Dear Dance deb,
So refreshing to hear someone with the same views. Iwas trained by older russian teachers such as Nicolai Orloff, Igor Youskevitch and his wife , and other assorted current and retired members of American Ballet theater, Ballet Russe, etc...
We were taught respect for the art of dance, the teacher the studio and the accompianist. In my ballet class we do reverance. Most teachers I know don't. It's so " old school". I would love to bring some of that old school back. You can't have "new school" without old school. I totally understand the over scheduled children, laziness , and just getting by. I never would have become a professional dancer if I had the work ethic of the children and parents I come into contact with.

I have been teaching dance for 27 years, mostly ballet, lyrcal and jazz. My vent to the studio owners is if I'm such a good teacher and your enrollment is going up why do you cut my hours for the next younger "it teacher that you think knows whats going on in the dance world merely because they took a few dance courses in college or were on someones winning competition team five years ago? I take class every week,read all the trade magazines, keep in touch with the people I danced with on the east coast. Dance teachers also work hard, pay for the music we use in class, show up to dress rehearsal and recital that we don"t get paid for. I take pride in my art and ability to teach. I have many students in college programs, companies and who are studio owners themselves. Please don't ask me to take out the garbage or sweep the floor. You are the owner, it is your responsibility to keep your studio looking good!!!!

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Exams are next weekend, over three days. For the past two weekends I have been teaching from 9am til 4.15 Sats,9am til Sundays,Sundays being the "Special Exam Classes".Then the usual Mon, Tues, Weds Fri classes. The attendance has been pretty good, better amongst the younger pupils than the 12, 13 year olds.So why do I need to vent?

How come the children aren't at their normal scheduled classes?

When I spoke to a parent about her daughter having missed regular class, again,I was told she would be at the Sunday class! Don't they understand that the Extra classes are Extra! In addition to the scheduled classes! They are intended to improve the childrens chances in the exam, not so that they have more choice about which day to come! Is this what I have given my Sundays in June for? So that they can be flexible about when to come! Why don't the parents understand that we want the best for their children. I want them to be as good and as confident as they possibley can be. Why don't they see it?

Frustration

I am tired of them not listening. I tell them the same things over and over again. I even had out newletters with everything on it that they could possibly ask me about recitals and upcoming events. You never said that, You never told us that. Then how come the other parents know about it. Not all the parents are this way. I have some really wonderful Moms that step up and do their part.

Only 6 more weeks of nonsense from my darling high school graduates! They have to come to class to participate in nationals, but I am about to give them the boot. It was the first class since our show 2 weeks ago and they were so disruptive. Its 100% clear that its a pain for them to be at dance class. They talked over me, barely did their barre exercises and gave me attitude as usual. If they act up again I will just send them home. I am so done!!!

I totally sympathize with the teacher who doesn't want to take out the garbage, etc. I danced for 15 years, have been teaching for 17, plus I have a degree to boot. I love being a dance teacher, not a cleaning lady, but sometimes I feel like if I don't do it, no one will and that doesn't look very good to our clients. I'm not the studio owner, but I try to act like I would if I was. If it's good for the studio in general, then it is good for me too.

Vent/
my vent.... well i am totally out of a job. my SO kept a blind eye to her finances for the past couple of years, and made some REALLY stupid business mistakes. like instead of taking out business loans to pay for renovating or pay the rent in the summer when she didnt have the money in the school. she is an incorporated business so really she could have the school in debt, but instead has put herself and her husband in dept for about 80 thousand dollars. so what does this mean? well she has been told by her husband and her book keeper that she needs to cut back, and teach alone out of one studio for the next year and rent out the other room. (right now she has a martial arts school in there, but its only a few nights for a couple of hours so it helps but thats it).
she had already decided to cut back a lot for sept, like it would just be her and i and she wouldnt pay assistants or a desk person, that would all be volunteer. and i offered to cut my pay from $30 to $10 an hour so that maybe for 2007-2008 we could relocate and possibly become partners. her husband rejected the idea, and so i am stuck without a job.
they are all trying to make themselves feel better saying that i will open my own school.
well i have no desire to open my own school, and in my opinion half way through july is not the time to do it. i dont have the funds needed, i dont have a location, i am totally stuck.
i invested everything in this school and now i am stuck out on my ass. soooo frustrate!!!
the SO is a good friend of mine which hurts even more, and the mean side in me really hopes she loses a lot of people and cant do it on her own. she has NEVER run that school on her own... how does she think she will manage that with a 2 year old i have no clue.

This has killed my spirit a little... i have no clue what to do, where to turn, what job to take. so lost.

/Vent

Yet another vent about parents!

So Saturday our studio was to have pictures taken at the park.
Late Friday evening the SO calls to tell me that she will not be there. Her husbands grandmother is not well at all & they are calling in the family b/c she probably won't last long. So she has to go out of town about 5 hrs. away!She told me & the Photographer how she wanted the pictures to look. The other teacher & I will be there so no problem right? WRONG!

I was the first one there. The kids were no problem but the parents kept saying "Did Ms.S.O. forget?" "wheres the photographer?" "we have to leave fo church camp in 45 mins"
"I'm Hot" (Really! so am I, welcome to July in Texas!)

But what really got me is when I told them she had a "Family emergency" & would not be there they got mad! I even had them go as far as saying "she didn't tell me" & "what kind of family emergency could SHE have" AHHHH !

HELLO!! Like she had time to sit down & call everybody & let them know. She called me as she was getting in the car to leave!
She has a life Too!!
They have no problem leaving their kids with us for hours at a time to teach,Backstage at recital & comps, but we're not capable to get them posed for a picture?? Please!

I truly hate to know what they said about me when I missed alot this year Due to my dad being in the hospital & then passing away! I'm sure wouldn't even be able to look the in the face!

I'll be sure to remind them of this when thier kid gets moved to the back row because they called on a Thursday before competition
& say they can't come because their Uncle had a root canal!

Sorry this was long, but I had to get it out!

ok here it goes i take the occasional masterclass and i was in brissy. i was taking girls from the ages 10 to 13 oh yes i know very bad age for some.... well i tried to make it fun and educational and there was about 4 girls that just stood there roled there eyes and talked the whole way through my class i got very angry. i ask u where has the respected gone back when i was training if i ever gave my teacher that sort of attitude she would have kicked me out. i didnt feel i could do that cause it was a master class. but so yeah there u have it. by the way im in melbourne for bout 2 months if any ione is down a ballet teacher i have nights of for about 6 weeks please pm me if ur interested....

I'd like to say a few words on Parents/ Students.

1) Parents, I know I'm not your beloved old Ballet teacher. The one I replaced because the studio owner saw fit that she was a lazy bum who never did get off her lazy @$$ to actually teach a class.

2) When you are in my class and you say to me "but miss so and so, does it differently" I don't care! now your in my class and I don't teach tap, I teach ballet so do it my way!

3)My music is clean, just because I don't always use the boring ballet music of the Bach and Handel era, dosen't mean it's not good music, and by the way your child is actually now having fun in my ballet class, so what the problem?

4) Parent's, if you insist on talking about me behind my back have the balls to come and tell me what you would so, oh wait YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DANCE, DO YOU? go sit down!

4) students, TURN OUT! and do not for the love of gawd stop your barre routine when I come behind you to turn you out or make an adjustment to your body!

5) stop talking behind my back, I can hear you! you choose a silent ballet room that echos to whisper in? also you can't possibly do anything behind my back without my seeing it, remember I was a dancer too and we set the rules before you were even a twinkle in your dad's eye!

6) DO NOT COME UP TO ME WHEN I HAVE BEEN YELLING AT YOU ALL DAY LONG TO SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT WHEN YOU TURN, AND SAY: mISS BLAIRE, WHEN i SQUEEZE MY BUTT WHEN i TURN i HAVE MORE CONTROL!!!! ???? no kiddin'

7) stop telling me you don't like a movement I have just put in the dance, it annoys me!


Thanks,

Smile, have fun AND TURN IT OUT!

I really liked your number 10.

Here's a vent that hasn't been stated. I'm your child's dance teacher, not your therapist. I've actually had a parent start a rumor that a mother and father were having an affair! And all of the children involved are in the same classes.

this is the PERRRRRFECT "STICKY"!!!! PEOPLE who know how it is to feel a certqin and my husband wont say "get over it and quit taking things so personally...you are better than that..."especialy with 2 certain moms!!!someone helpo me!! Their daughters are 2 of my best students (17 & 14) been there for 10 yrs...good payers (their bills) but ALWAYS QUESTION ME ON FEES, WHY CHARGE CERTAIN AMTS, NEED BREAKDOWN OF FEES, THEY THINK IM TOO EXPENSIVE...meanwhile i treat their daughter like my own---

things i do at my studio:
billing, choreograph (PLEASSSSE REPLY if you are reading this!!!WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES...I FEEL IM WORTH MINE $150 p solo $100 p duet/trio )

choose/order costumes, provide alterations - at a fee -
boutique sales, ALL planning/scheduling dress reh, competitions, recital, EVERYTHING!!!
produce a recital, music & editing of songs
teach ALL classes...no other teachers, just assts

basically work my ___ off & i know FOR SURE, by comments from people that no other studio is as 'GRACIOUS & CARING", organized, NOR does so much...

speaking of which,,,i need more students...tried everything, possibly moving new location, just dont understand why peple dont come...it seems like we are the "most envied" school on town (competitive company)...kids know terminology, can execute skills, parents i have (other than those 2) by comments think im wonderful and susie loves me/dance...whats up????

speaking of compt peeves.....what is this calling lyrical???what i see is merely modern and it is placed in lyrical category. where is the ballet technique? we get beat by people who throw them selves around sometimes look like they "need a pole"...hair flying everywhere, costumes are shirts and bikers???

I dont mean to offend anyone who has dances like that...some of them are quiet good, i just dont understand what those judges see in some. no traing is evident in 3/4s and REALLLLY over the line provacative...just my opinion.

this is a great thread...again on choreography (contemporary) NO OFFENSE...i do watch so you think u can dance...know what tyle is "in", but where are the rewards at compts for soft lyrical with ballet based movements???

it is worth it to compete:
those kids who need a bigger challenge, need to be seperated form recreational, wnat to rise above, are very outgoing, love the "rush", when they do their best UUUU feel so good!! when they dont U feel " i told her a billion times...exactly what comes back on that scoresheet is what u said in class for the past 4 months>>>
u wont to say TRUST ME...im not stupid!!!

cons:
B*** "thats too far to drive"
B******* "we ony will compete 2x a year, too expensive
(average pd of my students to compete $200-550 each time)
B**** this new costume cost what???? meanwhile dancer feels good about how they look, its well made (artstone!!) etc.
B*****i can only come 2 days p week, but i want to be in 15 compt numbers

i like compt...something extra to do besides teaching and running a business...

i agree!!! i have some girls whove been competing for 7 yrs of more...for the past 2 yrs our studio has not done well at compts...we usually got high golds, plats, etc. now were getting golds, hsilvers...the same kids!!! parents are starting to geive me the eye after awards like its my fault!!!! these are all teenagers now, and theyre not listening and making corrections...what do i say? i told them to fix those things??? these people pay $250-550 p event...i would be upset if it was my daughter, but what...they dont think im teaching them correctly?????

hahahahaha i cannot believe that mom!!! what do they want you to do hold their hand???? this is a business, and sometimes i think people (outside of us) are ignorant or im just getting smarter...agendas months in advance, tell them EVERYTHING to do -wear- where to be- when- when theyre done- what will take place, on on on on
give me a break??? do they ask their boss 10 million times what to do??? NO
i just want a little respect and appreciation. i am a professional, and good at what i do, although on the business end i feel need to be sxtronger - rules- explaining prices, and not feel bad for fees...i work hard!!!
any suggestions to help my depression/confidence on the business end??? i had a parent comment, youre not a business person...but a teacher, IN A PARENT MEETING!!!!! i own the studio!!!!! who do you think you are insulting me? you do pay me $200 a month to teach your chld, therefore you should think something of me!!!!

dear living it:
hahahahah dancing since birth...i love it when someone comes from another studio and says shes danced for 1000 yrs, 10 yr old. i ask her what a buffalo or tpdbouree,chasse entournant,etc is. she just looks at me!!! yeah, u learned a lot. then she goes into the age appropriate class, and cant even keep up with girls whove danced as long as she has!!! some people dont need to have a studio because they are just taking $, not teaching dance!!! then again, i sometimes feel sorry for the parent because they dont know any better, but especfially for the child.l sadddddd

angelmum...
as with other teachers/owners, i agree this thread should just be for us to vent and say whatever,,,HOWEVER, I AM GLAD some parents "get nosewy" and get on here...maybe it will let them know what we are putting up with. as you just apologized/embarassed about how some parents act, by teachers' vents, i had 2 parents apologize to me for the way another mom acted. go figure! then, the next year, they all 3 quit...what??? kids said its not fun anymore...they were in comopany, and im not going to let them dance recreationally to go and get a bronze at a compt and then get looks from the mom...who pays $200 a month....i have a responsibility to teach ALL children, recreational or compt, and this is job which i love very much...asked students why is it not fun? too hard, or i dont know...well, i reply to myself, do youjust want me to let you pllay around and then cry when you get beat? it just like a sport...play to DO YOUR BEST...not just go thru the motions!!!

angelmum:
forget to say THANK YOU for comments...would like to hear from you. its nice to know some parents have sense!!! if you havent you should tell your childs teacher how u feel about her. we rarely hear nice things, or i do, and it makes our day to feel appreciated...all our work is making somebody happy!!!!!

this is great!!!especially asking stupid questions when youve told them what to do or given memos on procedures...and THE PARENTS are worse asking the same and MORE stupid questions...please give me a break. sometimes when students ask things like that i reply back as u have listed...seeing the look on their face is great!!!! then i say, do u think im serious? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

just jazzin:
u said it!!! sometimes i wish i could speak to clients like we often have to just keep it to ourselves...how do you actually handle/comment back to some of those situations? im just amazed that some people GRRRR ...it is a business and the doors dont stay open because im independently wealthy, i do add to the compt fees (teacher fee)----am i supposed to do entries, stay awake, enthusiastic, supportive, get susiz pepped up, remind her of thngs before she dances, and give up the entire weekend for free?????give me a break!

raynabelle:
hoped i spelled that right...
yes, im glad i found this site too...im having a REALLLLL hard time...been in business for 16 yrs, max students 127, last 5 yrs declining. whats up?? i feel like im not doing something right. I:
have several DANCE degrees
have judged competitions, so besides doing this forever, i try and keep the students "up to par"
i keep my fees in the middle of everyone elses around me
do anything and everything at the studio (1 woman show)...id have it no other way
non-ordinaire recitals, like broadway shows...pyro, drops, special lighting effects, no prompting the students, live video edting oinsite, organized...memos - where, when, how, etc. costume packages with EVERYTHING they need....
VERY individualized instruction, not to mention ALWAYS taking time to speak w/parents, trying to please ALL CLIENTS

if ANYONE has suggestions on my business, PLEASE SPEAK!!!!!
i love dance, teaching, my own business.....deep in depression, feeling like other studios or SOMEONE has bad mouthed me, when all ive done is mind my own business...no gossip, being courtes when seeing other teacher, etc. what do i need to do? i have given up everything, especially mentally and pysically (bad back) because i used to be a fighter...i keep praying for the drive i used to have, but ????

tutu much & dcediva:
i SOOOOO agree w/you! here all this time i thought it was just me, not being a strong enough business person, ie, this are the procedures, and no they wont be altered. oh my gosh...i have really thought i was going to have a nervous breakdown and just wasnt cut out to do this...although i feel god gave me talent and compassion, kind heart, and PATIENCE!!!!
i just try and remember that i love what i do, yes life would be easier without parents, but they do pay the bill

how do you handl,e when students get a low score and you know why...tole them 1000 times, but its like they dont believe u???????

CHOURA:
i SOOOOO agree with u! if parents have so many SUGGESTIONS...hahahaha...then why dont they have a studio, degree(S) in dance, and why are they paying me?
just because theyve been around a long time, seen many compts, doesnt mean they know this business.
ANYONE have opinions for a long time client that continues to adjust her bill, remits how "she broke it down".....we have exceeded our summer budget for summjer dance, and molly will noit be there the last day of REQUIRED COMPT REHEARA,?????