What do you do when your teachers don’t agree..?

[Angeline]

‘What To Do When Your Teachers Don’t Agree?’

New Dance Article @DanceAdvantage 

 

I wanted to share with you all my latest article, which went live just earlier today.  Please do share the article with everyone who might benefit - either directly, or to pass on to their own students or children.

 

I'd also like to encourage all of you like the article to 'Like' it, share it, Tweet it and post it; I want it to reach as many people as possible, and to make sure it reaches those who will benefit the most.

 

My reasons for wanting to write the article originally stem from the confusion and frustration I felt as a young dancer.  At the time I was attending two dance schools (so as to get as much dancing squeezed into a week as possible!), and I was recieving very different instructions from both teachers.  What was I to do?  I respected and trusted them both, yet, at that age, I believed there could only be 'right' or 'wrong' in ballet.  That left me feeling extremely confused, and rather lost.  So lost it didn't even occur to me to talk to my teachers about it... not at first.  When it finally did I was too afraid of hurting their feelings, or seeming disrespectful.

 

I came acoss this frustration again when I was a little older at vocational school.  I had thought that, there at least, I would finally find out for sure the ultimate 'right' way for everything.  In fact the opposite was true.

 

Now, as a teacher myself, I find I come across problems from the other side of the fence.  I am saddened to read ugly comments from young dancers left on Youtube etc. criticizing other dancers for "doing it wrong" when commonly the filmed dancer is simply following the method of another School, or doing another version of 'right'.  I want to reach these students and help them gain a better understanding of the breadth of the world of ballet; both so they are able to make fairer judgements of others, but also so they grow excited and empowered by the revelation.  I hope it will encourage a culture of acceptance and open-mindedness alongside enhancing their overall dance education. 

 

I also hope it will help teachers who can find themselves in difficult situations if, for example, they take on a new student, or the dancer is attending two schools.  Children are often more vocal in today's world, and it can be challenging to face a student who is emphatically telling you that you are 'wrong' because "Mrs X does it this way".  How can you gain their trust and teach them if they fundamentally doubt your knowledge or competence?  I hope therefore my article will reach those students who shared my childhood frustration and confusion, and offer them a compact but comprehensive explanaion as to why this happens. 

 

If you like this article, why not join me on Twitter: Angeline Lucas @AngelineDance.  My feed will mainly be sharing news and information on ballet, dance and education for students, dance educators, parents and enthusiasts alike.

 

Best Wishes,

Angeline

 

 

Additional copy of link:

http://www.danceadvantage.net/2013/05/02/teachers-dont-agree/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+danceadvantage+%28Dance+Advantage%29

[restor]

Young children need simple instruction as one gets older different approaches and styles of teaching come into play.