WORK, PLAY, PERFORMANCE BALANCE: WHERE'S THE FUN?

As adults, we chase the idea of work life balance. But what about our dancers?

In a world where kids just want to be kids while chasing after their own passions, how can we show up for them as dance teachers? At the end of the day, only a small percentage of students enrolled in dance will go on to continue a career in a performance field but we know how much more of an impact these years of taking dance class will shape them into who they will be out in the "real world". Dance supports strong social skills, strong decision making skills, strong leadership and the list goes on.

Oftentimes when we hear our kids talking about what they have going on, how much school is weighing on them along with other external pressures. This is always a humble reminder to ask ourselves as leaders and dance teachers, “where is the fun?”

We plan classes, create curriculum and reach for milestones within the classroom. Little do you know how we disguise it in these classes in our high energy exercises and laughter through skill based “games”. It’s like crushing medicine into applesauce so they don’t know it's there but suddenly they’re just… better. 

While parents look up at the TV in the lobby and see their dancers running in a circle chasing after tennis balls, it may come across as a really expensive game of catch and leave you scratching your head. Well, we know that we are training their hand eye coordination and reaction time. This is only one example of the many chaotic "games" you might witness in the classroom and we are here to reassure you, we've got it down to a science. The best part about all of this? The fun. The laughter. The stronger bonds created in the classroom that will trickle down into the hard work we put in when it’s time to choreograph and learn new skills. 

So, the next time you walk-in into the lobby and look up at the screens, find your dancer and look for a smile. Let that be a break in your day as a parent where you can inhale gratitude and exhale stress because this experience is invaluable. Keeping the FUN in fundamentals is crucial to a dancer's success. We as teachers take pride in finding a balance for our classes that include hard work, productive play and impactful performance.