that. It’s that self-awareness that dance classes help with.
I also love to see the reunions with past and present dancers. The younger dancers always look up to the older girls. Being able to see them thriving in a world after the studio life is something so great. Not all the graduating seniors go off to dance-related majors, or even participate in dance teams or what have you that colleges and universities offer. These younger dancers see the older ones prospering and happy, and they think “I want to be like that.” And more often than not, these dancers are the best kind of people to look up to.
This time of year with the recitals approaching, I always think back to many of the seniors that I have had. Many keep in touch through Facebook, or come back and visit. Particularly around this time of year since many of the college students have just finished out the year and have just made it back home for the summer, I get to see many of them. Each one of them holds a special place in my heart.
And to my two graduating seniors that I have this year, you both hold special places in my heart as well.
I am excited for this upcoming week to watch my seniors fly, and to watch ALL of my students do their best on the stage!
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