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75. What Your Dance Teacher Wants You to Know image

75. What Your Dance Teacher Wants You to Know

The Brainy Ballerina Podcast
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89 Plays14 hours ago

In this heartfelt solo episode, I’m putting on my dance teacher hat to share the things every dance educator wishes their students understood, drawing from over 15 years of teaching experience.

You’ll hear practical insight and honest reminders that can completely shift the way you show up in class. From respecting the process to understanding feedback and showing up with positive energy, this episode is packed with wisdom for dancers at every stage of training.

Key points in this episode:

  • Why your teacher’s corrections come from care, not criticism
  • How your energy can change the entire atmosphere of a class
  • The importance of learning choreography outside of rehearsal
  • What teachers really mean when they say they “see your potential”
  • Why effort matters more than perfection
  • How professionalism and respect make you stand out
  • A reminder that your teachers are human, too
  • The life lessons you’re learning in dance that go far beyond the studio
  • Why growth happens outside your comfort zone
  • A reminder that your teachers have been exactly where you are now

Whether you’re a dancer who needs perspective, a teacher looking for words to share with your students, or a parent hoping to understand the studio dynamic better, this episode will leave you inspired and grounded in the shared humanity behind the art of dance.

Links and Resources:

Get 10% off registration for Étoile Dance Competition with code BRAINY10.

Let’s connect!

My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina

1-1 CAREER MENTORING: book your complimentary career call

Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com

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Transcript

Effort vs. Perfection in Dance

00:00:00
Speaker
We are way more interested in your efforts than the outcome. We do not care if you are perfect, but we do care if you try.
00:00:10
Speaker
Nothing inspires me more as a teacher than working with students who give their all. While it's nice to have, I don't particularly notice incredible feet or 180 degree turnout or the natural flexibility, even close to as much as I notice efforts.
00:00:28
Speaker
If you're willing to walk into the classroom and work, then we can get somewhere. But all the natural talents in the world will not make a difference if you're not willing to do the work.

Introduction to Brand New Ballerina Podcast

00:00:41
Speaker
I'm Kaitlin, a former professional ballerina turned dance educator and career mentor. And this is the Brand New Ballerina podcast. I am here for the aspiring professional ballerina who wants to learn what it really takes to build a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry.
00:00:57
Speaker
I'm peeling back the curtain of professional dance world with open and honest conversations about the realities of becoming a professional dancer. Come along to gain the knowledge and inspiration you need to succeed in a dance career on your terms.
00:01:15
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Brainy Ballerina podcast. I'm your host, Caitlin Sloan, and I'm here today with a solo episode. In general, in this podcast, I tend to speak from the point of view of the dancer, of my experiences as a dancer in the professional realm.
00:01:32
Speaker
But today I'm going to put on my dance teacher hats and speak as a dance educator. I've been a dance teacher for 15 years. At this point, I've been teaching dance longer than I danced professionally. And I want to talk today about some things that your dance teacher wants you to

Sponsorship Highlight: Atoile Dance Competition

00:01:49
Speaker
know.
00:01:49
Speaker
But before we get into it, I want to give a huge shout out to this episode's sponsor, Atoile Dance Competition. Dance competition season is upon us. And if you're looking for a competition that's about artistry, performance and growth, not just the trophy, then you need to check out a 12 dance competition.
00:02:08
Speaker
A Toile is a concert dance competition open to everyone, including beginners, pre-professionals, and adults with inclusive leveling that makes it possible for anyone to score in the top overalls.
00:02:19
Speaker
And every dancer gets more than just a score. A Toile provides audio and video critiques and performance, technique, choreography, and overall impressions you can truly grow from your experience.
00:02:32
Speaker
Something unique to Etual that I really love is the opportunity for dancers to start the day off right with master classes taught by Etual's esteemed panel of judges, all with professional dance backgrounds and teaching experience.
00:02:47
Speaker
Plus, every event includes a group contemporary performance, which is an amazing opportunity to hone your audition skills and build community with other dancers. I really do believe this competition is something special, and right now,
00:03:02
Speaker
podcast listeners can get 10% off their registration with code BRAINY10. If you're looking for a performance experience that emphasizes artistry, provides real actionable feedback, and celebrates dancers of all levels, head to atwellcomp.com or find the link in the show notes to see if they're coming to a city near you and register today.
00:03:26
Speaker
Okay, let's get into the episode chatting all about what your dance teacher

Teacher's Role in Student Growth

00:03:31
Speaker
wants you to know. First of all, we want you to know that we are on your team and we want you to succeed.
00:03:38
Speaker
Sometimes I see dancers get really frustrated when their teachers correct them or push them or challenge them. We need you to know it's not because we're against you or because we think you're a bad dancer or we think you're not doing a good job.
00:03:53
Speaker
In fact, the opposite is true. We are challenging you because we genuinely care about you and we want to see you grow as a dancer. We truly believe in your potential, sometimes even more than you do.
00:04:08
Speaker
As a teacher, i am never walking into a room with a preconceived notion of who I think is going to quote unquote make it in the dance world and who won't.
00:04:18
Speaker
In my opinion, my job as a teacher teaching in a pre-professional dance setting is to give my students the tools they need to pursue a professional career if they so choose.

Transferable Skills from Dance Training

00:04:31
Speaker
So I want all of my students, every single one, to come out of their training with the technique, the knowledge, the artistry, everything that they need to pursue a pro career if they want to.
00:04:44
Speaker
Because I know that even if they choose not to take that path, they have gained so many valuable skills that will serve them in any career path they take. So when I'm working with dancers, I'm not...
00:04:56
Speaker
looking at a dancer and saying, oh, I think that they could be a professional dancer, so I'm going to give them more attention. Or even they've told me they want to, so I'm going to give them more attention. I'm giving all my students equal attention and equal care, matter what your goals are.
00:05:11
Speaker
And that doesn't mean that I don't think individual dancers' goals are important. That is a huge part of it. And of course, we're going to work on those things. But on my end, I'm not giving someone less attention or more attention because of what's I perceive their ceiling to be, right? I think everyone has endless potential and it's my job to give them the tools they need to reach their potential.

Influence of Energy in Class Dynamics

00:05:35
Speaker
Sometimes you don't even realize your own potential until somebody sees it in you and pushes you toward it. So every note, every piece of feedback, every time we say again, write it again, one more time, it's all a part of a bigger investment in your growth.
00:05:50
Speaker
Our job as dance teachers is not to just show up and give a class and leave, right? Like anyone can come into the studio and give combinations. That's not my job as a teacher. That's a big part of my job, but that's not everything.
00:06:05
Speaker
I have to show up prepared with combinations that will challenge you, that will meet you where you are to help you grow. but that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that goes into being a great teacher My job is to give you the support you need to reach your goals.
00:06:21
Speaker
And you truly do get what you give in a dance class, right? So next time you find yourself getting frustrated with your teacher or with how many corrections you're getting or how challenged you feel, remind yourself, have this mantra, they're on my team.
00:06:36
Speaker
And see how your attitude toward feedback can change when you think of it that way.

Importance of Engagement and Learning

00:06:42
Speaker
The next thing that your dance teachers want you to know is that your energy truly affects the entire room.
00:06:48
Speaker
You need to come in and be a light, not a black hole that is sucking all of the energy out of the room. I truly believe that energy is contagious. And when you walk into the studio, your attitude, your enthusiasm, and your focus Set a tone not just for yourself, but for the entire class.
00:07:09
Speaker
So if you walk into the room and you bring positivity, curiosity, openness, you are elevating everyone around you. If you walk in with negativity, disengagements, it's going to drag down the whole group.
00:07:27
Speaker
And this isn't meant to be toxic positivity. Everyone has bad days. And I'm not saying that you have to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. ver Everyone has different ways that they show up and there's not one right way to show up into a dance room.
00:07:43
Speaker
But what matters the most is being engaged and open to learning. Again, I feel like I can work with any dancer who is open to learning, who is curious, who wants to grow.
00:07:54
Speaker
That is like the number one prerequisite to becoming a great dancer. It is not the natural facility that you walk in the room with. It is your willingness to learn and to grow and to be engaged with your teacher and with your peers.
00:08:08
Speaker
So you might be having a bad day and that's okay. Everyone has bad days. but you can work on regulating your emotions and using what you're feeling in your dancing. If you have the attitude that because you're in a bad mood, everyone else in the room should be in a bad mood too, you're going to bring down the energy of the entire group.
00:08:27
Speaker
So on a day where you're not feeling your best, what if instead of coming in and trying to bring everyone down to you where you are, You fed off the dancers who are in good spirits that day and let their contagious light bring you up.
00:08:42
Speaker
As a dance teacher, i have bad days too, and I have overwhelming days, and I have days where things aren't going the way I want them to, or I'm feeling stressed out. still have to show up at 5 o'clock and be ready to teach my class.
00:08:53
Speaker
And there are days that when I get to the studio, I sit in my car for five minutes, and I just have a moment to myself. And one thing I always say to myself is, wow, I get to teach dance today.
00:09:05
Speaker
Because you can go into it sometimes and be like, oh, I have to go to dance today. I have to go teach today. I have to go to work. But an immediate mindset shift for me is, oh my gosh, I get to go teach dance today. I get to work with these amazing students who are so hungry to learn.
00:09:21
Speaker
And I'm so excited to be the person that's going to ignite that fire in them, is going to teach them. I take my responsibility as a dance teacher very, very seriously. And it's the same energy I brought to the studio as a dancer, as a professional.
00:09:35
Speaker
i take that job very, very seriously. And on days when I was feeling down and like I just couldn't do it, I would start my day literally doing plies and say, how lucky am I to be doing plies right now for my job?
00:09:49
Speaker
This is incredible. how lucky am I that I get to dance every day? Again, that is not meant to be toxic positivity and to downplay all the really hard parts about our job. You know that I talk about those things all the time.
00:10:01
Speaker
But for us as dancers, sometimes that very simple mindset shift can make all the difference in how we show up. And once you have that very first moment of like, yes, I get to do this.
00:10:12
Speaker
And you bring the energy into the room. It's contagious. It starts catching on. Everyone starts feeling better. And then all of a sudden it's like, yes, we're so excited to be here. So please be very aware of the energy that you are bringing into the dance studio every single day and how it affects not just you, but your colleagues as well.

Choreography: Practice and Responsibility

00:10:30
Speaker
The third thing that your dance teachers want you to know is that we can tell when you have not gone over your choreography. We see it instantly. We can tell when you know what you're doing and just made a mistake, this happens to everyone.
00:10:44
Speaker
And we know when you truly did not do your homework or put the effort into retaining your choreography. This is important for every single dancer, but it is especially important if you're only rehearsing Certain choreography, like for a showcase, your recital, whatever you're doing, once or twice a week.
00:11:01
Speaker
If you walk out of the studio Monday night and you don't think about your choreography again until you come back into the studio the next Monday, you're not going to know what you're doing. And you need to remember that retaining and learning your choreography is just like the most basic vanilla thing we need to do, right? It's just like the cake with nothing on it.
00:11:19
Speaker
There's so much more that we need to do once we know the choreography. Refining the technique, digging into your artistry, getting really confident on stage. There are so many more layers and icing and decorations that we're going to put on this cake.
00:11:32
Speaker
Just knowing what you're doing is the very bare minimum. In your training, one of the most important things you need to do is figure out how you learn best and do that.
00:11:43
Speaker
If you need to write everything down and review it, great. If you need to take a video, great. I know some teachers don't like that. Dancers ask to take videos because like in our day, we couldn't do videos, but I think it's a great learning tool.
00:11:57
Speaker
I'm not going to say we can't use technology just because I didn't get to do it as a dancer, right? If you want to take a video of your dance and watch it and remember it, great. If you need to get with a friend and go over it for 10 minutes a day to make sure you both know what you're doing, great.
00:12:13
Speaker
Whatever it is that helps you remember, figure that out and get in the habit of doing that and realize that this isn't a very important part of your job as a dancer. Also, and this point is in big, bold, capital letters, it is not your teacher's job to reteach choreography if you missed class.
00:12:33
Speaker
It is not their job. They did their job by showing up to class and teaching the choreography to the students who are there. Things happen. We all get sick sometimes. Something comes up. We have to miss class.
00:12:45
Speaker
If you do it's your job to learn what you missed before you come to the next class. You wouldn't walk into your trigonometry class and expect your teacher to take an entire class period to reteach an entire lesson on cosigns because you missed a day.
00:13:02
Speaker
But that's exactly what you're doing when you miss a dance class and you don't review and you expect your teacher to reteach all the choreography for you because you weren't there.
00:13:13
Speaker
It's your job to get with a friend, to learn what you missed, and show up prepared. And then of course, if you have questions, that's great. If I can tell a dancer has gone over their choreography and they have done their very, very best to learn what they missed,
00:13:29
Speaker
I am more than happy to answer all your questions, go over details, those kind of things. But when a dancer walks in having done no homework and expects me to reteach everything for only their benefit when the rest of the class was there and already knows what's going on, that's not respectful to the rest of your class.
00:13:50
Speaker
And rehearsing outside of your class is not just about memorization. It is a sign of respect for your teachers, your teammates, and your craft. It says, I respect your time, I respect your effort, and I care enough to come ready.
00:14:02
Speaker
The fourth thing we want you to know is we do not just see where you are now. We see your limitless potential and we see the work we need to put in to get you there.
00:14:15
Speaker
And I say we on purpose. The work is not just you and it's not just your teacher. It is a group project. We are working together to get you where you want to be.
00:14:26
Speaker
Truly, your teachers are basically superheroes. We can see into the future and we recognize not just your present ability, but your future capabilities. We see the tiny small adjustments, the details, and the habits that are going to unlock that next level.
00:14:43
Speaker
When I make a lesson plan, I am starting from the end goal and I'm working backwards to create a curriculum that will get you where you want to be. So if my goal is to have my class doing triple pirouettes by the end of the semester, I'm working backwards to develop a plan that will get you there. That's starting from the very, very basics all the way up to those multiple

The Role of Repetition in Mastery

00:15:02
Speaker
pirouettes.
00:15:04
Speaker
So sometimes the feedback feels tough and sometimes the lesson plans do feel very monotonous. And believe me, as a teacher, it can feel that way too. Like i know that we need to repeat the same thing many weeks in a row.
00:15:18
Speaker
to be able to get it correctly. But even on my end, sometimes it can feel monotonous and I can feel like, oh my gosh, I think I need to like rush through this or have we been doing this for too long? And I have to check myself too and realize that like the work is going to feel monotonous sometimes and it is repetitive. And that is part of being a great dancer, like doing the same things, doing the same tendus over and over and over again.
00:15:42
Speaker
work never stops, no matter how advanced you get, no matter what professional level you get to. Tyler Peck is still starting her day with plies, tendus, degages. Like that never changes.
00:15:53
Speaker
So you have to get used to doing the monotonous work and doing the same thing. And the sooner you can be okay with that ritual and Be okay with the fact that it is a continuous process and that you are never going to reach the end points. You are always going to be working on your plies, always going to be continuing to grow.
00:16:17
Speaker
the better off you're going to be. Your teachers are focused on the long game. We see the future. We know what it's going to take to get you there. Trust us. I promise we know what we're doing and we have a plan.
00:16:31
Speaker
The fifth thing that we want you to know as dance teachers is that we are way more interested in your efforts than the outcome. We do not care if you are perfect, but we do care if you try.
00:16:45
Speaker
Nothing inspires me more as a teacher than working with students who give their all. While it's nice to have, i don't particularly notice incredible feet or 180 degree turnout or the natural flexibility even close to as much as I notice efforts.
00:17:03
Speaker
If you're willing to walk into the classroom and work, then we can get somewhere. But all the natural talents in the world will not make a difference if you're not willing to do the work.

Embracing Challenges and Growth Opportunities

00:17:13
Speaker
A few tangible ways that you can do this.
00:17:17
Speaker
When your teacher is giving a correction, show us. We, of course, appreciate your full attention when we're showing the correction, right? Like if I'm showing and something for a pirouette and everyone's turning at the same time, they're not really getting the correction if they're not waiting for me to finish showing it because it's hard to see and listen when you're actively turning.
00:17:37
Speaker
So yes, it's okay to watch and absorb and listen. But once we're done showing you the correction or talking, don't just stand there and stare at us. Try it. We don't know as teachers if the correction is clicking for you until we see you try it.
00:17:52
Speaker
And if one explanation doesn't work, I have 50 more ways of explaining the same concept. But I don't know if I need to do that until I see you try and then realize where there's a disconnect and where I need to fill in a gap.
00:18:07
Speaker
Another tangible way to put in the work is to go with multiple groups. Or if something isn't working, try it again on the side. If you didn't get the combination, go again with another group.
00:18:18
Speaker
Some days are just really off days, and I get that. But if you accept defeat every time something doesn't go perfectly, that's the way you learn to approach class and rehearsal and performance and And that is not an approach that is conducive to growth.
00:18:34
Speaker
Be more concerned with not progressing than you are with looking like you're bad at something. Sometimes we're so worried with anyone noticing we're bad at something that we don't practice it at all. I was this way as a dancer with turns.
00:18:47
Speaker
I was a very natural jumper. i had really natural musicality. had a really natural way of being able to copy a position or copy a movement. But turning was always something that was difficult for me. And I fell into a really bad habit of kind of trying to hide in my turns and not going with another group or just like trying to get through as quick as I could and get off the floor so that no one would notice I was bad at it. But like they're noticing and I'm not getting better at turning because I'm not practicing because I'm not okay with being bad at it. I want to hide that I'm bad at it instead of saying,
00:19:24
Speaker
Yeah, this is not my strength and I need to practice it more that I can get better at it. If you're not willing to be bad, you're not going to improve. And that is a big regret that I have for my dance career that was so worried about looking good.
00:19:39
Speaker
that I didn't actually get good at that thing. So overall, just remember to show up, be present, give it your all, stay resilient through the frustration and you will be shocked at how quickly you progress and how much you accomplish.
00:19:53
Speaker
The next thing we want you to know is that being present and respectful in class makes you stand out more than any trick. So many dancers think that being the best means being able to do the biggest leap or the most turns or the highest kick.
00:20:11
Speaker
But teachers remember the dancers who are engaged, who are focused, and who are respectful. Your body language matters. When you're leaning on the bar, when you're crossing your arms, when you're giving us a look like you'd rather be anywhere else in the world,
00:20:26
Speaker
That shows. That really shows up. And I tell this to dancers too because i think a lot of times we don't really realize what our body language is saying to our teacher because I don't think my dancers ever mean to be disrespectful.
00:20:39
Speaker
I just think that we aren't always aware fact that our body language is saying something that we don't want to be saying. So be really aware of how you're presenting yourself in class, not just while you're dancing, but in between combinations, how you walk into the studio.
00:20:56
Speaker
How you listen to corrections, how you stand in between combinations, how you act when the other group is going. Are you watching the other group and learning from them or are you talking to your friend on the side?
00:21:08
Speaker
If another dancer is getting a correction, are you listening to that correction and absorbing it and practicing it for yourself or are you pretending it doesn't apply to you? All of these things make you stand out.
00:21:19
Speaker
Attentiveness, gratitude, All of these things speak louder than any skill you could do. And I have spoken to so many different professional dancers, choreographers, directors on this podcast.
00:21:32
Speaker
And that is a huge theme across the board that people say over and over again. I'd rather work with a dancer who is present, respectful, a hard worker, mature, professional, than the person who can do the most turns.
00:21:47
Speaker
So really be aware of the way that you're presenting yourself. All of this maturity and professionalism is going to carry you far beyond the dance floor in your entire life.

Teachers' Human Side and Building Trust

00:21:57
Speaker
Number seven, we want you to know that we are also humans who have off days just like you and your teachers are not perfect people.
00:22:07
Speaker
I remember being so shocked to learn that my parents were human beings who weren't perfect. Because when you're a kid, you look at the people in your life, your parents, your teachers, these people that you really respect and you think they've got it all together and they know exactly what they're doing.
00:22:26
Speaker
And I'm here to tell you that we really, really don't. It's my first time living life too, right? There are so many things that I'm learning still every single day. There's so many mistakes I'm making, so many things I'm still trying to figure out.
00:22:39
Speaker
I am not ever here to pretend that I'm a perfect person who never makes mistakes and who has it all together. Behind every single teacher is a human being who has doubts, stress, and bad days.
00:22:51
Speaker
And teaching is really emotional work. It's incredibly physical, but it's also incredibly emotional. We are really invested in our students. We truly care so much about you.
00:23:02
Speaker
We think about you when class ends. We're always thinking about, okay, what can I do to help this particular student? This didn't go all this day. How could I work on this next time? What do they need?
00:23:13
Speaker
How can I be there for them? We're not just thinking about our classes for the hour and a half that we're teaching you. We're thinking about you constantly. We really want the best for you.
00:23:24
Speaker
And when you can approach your instructors with empathy, just like you hope they will do with you, it really strengthens the trust in the room. We need you to know that we are doing our very best, just like you are. We're showing up for you.
00:23:37
Speaker
If you can show up for us and realize that we also have Hopes and dreams and fears and things going on outside of class and maybe something happened in our personal life that day that was really, really hard, just like you have.
00:23:49
Speaker
It really helps the entire ecosystem and everyone feel so much more safe in the environment. The best classes I always feel like happen with both sides.
00:24:02
Speaker
teacher and student can give each other grace and realize that we're not perfect, but we are trying and we are giving it our best and we're going to get there together.

Life Skills Developed Through Dance

00:24:12
Speaker
Number eight of things we want you to know. We are not just teaching you dance technique.
00:24:18
Speaker
We are teaching you life skills that will serve you no matter what path you take. There are so many skills that you learn as a dancer that are going to come into your life, again, no matter what pathway you decide to take as far as career goes.
00:24:36
Speaker
You're learning discipline. You're learning teamwork. You're learning resilience. You're learning humility. You're learning time management. Every day you walk into that room and you do something incredibly challenging that requires you to be constantly corrected and constantly learning on a physical, emotional, mental level. like That's a really challenging thing. And dancers are some of the hardest working people I know.
00:25:01
Speaker
We're very comfortable with hard work. We're very comfortable with putting in efforts. Dance training really shapes far more than your physical skills. It it is shaping your character. Any employer that I have had outside of the dance realm, like when I was waitressing, my bosses at multiple places would always say to me, do you have any other dancers who want to come work here?
00:25:21
Speaker
Because they knew me and they knew how I worked, The fact that someone else that I knew was a dancer was like enough for them to want to hire them because they realized that we are just a very special breed of people who have a lot of desirable characteristics of what you want in a great employee.
00:25:37
Speaker
The lessons you're learning are truly going to show up later in your relationships, in your career. and your confidence just as a human being going throughout the world. So whether you stay in dance or not, what you're learning in the studio becomes part of who you are.
00:25:51
Speaker
And we take that really seriously as your dance teachers. We are just as concerned with you learning how to do a tendu as we are with you learning resilience as a dancer. These are, and my opinion, equally important things to learn.
00:26:05
Speaker
Because without the resilience, you're not going to have the fortitude to keep working on that tendu, right? It all goes together. It's all important. It's all going to matter in your life.
00:26:15
Speaker
The next thing that we want you to know is that our job is not to tell you what you want to hear. It's to tell you what you need to hear. Growth is rarely happening inside your comfort zones.
00:26:27
Speaker
When we push you ah we hold you accountable, again, it is because we care about you. And telling you what you need to hear doesn't always mean that it's going to be harsh. Sometimes I can tell what a dancer needs to hear more than anything is that they are doing a good job.
00:26:43
Speaker
There are days when that confidence boost goes so much farther than any correction I could give. You need to know as a teacher when to keep pushing on a technical level and when to give that reassurance that, hey, you are doing a really good job and you are getting there and when to do both.
00:26:59
Speaker
It is a very specific skill that your dance teachers are cultivating. So there are days when I know that you just need to hear you're doing a good job. And there are some days when I know that you need to be called out.
00:27:11
Speaker
We've all been there. I've been there. And I really appreciate the people in my life who care about me enough to lovingly call me out when I am not being my best self. That is incredibly important to me in a relationship is having friends and family who can tell me When the way I'm acting or the effort I'm giving or what I'm doing is just not where they know I'd want to be.
00:27:38
Speaker
and sometimes you have to hear that from people. Like sometimes you need to hear, hey, I know you have more to give. Or hey, something seems off today. Like what's going on? Let's talk about it. I really value those

Constructive Feedback and Empathy

00:27:50
Speaker
relationships. And as a teacher, I really Feel that it's important to be able to know when my students need but extra push and when they need more encouragement.
00:28:00
Speaker
And I don't think they're mutually exclusive either. I'm not saying that if I'm calling someone out that I'm being mean or harsh or rude about it. i think you can do that in a way that is very encouraging as well.
00:28:11
Speaker
But what you need to hear is going to vary every day as a dancer. And my job as a teacher is to be that role model and that relationship in your life and that person who believes in you enough to support you in the way that you need.
00:28:25
Speaker
Okay, we finally made it to number 10 of the list of things that your dance teacher wants you to know. This one is truly from my heart and it is, we want you to know we were once exactly where you are now.
00:28:39
Speaker
Every dance teacher you have was once in your shoes. We remember being the student who had doubts, who struggled, who compared, and who had big dreams. We remember how hard it was to balance dance and school and friendships and family and all the other important things in life.
00:28:57
Speaker
And that's why we recognize your highs and your lows so clearly. We have lived them. When I say we see you, I really, really mean it. I know what you're going through.
00:29:07
Speaker
i know how it feels. I know how hard some days can be, but I also know the incredible feeling when things click, when you have a great day, when you have a great performance and you have that undeniable feeling that every dancer knows of how good it feels to have worked so hard for something and to see all of that effort pay off.
00:29:30
Speaker
There's truly nothing like it. And I want that for all of my students. I want you to have that feeling of knowing you put absolutely everything into this. You've left it all a dance floor.
00:29:41
Speaker
And you did that. You did that. Choosing this dance life is not always easy. There is so much that goes into it. And you know that there are sacrifices along the way. There are things you miss out on because you're so dedicated to this art form.
00:29:55
Speaker
But if you love it, I really believe it's worth it. So keep showing up, keep putting in the work, and remember that your teachers are here for you. You can talk to us. I know it can feel scary sometimes going up to your teacher and saying, hey, can I talk to you?
00:30:11
Speaker
And we might say, yes, but not right this second. I have to teach another class or I have to run home to my family. We might say, let's schedule another time to talk. But we are here for you and we do want to hear from you and we do want to know what's going on.
00:30:24
Speaker
So please come talk to us. Tell us what's going on in your life. We want to know. We really do care about you and we are in your corner always.

Community Engagement and Podcast Promotion

00:30:36
Speaker
Thank you for tuning into the Brainy Ballerina podcast. If you found this episode insightful, entertaining, or maybe a bit of both, I would so appreciate you taking a moment to leave a rating and hit subscribe.
00:30:48
Speaker
By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode. And you'll join our community of dancers passionate about building a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. Plus your reigns help others discover the show too.
00:31:02
Speaker
I'll be back with a new episode next week. In the meantime, be sure to follow along on Instagram at The Brainy Ballerina for your daily dose of dance career guidance.