This happened to me recently with my 15+ hip hop class;

After recital child A's Parent calls my boss and reads her the riot act about the recital dance being only 30 secs long and had no energy and was too easy for the class and they looked very unrehearsed. Some girls also missed rehearsals before recital, nothing was rescheduled. As well she did mention that if it was the problem with the class was attitude perhaps I should talk with thier parents.

MY RESPONSE:
well my dear, if you little "darling" would come to class on time (if she shows up at all), not chat with all her friends in the class and not be on her cell phone which i have to repeatedly remind her to put down perhaps they would be more rehearsed. Secondly the dance was not 30secs, it happened to be 2mins 15 sec long and if your child and the rest of my class, were not goofing off and doing the above mentioned items...it would have been longer. As for the difficulty, they could barely pull that simple choreography out of thier asses on my stage, last time i checked "miracle-worker" was not in my job description.
Thirdly, honey the class age says they must be 15 and over. this means most of the class is in thier second year or high school at least. if you cannot remember the dates of rehearsals and recitals that is not my problem. you are old enough to time manage yourselves!
As for the "attitude" problem, I don't know lady what you think I do all day but allow me to enlighten you that I not only teach dance five nights a week I also work a full-time job and would like to spend time with my family and friends. I don't have time to call parents, (especially when thier children are TEENAGERS) and talk to them about thier attitude. Besides I have given them two lectures which your little "darling" forgot to mention to you and if after that they do nopt listen to me....they sure as hell are not going to listen to you!!

SO GET OFF MY BACK AND IF YOUR DARLING WANTS TO DANCE NEXT YEAR AND YOU WANT IT TO BE BETTER>>>>I SUGGEST YOU GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET INVOLVED!!!

I feel sooooo much better!

4 weeks and still no costumes ( I guess going away on vacation and leaving me to answer to the parents is a ok with these people).

So i take the time to design a costume, pick out fabric and do all the measurements for the kids to get their costumes back last week with a costume i have never seen, not sewn, with no tights, not enough fabric, no shirt, the wrong colours, the wrong print and no underwear in the skirts! Basically these kids are going to be dancing naked because the studio messed up the costumes!!!! 2 weeks before recital! AHHHH

Black is black. No, navy and hunter green are not 'close enough'

Dance shoes are not meant to 'grow into.'

It is not cute to see a five-year-old on her tip-toes pretending to do pointe.

A split does not necessarily a good dancer make.

I'm sorry, but even your "fantastically-talented-three-year-old-who-dances-all-over-at-home-and-has-perfect-rhythm" must begin in the toddler class.

No, we were not just 'laying around' on the floor. That is called a modern cool-down you ninny.

Okay sleezeball, not really their father, jerk that can't handle a woman in a position of authority. You've been a complete a$# since the first time you stepped into my studio and I don't know why you bothered to sign up at all. Sorry that I wouldn't honor the price that your girlfriend wrote down and was $10 less then the actual tuition. I only honor real estimates, not ones made up by scam artists.

No I am not being a b$#%^h for not letting you and your girlfriend's daughter use the empty classroom to practice karate. When the rules say no one is allowed in the classroom without a teacher present, that means you too! I have rules and they apply to everyone.

No, you didn't pay for those tights that I was nice enough to let you have on picture day so that your girlfriend's daughter didn't look like an idiot. Yes, you still owe the $12.25 and no one participates in the recital if their account has a balance due.

I am not "after you". I give everyone who owes money a statement. You aren't that special. Don't tell my teacher that you can't stand me and that I "better watch out" and then expect me to be nice to you. You have annoyed me and my staff long enough and I will not let you come back if you are dumb enough to try. You aren't "all that" so I don't need your business that bad. Go take your "I am so charming" attitude somewhere else and see if they will tolerate your nonsense.

Continuous yapping.. This is a dance class not an English lesson! Drives me cRaZy

Oh the joys of this time of year.....

"By the way, I can't be in recital" (Which is two weeks away) or "I can only be in one of the shows"

Nice of the parents to let me know since we have had the date posted since Septemeber, which makes their child feel bad because now I have to rearrange my choreography so that their position in the formation is unimportant.

If I say you must wear hip hop shoes for recital and have posted two notices, then that is what you must wear. I see you are still wearing jazz shoes to hip-hop class, and I am already frustrated to know that you will show up to recital with the same jazz shoes that I have specifically asked not be worn. Yet I won't have the heart to keep you out of the show, and I won't take it out on you because your mother told you not to bother.

At recital-
Thank you parents for taking your child and leaving as soon as they have performed so no one is on stage during finale. Although we cannot hold your child hostage, it sure would be considerate to all the other students and parents who follow our rules and requests.

That said, I love what I do, some things will never change, you can't make everyone happy, and the special notes, thank-yous and flowers from happy students make it all worthwhile!!

Dress rehearsal means EVERYONE HAS TO BE THERE! Where the hell were you? And you guys who were there, where were your costumes? Why wasn't your hair in a bun, why didn't you have your shoes, and where was your make-up?

Dress rehearsal was last night. I was disappointed in my students.

I also have parents that want me to help them fundraise. I will let them leave something in the lobby (not far from the "No Soliciting" sign). I no longer ask for students to help fundraise as I have discontinued them. One teacher I know has her students sell ads for the program. Since we are a for-profit studio I think we might try the ad idea but the directors can sell them.

I hate it when your arrive at the studio 30 minutes before your schedule to, to do a private lesson and the student doesn't show up. Doesn't even bother to call

SO don't tell me all excitedly that I'm teaching the advanced tap class next year and then take it away a month later. You've done this two years in a row now and I think it is really unfair of you. I know you're not ready to give up that class, but I'm not asking to take it over! You say you want the students to learn my style and be well rounded. Hanging onto this class isn't what is best for your students. I hear them and their parents complain that they aren't learning anything new.

Also, please stop correcting my students when you come into my class to get something. You don't know what cues I've been giving them. I don't do that to you, because when I get your students in my other classes I have to get them to break all of their bad habits!!! If you think I'm technically not up to teaching the advance class then please tell me why do my Tap numbers consistently get 1st and 2nd place overall and high gold, or platinum?

If you have come to class - please dance. Dance for real. Don't mark it. No one ever improved their technique by marking the steps. Furthermore, if you mark it in class what makes you think you will be able to perform it correctly, full out, on stage.

You perform the way you practice so you should always give 110% at practice.

Stephanie

I so need this today, we are at the last week of our recital, i took over the studio this year and I'm really enjoying being the owner if i did'nt have to deal with these parents. I'm tired of having to explain my rules and policies this is not miss so and so studio anymore it is MINE and i have my rules, please follow them or go elsewhere. Why is it that these people think that the money for the dress rehearsal, tickets, show and other things that go along with putting together a show is just going to fall from the dang sky, im not john d rockerfeller i'm trying to make a living doing this. so just back off and abide by the rules or go elsewhere
thanks for letting me vent i feel much better

To the smug, know-it-all, ten year old in my tap class:
Your mother thinks you're God's gift to the world but your halo is on crooked in my tap class. I know your mom never taught you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all...so I'm gonna say it. When my music "sounds weird and stupid", save it. When "these arms don't make sense," shut it. When "this step is too hard for this class," you could use a bar of soap in the mouth cause I've had it UP TO HERE with your wonderful opinions. Tomorrow I'm bringing a needle and thread to sew that trap shut forever.
Mom: What do you mean she's rude?
Me: She has a running commentary on every aspect of my class and it's very negative. She needs to work on tap steps in class, not talking.
Mom: My daughter has never been rude. Maybe she's just giving you constructive criticism?
Me: *slap hand to forehead*
When I'm an SO, kids like this will get the BOOT!!

Oh my gosh leapjumpturn, that is bad. Constructive critisism from a 10 year old!

I cannot walk through my lobby anymore. I take two steps and I am cornered by parents with VERY URGENT questions. The information is posted, the receptionist is right there at her desk and your child, the one who just came out of class, has a bunch of papers in her hand. Perhaps the information you are looking for is available there. I have class right now. In fact, you are holding said information right in your hand. No kidding, last night I had to literally take a note out of a mom's hand and hand it back to her so she would notice that it was all written down for her, again.

I am thinking about using the back door from now until recital. 9 days to go!

Wow! You said it perfectly! Don't you wish we could mail it to the parents?

My costume doesnt fit, its not sewn, im missing a piece, its a different colour, do we really need to wear a body suit under the skirt?, i don't have black jazz shoes can i just wear my beige ones? I dont have tights, do i really need them? Do we have to run the dance AGAIN? I don't feel well, we can't make it to dress rehearsal, Oops i left my costume at home, Oh ya by the way Suzie can't perform sunday, she has soccer championships, martha has a birthday party on saturday can you move her dance first so she can dance and leave?, Oh ya we can't stay for finale we have dinner at grandmas, Can lexi have a solo in recital i mean she is really very talented and i feel that dancing in a group isnt enough for her, I know that in her musical theatre dance Ashley and the other girls do some tap dancing in their jazz shoes for a couple counts...well she is really very good in tap so can she wear her tap shoes?, Can i pay you the week after recital we just bought a new car, Why do we have to be there at 930 am when recital doesnt start until 12?, This costume is ugly, your music isnt the type i enjoy listening to, do we have to sit through recital?, why isnt alex dancing with the older girls since she can do the splits, BEST OF ALL....got a call the morning of recital...we forgot it was grandpa's birthday we won't be making it out today...sorry!

Sound familiar anyone?

Too funny, twinkletoes! And familiar! Karma for you!
And yes, RileyA, constructive criticism from a child. Sigh. You should hear the way her own child speaks to her, just sassy mouth left and right. What's with some of these parents? Geeze.

they are too busy being their friend! They want them to become "their own person".
My personal favorite - I forgot my jazz shoes (dress rehersal)what should I do?
Why do we have to run it again? Becuase it looked like crap!
Why did I get pulled from the end of the dance? It's my favorite part? If it's you favorite part - maybe you should have been in class and practicing at home. By the way - the whole line got pulled - not just you.

If one more person tries to tell me that they didn't receive the newsletter that everyone else got I will scream! I know that it was received because we in fact had a conversation about it and you complained in my lobby about the info to the receptionist. Maybe you don't remember our brief conversation, but I do so stop lying and just be honest about forgetting. Don't treat me like I'm the rude one for reminding you about the info because you are the rude one for lying. Why do some people think that I am an idiot and won't be able to figure out their little games?

I so agree with you!!! I have young students with salon nails and dooney & bourke purses yet their parents won't buy their children proper dance attire or shoes!!! They are consistently late or don't show up at all, but come performance or competition time the parents want to know why their child isn't in front or doesn't know the choreography.

I can totally empathize with you. So many parents feel they know more about choreography, costumes, the way tings should be run, etc.. Especially those clients who have been attending the studio for a long time. I never ask parents what they think about a routine, costume, etc... I was trained in what is referred to by young teachers ( I'm 47 ) as "old school".
Well, students and parents had respect for the instructors and the studio. We are providing a dance EDUCATION, not a trophy or ribbon so you can " get your moneys worth".

Dear Parent,
How refreshing!!! I soooo appreciate people like you. I really feel for the parents and students who come every week,practice like they are suppose to and read the information that is given to them. As a teacher when those students are late or miss for very legitamate reasons i don't even mention it. If anyone complains I simply tell them that this person never misses and it would be great if everyone was like that.

I'm going to be starting a studio of my own soon and will NOT be competing. I will be offering a dance education and performance opportunities. If you are having trouble with people now, just wait until this team gets a gold and this team gets a silver and how come. I know a lot of studios compete and a lot of parents want to, but most of the students I have like performing much better. ( I have been teaching for 27 years ). It is expensive for everyone and the main emphasis is on impressing judges and what is the in step or choreography style for that particular year. There is so much emphasis on winning and looking a certain way and I feel there is enough pressure on kids and teens, especially girls, anyway that this just contributes to it in a negative way.