Happymum Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I'm sorry, I have to get it out of my chest! My DS is a keen and promising ballet dancer but he also loves street dance (break dancing, locking, waving, popping - Michael Jackson style etc). He trains once a month at Tring but then he just practises at home with DVDs and YouTube tutorials (and The Next Step episodes :-) ). We live in the middle of nowhere with no street dance classes available. Because we are all constantly looking for a class I finally found one, and just for boys, group age perfect for him. He was over the moon even though it was an hour drive away. We went this afternoon but after the class my DS said he doesn't want to go again. He says that the boys were ok though they were swearing (8-12 years old!), the teacher (a woman) was OK as well but at some point she said to the class "come on!, you want to look strong not like some weak and flimsy ballet dancers!" Can you believe it? How a dance teacher who should encourage children to try any form of dance could be so ignorant? Such shame! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Grrrrr! Ignorant woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Pure ignorance and infuriating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I don't suppose you're all that keen on a teacher allowing swearing during class either. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Agree Taxi, though my son said that she probably didn't hear it as boys were talking quietly between them selves. This class is one of quite a few run in this new centre - part of a big project of local government. For a moment I though about writing s feedback to the centre but I don't think it's worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I would definitely give feedback - about the teacher's comment rather than the language! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Thanks JulieW, I needed a bit of support - I've just sent the feedback saying that teacher's negative comments about ballet dancers made my DS feel uncomfortable so he won't be coming back". 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletmum13 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 (edited) I would definitely find some where else for you dc to dance. Ballet dancers are extremely strong and definitely not weak!! Edited March 4, 2016 by balletmum13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Happymum: Â Hmm - if that teacher's teaching is no better informed than her knowledge of male dancers, I'm sure that your son will fare much better elsewhere. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annaliesey Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 How ridiculous! Surely she cannot really believe that and was just saying it for effect?  In any event it's a very silly and insulting comment.  We are big fans of The Next Step in our house and dd has a dance crush on Eldon hehe  Dd got through to national auditions for TNS and in the slot that she was in there were a few vocational hoodies in sight  Such a shame your ds had that experience  Have you seen the 'jusmove' app by Matt Steffanina. Dd loves it though not quite brave enough to upload videos just yet.  If you can get into London occasionally for classes there's some good classes at pineapple for all sorts of hip hop and commercial jazz and there's a tonne of males in there  Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonrothbart Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Like has been said, pure ignorance, in fact the statement is just the opposite of what a ballet dancer is, both male and female. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletcoach Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Well that explains it, the level of training and knowledge of the teacher. Probably she never done ballet herself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 surprising update! I did receive a reply from the centre: Â "I'm surprised she [the teacher] made any comments as she has done ballet herself during her degree and encourages all the boys to get involved in ballet and contemporary dance to improve technique in street dance and many boys do". Â Well, I asked my son again what exactly the teacher said last night, suggesting that maybe he misunderstood her. So he apologised for bad language and quote: "you want to look strong, rock hard, non of this flimsy flamsy ballet cr*p". It turns out that he softened it a bit for me yesterday. Anyway, not going to her classes ever again! Guess she didn't enjoy her ballet training or has other issues with ballet dancing. Or maybe she wanted to be "cool" ? It definitely didn't work and was so unprofessional. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 How old is he did you say. Â I wouldn't personally class crap as swearing although it's not a word I use myself. Â Perhaps it was misinterpreted & she meant she wanted the very different style. I've heard similar said in jazz type classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 If your son was offended by this teacher, then that is enough not to go back, whatever her true meaning. If nothing else, she was misguided and as a teacher of impressionable young boys she should put more thought into her comments. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Age 8-12 is a bit young for that type of phrase now I've looked back at your op  I would expect it maybe in an age 12-15 group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petit Jete Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Age 8-12 is a bit young for that type of phrase now I've looked back at your op  I would expect it maybe in an age 12-15 group.  Would you?? Must be time for me to retire then because the day I had resort to talking to anyone like this, let alone a pupil, is the day it is time to give up! Hope your son has more luck at a more suitable school Happymum. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 (edited) Would you?? Must be time for me to retire then because the day I had resort to talking to anyone like this, let alone a pupil, is the day it is time to give up! Hope your son has more luck at a more suitable school Happymum. I wouldn't expect the teacher to use a phrase like that in any class as its unprofessional, but I'd definitely expect kids of secondary school age to say things a lot worse than just "crap". Good luck with your search for a better class Happymum! x Edited March 5, 2016 by TabbyCool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petit Jete Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 I wouldn't expect the teacher to use a phrase like that in any class as its unprofessional, but I'd definitely expect kids of secondary school age to say things a lot worse than just "crap".  Good luck with your search for a better class Happymum! x  Really? Well if my 'older' girls came out with anything worse then they would be asked to leave. Can't be doing with any of it.....and they know it too  1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Dd has seen a class told to "do that again it was Shite". She's a good mimic & did a funny reconstruction. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Really? Well if my 'older' girls came out with anything worse then they would be asked to leave. Can't be doing with any of it.....and they know it too  Of course how they talk with their friends is one thing, how they conduct themselves in class is another matter! I'd expect them to behave themselves in class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piccolo Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Pictures, is that really a skillful and productive way to describe how to improve on the first attempt? :-( When you think of the cost of lessons, I'd expect a more considered response. Also, when you think about how much time children spend in the company of their dance teachers, how to dance is not the only thing they learn... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Pictures, is that really a skillful and productive way to describe how to improve on the first attempt? Probably said tongue-in-cheek to a class who knew full well they weren't actually putting in as much effort as they should be 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 My just five year old grandson has "gone off" Frozen, which he adored, because someone told him it was for girls! Grrr! I let my sons play Mummies and Daddies with their teddy bears - even bought them a dolls pushchair and tea set. I took them to see ballet too. What's the result? They are absolutely amazingly caring fathers to their children (both girls and boys)and helpful husbands to their wives - why do people have to compartmentalise and label everything according to gender...... You can emphasize that street dance has to be strong and full of energy without implying that ballet dancers are "sissy"! 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amum/Cathy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Dd has seen a class told to "do that again it was Shite". She's a good mimic & did a funny reconstruction. I wouldn't class shite as swearing. It's such a useful word. I was a student in Liverpool where it was used ALOT. Â My Ds (year 13) did a ballet street fusion dance he'd choreographed himself at a school (regular state school) dance evening last week. It worked fantastically well and the kids loved it. He was definitely the cool guy of the evening. But it has only taken 6 years for him to get the courage to show anyone at school some ballet. Â If you can Happymum, I would try to find another street class because it is a very useful way for ballet boys to link up with other male dancers and influence each other to try new things. Having said that his ballet teacher has never been that keen on the idea. Â When ds did the dance associates scheme at Hammond they were given street classes as well as ballet and contemporary or whatever the other classes were, which I can't remember now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I believe it was a Liverpudlian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Dd wasn't in the class incidentally - it was an older group & she was waiting for her class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I believe it was a Liverpudlian. Â Â What has that got to do with the price of fish? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marianne Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 What has that got to do with the price of fish? Because a Mum/Cathy said that 'shite' isn't always considered swearing as such and mentioned that it was used frequently (and without causing great offence?) when she trained in Liverpool. Â Is it like 'feck' perhaps? Which sounds terribly rude in England but is considered mild in Ireland. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Because a Mum/Cathy said that 'shite' isn't always considered swearing as such and mentioned that it was used frequently (and without causing great offence?) when she trained in Liverpool. Â Is it like 'feck' perhaps? Which sounds terribly rude in England but is considered mild in Ireland. Â Â I still don't see that the origin of the person making the comment has any bearing on this discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I can't explain it any better than Marianne did. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 My daughter has danced in Liverpool plenty of times and St Helens and no one has used words such as sh... Or cr.p Her teachers have always spoken professionally and I'm glad because I do consider both words mentioned as swear words. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Also to add of course the Sh..e word is clearly a swear word in Liverpool or anywhere else for that matter. More a case of who you are listening to or mixing with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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